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Exponent Telegram: More Than Fresh Eggs, Bridgeport Farmers Market a Launch Pad for New Businesses

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By Brittany Murray/The Exponent Telegram

Over 90 percent of West Virginia’s workforce is employed through small businesses, and among the state’s many resources to help those entrepreneurs is one unexpected avenue.

Area farmers markets are creating opportunities to individuals looking to start a business by providing them an existing client base and marketing platform.

Area farmers markets are creating opportunities to individuals looking to start a business.

“It helped us get our name out there, helped us get some attention and even some media coverage,” said Quinn Edgell, a co-owner of Feathered in Bridgeport. “People started hearing about Feathered and started inquiring with us about how to shop outside the farmers market, so it was really able to help us build a client base via Facebook, through Etsy and now through our brick-and-mortar store that we have in Bridgeport.”

Edgell and her co-owner, Shalayna Pulice, participated in their first Bridgeport Farmers Market in 2012.

“I literally just took a suitcase to Debbie Workman, who organizes the farmers market, with a sampling of everything to show her what we had,” Edgell said. “They were kind of hesitant with it at first and how it would do at the market, but everything came together and it really fits in with the demographic, so we just gave it a go…”

Read the full story at www.theet.com

In Whitesville, Affordable Rent Space Launches Four New Local Businesses

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The opening on Shoppes in the Ville has sparked optimism about new small businesses opening in Whitesville.

By Marsha Shonk, an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Town of Whitesville

Located on Route 3 at the Boone-Raleigh County line is a small coal town called Whitesville.

In its heyday from the 1950s to the 1970s, it was the “Shopping Center of Coal River.” Over time, more and more businesses closed due to aging owners, the decline in coal mining jobs, and less vehicle traffic due to the opening of the West Virginia Turnpike.

But recently, businesses have started popping up all over town and moving into the vacant buildings that have sat empty for so many years.

The Hubbards not only found a new home for their ever-growing business, they also created an opportunity for the startup of new local businesses.

There is one local couple who has taken entrepreneurship to a new level. This is their story, and the story of a community’s series of fortunate events.

Wayne and Sandy Hubbard have had a silk screen and embroidery business for several years. They reside in Sylvester and until recently housed their business, Bad Dog Graphix, there too.

After a couple years, they relocated the business to one apartment within an apartment building they own. After a couple more years, they outgrew the apartment, and the business spilled over into a second apartment. After a year, their business doubled, forcing the Hubbards to look for another large building.

They found one in Whitesville. It had previously been an insurance office. The building has approximately 9,500 square feet, two floors and a basement.

The owner put on a new roof and offered them a deal they couldn’t turn down. The Hubbards immediately started brainstorming how they could afford the mortgage and utilities for a building this large. They came up with the idea of renting space to small business owners.

Within two weeks, they had every space rented. Then came the name – Shoppes in the Ville.

Most people never get the chance to own a business due to the fear of risk and a lack of resources. But Shoppes in the Ville offers affordable rent, that includes utilities.

Within two weeks, they had every space rented.

The Hubbards not only found a new home for their ever-growing business, they also created an opportunity for the startup of new local businesses.

Bad Dog Graphix is located on the entire second floor. At present, they have four stores open on the first floor. Their goal is to see these businesses grow to the point of moving out on their own.

Along with Bad Dog Graphix, there’s Mountaineer Electronics, Bev’s Country Closet, Beach Bum Tanning and a coffee shop/bakery opening in a few weeks.

See how a series of fortunate events can create five new businesses in one small Appalachian town?

Marsha is one of many VISTA The Hub funds.
You can help us offset the cost of providing such a terrific service for
West Virginia’s communities most in need by supporting
our VISTA fundraising appeal.

wvhub.org/donations/vista-fundraising-campaign/

Whether it’s $5 or $50, your help will go a long way in places like Whitesville. Donate now.

