Entrepreneurship

30 articles

A lively street view of a new coffee shop in Brevard County, Florida, symbolizing local business growth against a backdrop of economic duality.
Business Spotlights

New coffee shops, retail open amid mixed economic trends

More than 30 new restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries opened in Florida's Brevard County in 2026, expanding local dining and retail options.

Marco Alvarez·September 10, 2026
A lively outdoor makers market with diverse vendors and shoppers, showcasing local crafts and produce under sunny skies.
Business Spotlights

Local Makers Markets Drive Community Growth and Entrepreneurship

The Flint Farmers' Market saw its annual visitors more than double to 600,000 in its first year at a new location, a surge that reflects a broader trend of local markets becoming vital community ancho

Marco Alvarez·September 6, 2026
A small business storefront in a hurricane-affected area, with a digital analytics dashboard on a tablet in the foreground.
Business Spotlights

Your Local Businesses Need Digital Help Now, Not Just Billions.

Three out of four small businesses in North Carolina's hurricane-affected regions are still struggling financially, with nearly half operating below 80% of their pre-storm revenues.

Marco Alvarez·September 6, 2026
Charlotte small business owners display optimism for profit growth despite a majority lacking adequate emergency savings, highlighting financial vulnerability.
Business Spotlights

Small businesses: Optimistic growth, vulnerable communities

In Charlotte, 93% of small business owners operate with less than six months of emergency savings, even as 89% project increased profits for the coming year.

Marco Alvarez·September 4, 2026
An entrepreneur choosing the correct path through a maze of permits and licenses towards a successful city skyline.
Business Spotlights

How to Get Local Business Permits and Licenses: A Complete Guide

Overlooking or ignoring local licensing and permitting requirements can put a new business at risk of being fined or even shut down before it even gains traction.

Marco Alvarez·September 4, 2026
Diverse entrepreneurs networking and learning at a vibrant local business expo focused on community growth and success.
Community

Local Business Expos for Entrepreneurial Success

In Cutler Bay, Florida, local government is hosting a free 'Fats, Oils, and Grease Roundtable Workshop' for small businesses.

Derek Molina·August 30, 2026
Diverse community members and experts collaborating at the Opportunity Summit to address housing and entrepreneurship challenges in the Lowcountry.
Events

Lowcountry community event tackles regional challenges

On June 11, 2025, Trident Technical College hosts the Opportunity Summit, a full-day event tackling the Lowcountry's urgent issues: attainable housing and entrepreneurship, as reported by Charlestonch

Sophie Nguyen·August 28, 2026
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell engaging with local small business owners on a vibrant city street, highlighting new incentive programs.
Business Spotlights

Nashville Mayor Launches Programs to Boost Local Small Businesses

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell just announced three new incentive programs for small businesses, including a 'Legacy Business Program' that could funnel over $300,000 into long-standing local estab

Marco Alvarez·August 22, 2026
Diverse group of entrepreneurs collaborating and working in a lively downtown Fresno street scene, symbolizing innovation and business growth.
Best in City

Fresno: A Hub for Entrepreneurs

Fresno, California, a city often overlooked, secured the sixth spot nationally for entrepreneurship, according to GoDaddy's Small Business Research Lab .

Hannah Pierce·August 18, 2026
A lively main street with diverse small businesses, showcasing community interaction and the vital role of local enterprises in economic stability.
Community

Local businesses are the bedrock of community resilience and economic stability.

Small businesses, despite making up 99.

Derek Molina·August 18, 2026
A glowing seedling emerging from a modern building in a cityscape, symbolizing business incubators fostering entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Business Spotlights

What is the role of business incubators in entrepreneurship and economic growth?

In South Africa, nearly 90% of new businesses fail within their first two years, according to Abacademies .

Marco Alvarez·August 15, 2026
A vibrant and welcoming restaurant interior filled with happy diners, showcasing the successful outcome of navigating the permitting process.
Food & Drink

How to Navigate the Local Permitting Process for Your New Restaurant Business

In Philadelphia, opening a large restaurant in 2026 means facing a $415 license fee, plus an initial $20 application fee, just to begin!

Hannah Pierce·August 14, 2026
A closed cafe in Anytown, USA, symbolizing the challenges of obtaining local business licenses and permits for new ventures.
Business Spotlights

How to Get Local Business Licenses and Permits for Your New Venture

A promising new cafe in downtown Anytown, USA, was forced to shut its doors just weeks after opening.

Marco Alvarez·August 13, 2026
An entrepreneur studies a map of Charlotte, symbolizing the complex process of obtaining small business permits and licenses in the city.
Business Spotlights

How to Get Small Business Permits and Licenses in Charlotte

In Charlotte, there is no single, catch-all city business license application for ordinary businesses, forcing entrepreneurs to navigate a labyrinth of individual permits, according to Business Licens

Marco Alvarez·August 8, 2026
A symbolic representation of the Catalyst Fund's investment in local businesses, with a hand placing a coin into a fund icon amidst a lively city street.
Business Spotlights

Catalyst Fund Invests $9.8M in 271 Businesses

Korea Taqueria, a Korean and Mexican fusion restaurant, expanded from a single food cart to three full restaurant locations with support from a local grant, demonstrating the significant impact of tar

Marco Alvarez·August 6, 2026
Are You Really Supporting Local? Why Bliss Marketplace Is Rancho Cordova's Community Hub
Business Spotlights

Are You Really Supporting Local? Why Bliss Marketplace Is Rancho Cordova's Community Hub

Bliss Marketplace champions genuine local shopping in Rancho Cordova by offering a curated hub for Sacramento-area makers, collectors, and artists. It fosters a community-driven environment, contrasting with traditional markets by focusing on curation, collaboration, and deep vendor support.

