Hi {name},

On September 19th, small business owners and other community stakeholders joined me for a roundtable discussion on strategies to support small businesses. We gathered at ALX Community, a coworking space where members work, meet, collaborate, learn, and give back to the city we all love and call home, to discuss what’s working and what’s challenging about being a business owner in our city.

Sharing ideas and insights at the Promoting Small Business Roundtable.

Small businesses throughout our city offer unique products and services that cater to specific local needs and preferences and are what make our city so special. A diverse mix of businesses from the east side to the west side of our city, representing industries as diverse as technology, public relations, cosmetology, and hospitality, were present.

Engaging conversations on the future of small business in Alexandria.

As we devoured delicious pizza from Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar in Old Town, participants shared their journeys and ideas for the future. One business owner shared that the question that most wanted to discuss was “what would it take for each business leader in the room to feel comfortable building their future in Alexandria?”

Alyia with Bugsy's manager, Marvin Paz.

We started with a panel discussion featuring Brett Bruen, President & CEO of the Global Situation Room and a former US diplomat, and Aesha Ray, the founder and CEO of Envy Us Beauty Supply. Here are some key takeaways from the panel:

• How can Alexandria develop a reputation as “the place for small business?”
• The City has to get more “boots on the ground” that are coming into businesses, meeting with business owners and their staff, and learning about their needs.
• A One Stop Shop is needed; a physical location that can help shepherd businesses through how to get their issues addressed by the city but also bring businesses together to network and build relationships across the city.
• There are lots of resources to help businesses open, but more are needed to help businesses stabilize and stay open.
• Small businesses on the West End are being taken advantage of by landlords and need support with access to capital (not just grants) but also lease negotiations.

Alyia with the panelists for the Promoting Small Business Roundtable.

After the panel, we broke into small groups to get additional perspectives. Here is a snapshot of some of the takeaways from the small groups:

What’s working to promote small business?

• Small business associations. 
• Relationships. If you know the right person in the city, you can get a lot done.
• WellRay and other community events that draw in customers but also create opportunities for business networking.
• Free resources offered in person and online.

Collaboration in action—brainstorming solutions to strengthen Alexandria’s small business ecosystem.

What challenges are small businesses facing?

• High rent.
• Getting the right kind of exposure that translates into new sales.
• Needing to pay for continued memberships and advertising with little ROI.
• The City lacks an intentional strategy to invest in minority businesses. 
• Taxes. Are Alexandria business taxes comparable to surrounding jurisdictions?
• Not enough support for other areas in the city like Eishenhower or West End. 

Some of the responses to the "Share your Thoughts" questionnaire.

What should the city focus on moving forward?

• Matchmaking industries and business owners that have potential synergies.
• Better incentives to attract the industries we want, especially tech start-ups and innovation-based industries.
• Creating a clear definition of what minority businesses mean to the city. 
• Marketing small businesses: bring back the local business guide and make it free for businesses to be featured. 
• Targets for local hiring of women and minority owned businesses in development projects. 
• Partnering with ARHA to support low-income entrepreneurs, including programs that support credit repair and mentoring. 
• Expanding metrics for success - how can we better understand how businesses are thriving?
• Make sure zoning changes focus on the long term and create the best environment to do business. 
• Building a reliable workforce of the future, including helping support more apprenticeships for young people.
• Focus on businesses in every part of the city. 
• The city needs deeper relationships with businesses from owners to the staff. The Van Dorn Plaza has businesses that represent almost every culture in the city, but few know about AEDP or Visit Alexandria. 

Local business owners and residents discuss challenges and opportunities for growth.

How would we know things are changing? What could we measure to hold ourselves accountable in better supporting small business?

• Marketing. Marketing. Marketing.
• Report Card to hold the city accountable.
• Conduct an assessment of what small businesses need and then map existing programs against the assessment to identify gaps.
• New incentives and ways to entice tech firms to come to Alexandria.
• Create recognition programs for home based businesses. 
• Reduced tax burden on small businesses. 
• Development of a business academy with onsite access to help apply for grants, certifications, and financing. 
• Local business guide in every hotel.
• New programs for low-income entrepreneurs living in public housing. 
• New structure to support businesses. Consider a physical space to gather and support dreams.

Other themes that carried throughout the conversation were transparency and inclusion. Participants want to see more information on how our city makes decisions regarding small businesses and economic development. What is the city investing in and why? How do city investments directly and indirectly benefit small businesses? What are the criteria and processes for how new programs are created and evaluated? How are business owners from a diverse range of industries, sizes, cultures, and perspectives involved in these decisions? 

Many shared how they deliberately chose Alexandria, are invested deeply in the city’s future, and want a bigger voice in shaping our local economy. In fact, during the report outs, participants started clapping when one business leader shared that “the city needs more accountability in understanding our value.”

Exchanging perspectives on supporting and growing small businesses.

Couldn’t make this roundtable? You can share your ideas with me by emailing [email protected].

Join us for our next roundtable on Sunday, September 29th, as we discuss Investing in Our Arts and Cultural Ecosystem.

Looking forward to our next conversation and the chance to hear your thoughts.

Alyia Gaskins