Small businesses make up the majority of employment across the U.S., yet it is often overlooked in economic development incentive policies. The City of Asheville asked for a best practices review of the incentive policy and specifically how it supported small businesses. We surveyed small businesses to identify needs and interviewed service providers to identify gaps in the delivery system. We next researched best practices in small business development by cities across the U.S. We made recommendations to the city on policy changes and new programs that would better support small businesses.
Small Business Incentives Study Asheville, NC
