Pay attention to the smallest details
“What”™s in this for small businesses?”
So asked one owner at a recent public meeting of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council at which members outlined a 15-point list of goals for the seven-county region. The council is crafting a plan, due to the governor this month, that could bring $40 million in state funding to drive business and job growth in the region.
The programs being discussed to recommend to Albany “are designed for companies with 250 or more” workers, another small-business person lamented.
“Those of us that are smaller are getting left out.”
It”™s no wonder small businesses are feeling, well, small these days.
Much of the region”™s attention has been focused on the big guys, with the big guns coming out in force.
The most recent headline-grabber involved Gov. Andrew Cuomo”™s announcement of a $4.4 billion R&D venture by IBM and four other tech companies.
The deal was deserving of attention ”“ it has the potential to create thousands of high-paying, high-tech jobs and construction jobs ”“ something the state urgently needs.
But investments are being made on a smaller scale, too. And while a new hire here and a new hire there may not catch the region”™s collective eye, they do add up over time.
New York state has not done right by many of its corporate residents and, in turn, has lost some high-profile players and their high-paying jobs. But smaller employers, the backbone of our economy, have been equally disenfranchised. Many cannot afford to move to friendlier surroundings. And if they do close shop it will likely go under the radar.
Those that have stayed, struggled and survived must not be overlooked ”“ whether in plans by the regional council or other efforts by the state.
“There”™s a lot of opportunities on the state website for businesses to grow in New York state, but most of these are for big gains (businesses of 250 jobs or so),” Wiley Harrison, a mid-Hudson council member and co-chairman of its small-business committee explained to us.
“However, if I had 125 small-business owners with two jobs each, there”™s nothing that will connect each of those individuals.”
Harrison himself is a small-business owner. His company, Business of Your Business L.L.C. in White Plains, provides payroll and other accounting services.
So what about small businesses feeling left out in the cold?
“The voices are finally beginning to be heard,” Harrison said, and cited “positive responses from the council” regarding more inclusion of small business in its plans.
“The issues are definitely now laid out at the table. ”¦Solutions are really right around the corner.”
The council has proposed creating a Mid-Hudson Small Business One-Stop Resource website with information from each of the seven counties as well as state and federal resources available to small businesses.
“We understand,” Wiley told us. “We”™re hearing your challenges, taking them into consideration and hope to soon have a plan to help you with access to capital and access to opportunity.”
We”™ll be watching.
Our region”™s greatest potential for its biggest gains just may come from its smallest sources.