$10,000 Up For Grabs in WV Small Business Pitch Contest

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Photo by jarito/FlickrCC

The West Virginia Good Jobs Pitch Contest is looking for entrepreneurs who want to start, grow or save their business. Enter to win up to $10,000!

The deadline to apply is June 19. Applications accepted here: http://bit.ly/goodjobspitch

The Good Jobs Pitch Contest stems from Strong Mountain Communities’ desire to see Southern West Virginia thrive economically and socially into the future.

But, no single silver bullet will transform the economy and give it the stability and longevity we wish it would have. That will come from a combination of different enterprises in various sectors working together to create a unique Appalachian economy throughout the region.  

This pitch contest is designed to encourage and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of West Virginians, particularly in the southern part of the state, to start, grow, or re-tool their businesses.

The cash grants for contest winners are meant to attract applicants, but the very process of applying for the contest gives entrepreneurs and business owners access to technical assistance in business plan development, marketing, and legal assistance.

Furthermore, the pitch contest highlights entrepreneurial activities going on in the state and draws attention to them such that angel and venture capital investors, loan funds, banks and other financial organizations are able to find and financially support new businesses in various sectors across southern West Virginia.

Each of the five business categories will be awarded a first-place prize of $10,000 and a second-place prize of $5,000.

For more information: Jina Belcher, Director of Business Development
jbelcher@strongmountaincommunities.org or 304.888.1149.

Next Pittsburgh: How Does This Brave Company Aim to Turn Makers Into Job Creators?

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MONMADE producers. Image courtesy of Bridgeway Capital.

By Amanda Waltz/Next Pittsburgh

In the Pittsburgh craft scene, there are makers and there are producers. That is, according to Adam Kenney.

“There’s an army of people who self-identify as makers and it’s great,” he says. “The maker movement has been very democratizing, but their goal isn’t to hire anybody or to really grow businesses in ways that have an economic impact in the city that anyone cares about.”

The Craft Business Accelerator seeks makers looking to expand their businesses in ways that align with Bridgeway’s mission of spurring job creation.

Enter Bridgeway Capital‘s Craft Business Accelerator, for which Kenney serves as director. The accelerator seeks makers looking to expand their businesses in ways that align with Bridgeway’s mission of spurring job creation and bringing economic activity into Pittsburgh’s disinvested areas.

To further the accelerator’s agenda, Bridgeway created MONMADE, a network, platform and program that provides local producers—including craft businesses, maker enterprises, design and build shops, and entrepreneurial artists—with the tools they need to grow.

The initiative aims to create what Kenney calls a “craft manufacturing sector” that would connect producers with people interested in buying or distributing their products…

Read the full story at www.nextpittsburgh.com

WVPublic: Its Industry Died, But This Rural Community Reinvented Itself

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During the cruise ship season, tourists flood the streets of Ketchikan. Photo by Elissa Nadworny/NPR

By Melissa Block/NPR

What happens to a town when a key industry collapses?

Sometimes it dies. But sometimes it finds a way to reinvent itself.

Case in point: Ketchikan, Alaska, where the demise of the timber industry has led to a radical transformation.

Many people who used to earn their livelihoods through timber have now turned to jobs in tourism.

Many people who used to earn their livelihoods through timber have now turned to jobs in tourism.

It’s an identity shift that makes the city far different from what it was in the logging heyday.

“It was this boomtown!” says longtime Ketchikan resident Eric Collins. “It was just a crazy, wild frontier place.”

Now, it’s a tourism magnet. Ketchikan is expecting 1 million visitors this summer. They’ll flow into town off as many as six giant cruise ships a day…

Read the full story at wvpublic.org

Ozy: Artists, Writers and Musicians Are Driving Detroit’s Return To Prosperity

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Photo by Write-A-House

By Lorena O’Neil/ozy.com

The future of Detroit hasn’t been written yet, but as the city turns the page on its economic troubles, it might just get a lovely surprise ending. A phoenix is rising as an influx of young entrepreneurs, musicians, visual artists and, of course, hipsters have begun to transform the city.