Sponsored by Bliss Marketplace·August 5, 2026
A lively street filled with diverse local businesses and happy customers, symbolizing community economic strength and connection.
Business Spotlights

What Are the Benefits and Challenges of Supporting Local Businesses?

For every $100 spent at a local independent business, nearly half — 48% — is recirculated directly back into the local economy.

Marco Alvarez·August 4, 2026
A busy farmers market with diverse vendors selling fresh produce and artisanal goods to happy shoppers in a town square.
Local Guides

How to Start a Farmers Market: A Complete Guide

A farmers market in rural Ohio, initially drawing just 50 visitors, tripled its customer base in two seasons by meticulously surveying shoppers and setting specific growth targets.

Hannah Pierce·August 3, 2026
A towering corporate skyscraper overshadowing a street of small businesses, symbolizing the vast disparity in economic funding and support.
Business Spotlights

Small Business Growth: The Disparity in Economic Funding

Eli Lilly's expansion in one state secured $100 million in tax credits, the largest in that state's history.

Marco Alvarez·August 2, 2026
Asheville small businesses thriving with new recovery grants, showcasing a vibrant and hopeful economic landscape.
Business Spotlights

Asheville city fund boosts businesses with recovery grants

The City of Asheville is injecting a staggering $15.5.

Marco Alvarez·August 1, 2026
A diverse crowd celebrating at the Kansas City People's Choice Awards, with many people holding trophies and smiling.
Best in City

Kansas City People's Choice Awards Present Over 60 Honors

In 2026, from a speakeasy specializing in SPAM musubi in Leucadia to a rooftop bar in London, cities worldwide are rolling out diverse 'Best of Our City' awards.

Hannah Pierce·August 1, 2026
Diverse group of local business owners in Maple Ridge celebrating success, with the city skyline in the background, symbolizing economic growth and innovation.
Business Spotlights

Maple Ridge Innovation Challenge Fuels Local Business Growth

In Maple Ridge, local businesses are competing for $10,000 prizes in an Innovation Challenge, highlighting how cities are directly fueling entrepreneurial growth.

Marco Alvarez·August 1, 2026
How an Idea Becomes a Trusted Real Estate Brand Founded on Personal Integrity
Real Estate

How an Idea Becomes a Trusted Real Estate Brand Founded on Personal Integrity

In the competitive world of real estate, building a brand that clients genuinely trust is a monumental task. The story of Paul Kotze and Melissa Kotze and how their agency began is a powerful testament to how personal in…

Sponsored by Paul & Melissa Kotze·July 22, 2026
Split image showing a nurturing greenhouse for business incubators and a launching rocket for business accelerators, symbolizing startup growth and rapid advancement.
Business Spotlights

What Are Business Incubators and Accelerators?

Companies participating in business incubators boast an 87% success rate, a figure that dwarfs typical startup survival rates.

Marco Alvarez·July 21, 2026
A diverse group of local guides in Bahrain, embodying the future of authentic travel, stand proudly overlooking a vibrant cultural marketplace.
Local Guides

The role of local guides in authentic travel's future

In Bahrain, 100 local guides recently completed an initiative focused on hands-on skills.

Derek Molina·July 15, 2026
Actress Nia Long presents $20,000 Intuit Small Business Hero grants to three diverse local entrepreneurs on a community street.
Business Spotlights

Intuit Small Business Hero Day awards $20,000 grants to local entrepreneurs.

Actress Nia Long recently joined Intuit's Small Business Hero Program to personally award three local entrepreneurs $20,000 grants, directly investing in community-level economic growth.

Marco Alvarez·July 10, 2026
What Gin Enthusiasts Can Expect From Bathtub Gin Co.'s Contract Distilling Services
Food & Drink

What Gin Enthusiasts Can Expect From Bathtub Gin Co.'s Contract Distilling Services

The Australian thirst for unique, locally-produced spirits has created a vibrant landscape for craft distilling. For gin enthusiasts dreaming of creating their own signature label, the path from concept to bottle can be …

Sponsored·July 8, 2026
A lively small-town main street showcasing thriving local businesses and engaged community members, symbolizing economic growth and connection.
Community

Local Businesses Are The True Economic Engine For Community Growth

In the past year, 90% of small business owners didn't just run their companies; they donated money to local groups, charities, and schools.

Derek Molina·July 7, 2026
Auckland's dynamic cityscape at dusk, symbolizing a thriving startup ecosystem and economic growth powered by innovation and collaboration.
Business Spotlights

Auckland's Startup Ecosystem Boosting Economy in 2026

Auckland's Mayor will wear a different local startup's branded t-shirt every day for 100 days, starting in 2026, a highly visible commitment to local innovation.

Marco Alvarez·July 7, 2026
A small business owner at a crossroads of city streets, symbolizing the complex local permit and regulation process for entrepreneurs in 2026.
Business Spotlights

How Does the Small Business Local Permit Process Work in 2026?

A small business owner in Wyomissingboro, PA, could face a $600 fine plus prosecution costs for simply missing a $25 annual license renewal.

Marco Alvarez·July 4, 2026