A bottoms up approach would work to advance to process of creating a business environment (a foundation)that meets the needs of and is desirable to as many businesses as possible A Basic Approach Establish a baseline description of a desirable/optimal small business environment Complete research necessary to map the small business environment in Cherokee Identify gaps/constraints between Cherokee environment and baseline Prioritize the challenges and attack the problem After That? Create incentives to come to Cherokee Develop the resources and avenues to connect with potential small businesses locally, regionally and beyond Start, gain momentum, and sustain the effort The meeting participants agreed that developing a baseline description of a desirable/optimal small business environment was an important starting point for the work on small business. They also noted that expanding the small business sector in Cherokee had three components: helping new businesses start, helping existing small businesses to grow, and attracting small businesses to the Boundary. The participants made the following points about helping to expand small business: Make it easier to understand the process and rules for starting a business on the Boundary (this ties into the work being done by the Real Estate task force) Clarify the tax regime – what is subject to state tax, what is subject to Tribal levy Ensure that the state’s commercial code mirrors the UCC Work with Sequoyah Fund and others to increase the amount of expansion financing available Expand the level of market knowledge and make it more available Develop greater clarity about what triggers a NEPA review – and whether the Tribe can take actions that reduce the cost of NEPA reviews for individual businesses by spreading it over a number of businesses Encourage business-to-business support and networking Develop additional perks for small business owners, such as affordable housing and lease program incentive Knowledge Industry Task Team Report-Out The Knowledge Industry will focus on two inter-related issues: Expanding Knowledge Industry businesses and workforce. This would include both supporting local entrepreneurs and attracting new knowledge businesses. It would involve promoting the expansion of training and educational opportunities in technology. It also would look at the marketing required to counteract the perception that Western North Carolina is so rural and backwards that it is not a place where knowledge industries can succeed. Expanding broadband and communications infrastructure. The task team will primarily look at this through the lens of business expansion: what investments in the expansion of broadband
A bottoms up approach would work to advance to process of creating a business environment (a foundation)that meets the needs of and is desirable to as many businesses as possible A Basic Approach Establish a baseline description of a desirable/optimal small business environment Complete research necessary to map the small business environment in Cherokee Identify gaps/constraints between Cherokee environment and baseline Prioritize the challenges and attack the problem After That? Create incentives to come to Cherokee Develop the resources and avenues to connect with potential small businesses locally, regionally and beyond Start, gain momentum, and sustain the effort The meeting participants agreed that developing a baseline description of a desirable/optimal small business environment was an important starting point for the work on small business. They also noted that expanding the small business sector in Cherokee had three components: helping new businesses start, helping existing small businesses to grow, and attracting small businesses to the Boundary. The participants made the following points about helping to expand small business: Make it easier to understand the process and rules for starting a business on the Boundary (this ties into the work being done by the Real Estate task force) Clarify the tax regime – what is subject to state tax, what is subject to Tribal levy Ensure that the state’s commercial code mirrors the UCC Work with Sequoyah Fund and others to increase the amount of expansion financing available Expand the level of market knowledge and make it more available Develop greater clarity about what triggers a NEPA review – and whether the Tribe can take actions that reduce the cost of NEPA reviews for individual businesses by spreading it over a number of businesses Encourage business-to-business support and networking Develop additional perks for small business owners, such as affordable housing and lease program incentive Knowledge Industry Task Team Report-Out The Knowledge Industry will focus on two inter-related issues: Expanding Knowledge Industry businesses and workforce. This would include both supporting local entrepreneurs and attracting new knowledge businesses. It would involve promoting the expansion of training and educational opportunities in technology. It also would look at the marketing required to counteract the perception that Western North Carolina is so rural and backwards that it is not a place where knowledge industries can succeed. Expanding broadband and communications infrastructure. The task team will primarily look at this through the lens of business expansion: what investments in the expansion of broadband
Qualla-2020-Notes-3-21-final.docx