A phoenix is rising as an influx of young entrepreneurs, musicians, visual artists and, of course, hipsters have begun to transform the city.

From award-winning poets and writers to readings, arts programs and books swaps, a vibrant scene is emerging, driven not just by a lower cost of living but by a deep-seated pride in its working-class roots and an appetite to be a part of something new and vital. This scene is helped by organizations such as Write-A-House, which provide houses for writers, or Kresge Arts, which gives $25,000 fellowships to visual and literary artists in Detroit.

Speak to people involved in the Detroit literary scene, and you’ll be struck by their eagerness to heap praise on their colleagues and ensure that the recognition is shared.

”I’ve witnessed a revolution in the last six years or so with what Detroit writers have been doing,” says Jamaal May, a Detroit native who recently won an award for his poetry book Hum. He rattles off a list of Detroit poets, including Vievee Francis, winner of the Cave Canem second book prize, and Francine J. Harris, whose book reached the Number One spot on the national poetry best-seller’s list.

Housing in Detroit costs 256.5 percent less than New York City.

May says a lot of artists who moved away are now returning, often because they see Detroit as an ideal place to work. It’s not just the lower cost of living, although that doesn’t hurt. Housing in Detroit costs 256.5 percent less than New York City, reports AreaVibes. According to the Detroit Regional Chamber, the cost of living there is 3 percent below the national average, while San Francisco is 59 percent more…

Read the full story at www.ozy.com

Win Some, Lose Some: The Wrap-Up Of Community Development Proposals From This Year’s Session

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Photo by Perry Bennett/WV Legislature Photography

The West Virginia legislative session wrapped up on April 9, and we were wondering what happened to those proposals introduced that pertain to community development.

So here’s our rundown on what happened to bills pertaining to abandoned buildings and property redevelopment, and what the new Home Rule legislation might mean for local municipalities.

And below is all the pertinent info about the other community development-related proposals that were in the mix.

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HB 2453- Expanding Industrial Hemp

House Bill 2453 passed the Senate and House unanimously this session. The bill, sponsored by Delegates Eldridge, Butler, and Summers, alters the 2014 Industrial Hemp Development Act to allow the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture to expand licensing of more qualified individuals and state institutions of higher learning to grow or cultivate industrial hemp in West Virginia.

Americans already safely purchase $580 million worth of hemp-based products imported each year. Now West Virginia is a step closer to tapping into that market. Interested in learning more? Here’s our deep dive into the Industrial Hemp proposal.

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HB 2724- Creating a Public Health Pilot Program

House Bill 2724 was introduced by Minority Leader Tim Miley and Speaker Tim Armstead at the request of Governor Justice, and passed both chambers to become law this session.

The legislation will result in the creation of a community-based pilot program to address poverty, substance abuse, and other determinants of health. The pilot project aims to develop a comprehensive model which be utilized to promote public health in communities throughout the Mountain State.

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HB 3093- Establishing Broadband Expansion and Enhancement Policies (BEEP)

House Bill 3093 passed both the House and Senate, however, the proposal has yet to receive the Governor’s seal of approval. Given that West Virginia ranks 48th in the nation in broadband access, the Hub believes this bill is crucial to pass this session.

The revenue-neutral proposal aims to increase access to broadband across the state by allowing municipalities and counties to form nonprofit broadband cooperatives, expand the role of the state Broadband Council to collect a range of meaningful data, identify innovative solutions, and posit policy recommendations.

The bill would also aim to eliminate barriers to broadband installation by ensuring ready-pole access and the use of micro-trenching techniques, while safeguarding consumers by prohibiting internet providers from advertising or contracting for “up to” speeds.

If you’re interested in advocating for this proposal, here’s how you can tell Governor Jim Justice to sign it into law.

