WSKG on businesses

 

WSKG: How will you build and maintain businesses in the county and Legislative District?

A: We need to help people who already live here and love the area to start their own businesses. They already have the incentive to grow, hire workers and stay. I started my small business in 2019 with the help of an agency called Incubatorworks, which has since been brought into Chemung County to run an entrepreneurship center in Elmira. Full disclosure, I work part-time on an as-needed basis as IW’s makerspace coordinator and also assist in giving business presentations. IW helps aspiring business owners get started, guiding them around all the classic traps and pitfalls, teaching them about finances, product development, legal obligations, marketing, customer discovery, etc. I think this is key to turning things around in Chemung County. Let people pursue their dreams and create their own opportunities. Entrepreneurs become small businesses, which become bigger businesses and possibly large businesses. We may help create the next big thing. So, Chemung County needs to continue to help small businesses find the missing pieces that will lead to success.