Rose Cantine

I came across this story in the Asheville Citizen-Times about a community program in Hayward County, North Carolina that helps people start businesses. The Certified Entrepreneurial Community program is part of the regional economic development agency’s plan to stop relying on attracting large companies to improve the business climate:

We’re talking about a different model of economic development from what many communities have traditionally focused on,” he said. Instead of trying to lure large manufacturers with ever-larger tax incentives, Carroll said improving the local business climate could help start-up companies and attract other entrepreneurs.

This is not surprising for this region — the Asheville community is a progressive one, where a lot of artists and creative people have moved in the past few years. I applaud the region’s shift away from the traditional get-Walmart-to-come-to-our-town initiatives that have plagued a lot of regions. The problem with relying on large firms is that people are still dependent on them for jobs, the firms have no ties to the local community, they will just close the plant when they find cheaper labor in a developing country, and they cost money (in tax revenues). Having an economy dominated by local businesses is much healthier for the community.

The article also emphasizes the importance of broadband:

Local communities need to bank on broadband in particular, expanding e-commerce or business done over the Internet, Carroll said. In the same way, communities invest in water and sewer connections to service businesses, they need to look at broadband infrastructure. “We want to recruit entrepreneurs by marketing the fact that we have Tier 1 broadband,” Huskins said of Internet access comparable to major metropolitan areas. “It’s time to let the world know.”“We’re talking about a different model of economic development from what many communities have traditionally focused on,” he said.

My other website, Muniwireless.com, is devoted to cities and counties setting up municipal wireless broadband networks that are open and neutral. Many cities and counties are deploying these networks to drive down the cost of broadband and create a climate of innovation.

Social democrats should support small entrepreneurs

I recently wrote about the results of the French presidential elections, where the Socialist Party representative, Ségolène Royal lost to the conservative candidate, Nicholas Sarkozy, and what that means for social democrats in France and the rest of Europe. I proposed that the traditional parties of the Left come up with better, more modern ideas on how to revitalize economies — no more anti-business, anti-entrepreneur rhetoric but actually helping people start businesses and become more independent. They could start by coming up with programs like this one in Hayward County.