When community leaders in Columbia, Missouri, first set out to revitalize The Loop, the prospects felt daunting. This stretch of Highway 40 serves as the entrance to Columbia but has been neglected for decades. Local small businesses were few, and struggling.

American Rescue Plan funding is a once in a century chance for cities to innovate. For smaller cities in particular, this influx of funding will be an opportunity to do economic development in new, more forward-thinking, and more inclusive ways. It’s a chance to meet immediate short-term needs, yes, but also to invest for future resilience and growth, in ways that help city finances by building wealth for the people in local communities.

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful small city that loved manufacturing. And manufacturing loved that city. Manufacturing created good paying jobs, brought people to invest in the city, and brought pride to the community. But then the manufacturing went away. Or so the city thought.

In the spirit of #Berniesmittens and #Michellethesuperhero, and wishing for the day when we can freely travel again to our local main streets and distant favorite downtowns, here are my top 5 hopes for every community to make great places that our mittens (and all kinds of small-scale manufacturing!) will call home.

We are at a decision point. Which side of history we will stand on? One of hate and racism? Or one of action and compassion? On January 6th, 2020, the White mob was given free rein in Washington DC to break into the Capital building, and then “escorted” to leave. If we ignore this, we turn away from the truth of where we stand as a nation.

I sort of feel like a tornado is coming through all of our lives right now too. The impact of COVID-19 on our small businesses feels like a tornado. There is no choice but to rebuild. But how we rebuild and whether we create something that is stronger than before is up to us.

Small-scale manufacturing businesses prepared overnight to help fight the pandemic and fill the gaping holes in our domestic supply chain. It’s time to invest and create a secure supply chain. Here’s 4 steps to get there.

Our smaller cities and towns are hitting the financial wall. A really big, really hard, cement wall. We need to focus on the investments that will help local economies rebound the fastest and help local jurisdictions start to pull in revenues as soon as possible. Here’s what we need to do.

Business owners of color, women-owned businesses, and immigrant-owned businesses historically have not been at the front of the line for federal and state small business support. Why do we think this time is any different? In a time of crisis, the first instinct is to just get the money out the door. But now we need to do better.

Senator Van Hollen’s staff gave us an overview of the SBA’s Emergency Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on Monday 3/30/20. Links to the newly released PPP details (announced 3/31/20) included!

The Senate passed the bill (as of Thursday afternoon 3/26) and the House is expected to pass it tomorrow. Here is a brief summary of parts of the Senate bill that relate to small business and unemployment. And some other parts I think are most interesting. Let’s use this funding immediately to help our small business find relief and pivot to answer immediate needs in our communities.

Local governments, philanthropy, and non-profits across the country are coming to the aid of small businesses to help them survive this crisis. The need is urgent as more states close nearly all businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19. But access to information and resources is spotty at best, and there is an overwhelming need to fund relief for small businesses. Here is triage in 3 steps that we discussed on Monday with 100 people on zoom.

“It’s not just that we’re slowing down things. We’re actually hitting the pause button, and there is no precedent, there is no mold for that.” Diane Swonk made it vividly clear that this isn’t about a quick emergency. This is our economy hitting pause – something for which we have no precedent and no model. There are three steps we can take now to make a big difference.

For the third time this month, I find myself explaining to someone why I don’t do market analyses for small-scale manufacturing. At least not the way they’re imagining it.

“There was this hidden economy already chugging along that no one had capitalized on.” Those words were like lightning bolts on the phone. I was talking to my client in Columbia, MO (The Business Loop – a community improvement district), and all of a sudden Carrie (the exec) said it about our work to bring small-scale manufacturing businesses into the community development project.

Too many downtowns, or at least the decision makers who represent downtowns, think that the one thing that will bring them back from vacancy and neglect is an H&M. Let that sink in a sec.

My mother’s birthday is today. She would have been 79 years old. She died just over a year ago. In honor of my mother’s birthday and the RC anniversary, here are a few lessons from my mother that guide my days, my work, and honestly, my life. I hope they help you too - with your community, your work, and your life.

Commercial displacement means that as new development and investment comes in, legacy businesses get kicked out. But do we have a responsibility to address it like we take on residential displacement?

Everyone wants a busy main street with packed stores and lots of shoppers strolling the sidewalks. You can picture it, right? Shoppers strolling the street, people looking into store windows and running into neighbors, visitors marveling at the beauty of main street.

People are talking about downtown and reinvestment all the time now. But are they getting anywhere? Are they making places that include everyone in the economy? Are they building a place with a resilient economy and more good paying jobs?