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Like most things in life worth doing, being a small business entrepreneur is equal parts rewarding and difficult. It’s a venture that requires a herculean willingness to bet on yourself and take risks, while simultaneously remaining able to learn and adapt to the inevitable challenges of building a business from the ground up.
I’m from New York. I grew up and lived an hour outside of the city for 20-some-odd years and pursued my graduate degree in lower Manhattan. I was fortunate enough, in that time, to spend a semester in Washington D.C., working in a government office with the opportunity to sit in on a variety of meetings that shed light on some of the challenges that a variety of both public and private stakeholders – especially unions and small-business owners – were facing.
What all of that equals out to is a significant period of time spent with folks who subscribe to what many would call “hustle culture.” A very common mindset and way of life for those of us who spent a significant amount of time in northeastern cities.
It goes without saying that folks who adopt this mindset – especially those who want to start their own businesses – do so for a variety of reasons. For some it’s a method of survival. For some it’s a potential golden ticket out of the rat race. For others it’s an outlet to share their culture, heritage or passions with their community. It’s not uncommon, of course, for it to be some combination of all of these. But the core of it remains the same across all different motivations and backgrounds.
What small business entrepreneurs want is what all of us want – as human beings, as professionals, as friends and as members of our local communities – a sense of belonging, to be treated fairly, and to be given a real shot to succeed or fail on our own terms and our own abilities.
What that means in practice is of course a prominent concern of those in the public policy sphere, but it also falls on the shoulders of local organizations, like Caravanserai Project, that are involved in supporting business development, economic mobility and financial independence.
Those who pursue small business ventures ought to be supported not only through an intentional access to information on available resources, but through direct access to capital, and a network of like-minded peers. These pillars of support are powerful on their own but are most effective when provided in tandem. Initiatives that understand this, and utilize this kind of cross-section approach, are the most useful both to the entrepreneurs themselves, and really to anyone interested in effective economic outcomes in their communities.
Things are no different with the small business entrepreneurs in the Coachella Valley and their contribution to the vibrant and diverse economic landscape of the region is immediately noticeable. From brick and mortar shops, food trucks, and organic farms, to specialized service providers like child care, cleaning or mental health – these businesses infuse local communities with a unique character that reflects the essence of the valley’s culture. Their unique experiences, as well as their unmatched determination and resilience, play a crucial role in driving innovation and fostering a competitive advantage that carries through any uncertain market.
As pillars of the local economy, small businesses in the Coachella Valley – for-profit, nonprofit, sole proprietors – build a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem that has been open to trying new things and has become something of a business laboratory in the desert.
This is the opportunity that organizations like the Caravanserai Project are not only fortunate enough to embrace but also have a responsibility to foster through wise use of funds, mimicking the strategies of a corporation with a budget allocated for trial and error. The impact of these funds – as well as their necessity – is highlighted by the vast opportunity for growth this region holds as opposed to a cluttered, hyper-competitive urban center like New York City.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have interacted with a handful of these entrepreneurs, both for-profit and nonprofit, who serve as great examples of both the common humanity that permeates small business ventures, and the incredible success of effective programs to support them.
Supporting our small businesses in this way is, of course, an economic imperative and a rare, consistent example of nonpartisan agreement. Perhaps more importantly, however, it’s a signal of our priorities as human beings and as fellow members of our macro and micro-communities.
Stasik Winderbaum is the capacity building and community relations manager for Caravanserai Project, a California-based mission-driven venture focused on providing business training and access to capital to entrepreneurs from underserved communities. He is currently completing his master’s degree in public administration. His email is stasik@caravanseraiproject.org
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