By Nick Lukasik and Zach Rohde
Buffalo Review West Reporters
Imagine you have an idea for a small business. You have done
a ton of planning and research, and now you’re ready to launch; but where
exactly do you start?
Opening a
small business can be a daunting task, but there are resources and experts
available to help.
The West
Side is home to two resources for small business development within just blocks
of each other. The small business climate in Buffalo is surging and both
centers aim to promote and advance ideas.
The SmallBusiness Development Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., is one location, and director
Susan McCartney plays a vital role in helping small businesses grow from the
ground up. She said the relationship the center has with another small business
resource, the Westminster Economic Development Initiative, 436 Grant St., is
important due to the impact they make on small businesses.
“We are a
very strong resource partner to them.,” McCartney said. “We appreciate their
sending many of their members of their incubator, or people they want to
provide funding, to us.”
Susan McCartney, on the importance of local small business:
The centers
are around the corner from one another, and this close proximity encourages a
strong partnership between the two. The unique and diverse demographics of the
West Side provide a gold mine of entrepreneurial opportunities, and having
easily accessible help so close to home is vital to potential and current small
business owners.
Carolynn
Welch, interim director of WEDI, echoed McCartney’s sentiments about the
importance of WEDI and the Small Business Development Center working together.
“I think
for a long time in Buffalo’s history a lot of nonprofits and a lot of resources
have stayed very siloed, but I think when we talk and we partner up, we can see
where we’re really good at something and they’re very good at something and
then that business owner is getting the best of both worlds,” Welch said.
One of the
biggest highlights for small businesses on the West Side has been the revitalization
of Elmwood Avenue, Grant Street and Allen Street. McCartney said having small
businesses pop up on these streets have made people want to buy local.
“It
encourages local ownership and people wanting to do business with people
locally, because they know them,” McCartney said. “You don’t know anyone at
Amazon when you buy something.”
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| West Side Bazaar is an initiative of WEDI |
Yanush
Sanmugaraja is the economic development director of WEDI. He homes in on how
important the role of the West Side Bazaar, 25 Grant St., is in incubating
small businesses.
“The Bazaar
incubates businesses primarily by offering them much below market rate rent and
other expenses are also subsidized,” Sanmugaraja said.
Welch said
that the thriving atmosphere for small businesses on the West Side is beneficial
to the entire city and encourages optimism for local business owners and
consumers.
“It brings
a sense of pride back to Buffalo,” Welch said. “I think some of the industries
that have been developed are somewhat unique to Buffalo.”
The small
business climate in Buffalo is growing and is playing a large part in the
resurgence and economic development of the city. Particularly on the West Side,
small businesses are a driving force of what makes this community so unique.
“The small
businesses are helping to boost Buffalo’s economy,” Welch said. “I think we
lost a lot of large-scale businesses many years ago and I think the small
businesses are coming back in and providing that boost and employing people; ultimately
putting money back into Buffalo, which is improving the infrastructure.”