The City of Statesboro Business Commission held its second small business listening session on Monday, October 30, in the Statesboro City Hall council chambers.
The event was free and open to the public and allowed small business owners to share their personal experiences on what it’s like to do business in Statesboro. Several open-ended discussion questions were posed to the attending crowd, in a discussion-style setting.
Questions like:
- "What barriers did you have to overcome when opening your business, as it relates to the City of Statesboro?"
- "If we held a networking event to help local business owners mingle with each other after hours, where and when would be best to do that?"
Multiple business owners expressed issues surrounding acquiring business financing, needing more areas for small business parking, and securing more opportunities for marketing visibility.
Many business commission members offered several solutions, such as:
- Checking with local credit unions for small business loan support
- Reaching out to local clubs and organizations for partnership on events (e.g. the Kiwanis Club, etc.)
- Having more Facebook and Instagram Lives to showcase business to local residents
- Plugging in to the resources at the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority
"One of the reasons that I created this business commission was for small business owners to talk and exchange ideas," stated 3rd District Council member Venus Mack during the listening session. "Networking is a super important tool for small businesses to utilize in their quest for growing their small business to its fullest potential."
About the Statesboro Business Commission
The commission seeks to understand how barriers such as public policy and municipal operating procedures may impede local business growth and development. This listening session is the second of several the commission plans to hold for small business owners to voice opportunities and challenges. The feedback collected during these sessions will be used to provide recommendations to the Statesboro City Council on how best to support local businesses.
Statesboro Business Commission members are:
- Tom McKeithen, Chair-Elect, McKeithen's True Value Hardware
- Quaeisha Oglesby, Secretary, C&E Learning Academy
- Maurice Hill, Hill's Mortuary
- Prince Preston, Contract Wholesale Floors
- Larry Clark, Blessed Hands Barbershop
- Alivia Lloyd, Sum'mo Tea
- Maria Proctor, Prom Bae & The Quince of Your Dreams
- AJ Jetwani, Tandoor and Tap
Formed in November 2022, the Statesboro Business Commission consists of nine local business owners appointed by the Mayor and City Council who serve staggered two-year terms. Statesboro City Councilmember Venus Mack, who represents the city’s third district and operates a small business within the city limits, initially proposed the idea of creating a business commission to members of the Statesboro City Council in early 2022.
For more information on the Statesboro Business Commission, visit https://www.statesboroga.gov/.