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SB 341- Establishing WV Business Growth in Low-income Communities Tax Credit

Sponsored by a bipartisan group of Senators, Senate Bill 341 unanimously passed a vote by the full Senate and was sent to the House, where it passed the House Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development, and was sent to House Finance. It was never placed on the House Finance agenda and died in committee.

If passed, SB 341 would have established a tax credit program available in West Virginia’s low-income communities, aimed at spurring economic growth and business activities.

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SB 27- Permitting sale of Home-based, Micro-processed Foods at Farmers Markets

Following unanimous passage in the Senate, Senate Bill 27 was ordered to the House on March 21 and sent to the Health and Human Resources Committee, where it was amended and sent to the floor.

The House passed the bill and sent it back to the Senate, where it was amended once again. The Senate then requested the House concur with their amendments, however, the chamber failed to respond and the proposal died.

SB 27 would have permitted farmers market vendors to apply for a microprocessor permit to allow for the sale of certain micro-processed foods like jams, jellies, honey, pickles and sauces at West Virginia farmers markets.

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SB 294- Community Sustainability Investment Pilot Program

Senate Bill 294 passed the Senate unanimously on Crossover Day. Subsequently, the proposal was ordered to the House on Wednesday, March 29. In the House, the bill received a single reference to House Finance, where it failed to prevail in a very competitive process to be placed on the Finance agenda.

The proposal would have created a matching community development grant fund designed to “foster the implementation of innovative planning strategies to develop and expand communities that can maximize emerging economic opportunities and environmental challenges and thrive in the Twenty-First Century.”

Funding could have been used to provide tech advances, develop community centers, arts, cultural and recreational facilities, aesthetic improvements to existing community entities and infrastructure, diversity programming, as well as the development of renewable or alternative sources of energy.

WFPL: Coal Company To Build Solar Installation on Abandoned Kentucky Mountaintop Mine

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Photo by minoru karamatsu/FlickrCC

By Erica Peterson/wfpl.org

In the first project of its kind, a Kentucky coal company is partnering with a global renewable energy giant to explore putting a major solar installation on a former mountaintop removal coal mine.

“Appalachia has long been an energy producer that has fueled the whole country.”

Coal company Berkeley Energy Group and EDF Renewable Energy have been working on the initial phase of the project for more than a year. Although it’s still in the early phases, the plan includes putting 50 to 100 megawatts of solar panels on a surface mine site outside of Pikeville.

This would be the biggest solar plant in the state — potentially 10 times larger than the solar array at Kentucky Utilities’ Brown Station in Central Kentucky.

“Appalachia has long been an energy producer that has fueled the whole country,” said former state auditor Adam Edelen, now of Edelen Strategic Ventures, who is also involved in the project…

Read the full story at wfpl.org

PolicyLink: In Kentucky, the Beginnings of a New Appalachian Creative Economy

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Photo by Mountain Tech Media

By Alexis Stephens/PolicyLink

Last November, voters in Kentucky expressed confidence that President Trump could deliver on his promise to revive the coal industry, and he carried the state with 62 percent of votes.

But in the heart of Appalachia, there’s a strong network of businesses and nonprofits that are looking beyond coal, and embracing equity-focused regional economic development for marginalized communities — creating employment opportunities in technology and innovation, and arts and culture, as even more promising growth industries for the region.

“We’re thinking about ways to move forward in a post-coal economy.”

In rural Letcher County, Kentucky — population 23,000 — just 12 percent of adults age 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree, and 33 percent of residents live below the federal poverty level.

But Letcher County is also home to creative entrepreneurs and artists working to cultivate a more equitable economy. “We’re thinking about ways to move forward in a post-coal economy,” said Jeremy McQueen, CEO and co-founder of Mountain Tech Media, which provides technology and digital design services out of its base in Whitesburg.

“Companies like ours are really offering solutions for workers and communities that used to rely on coal to be able to participate in an economy that’s thriving…”

Read the full story at www.policylink.org