RALEIGH — The Small Business Coalition inivitiative of the N.C. Rural Center is recruiting entrepreneurs and small business owners.
The effort has already attracted 272 members advocating for more robust policies and programs to support the state’s small business communities, a release says. The coalition was born out of the Small Business Policy Task Force in 2021. Its goal is to build “a strong network to inform and advocate for statewide small business policies, programs and resources,” a release says.
The membership base is to be diverse, meaning in geography and businesses. The coalition hopes to attract a broad range of ethnicities, genders, ages and business sectors.
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is supporting the fiscal side through a grant.
The release says those signing on are “voicing their support for a statewide entrepreneurial ecosystem that promotes an equitable, level playing field for all entrepreneurs; greater access to funding and capital; increased resources equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge to start a business; and the adequate supports needed for those launching and expanding a business,” the release says.
According to the pre-pandemic 2020 North Carolina Small Business Economic Profile, there are more than 900,000 small businesses in North Carolina, which account for more than 45 percent of all North Carolina’s employees.
The Rural Center serves the state’s 80 rural counties. It has a special focus on individuals with low-to-moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.