Question #1 Candidates Answers to Forum Questions
What actions can the City Council take to establish an improved climate for small businesses to sustain and thrive?
January 27, 2009
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Forming a small business committee whose purpose is to study issues that affect fees, ordinances and codes as well as their effects on small businesses. They would bring back input to help business be more successful.
David Wilson
Place 5
Comment by Marty Smith — January 28, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
Our local EDC has a specialist of some 30 years experience in this area, my recommendation would be for our Chamber of Commerce to lead the way in making sure all local small businesses are aware of this FREE service.
Chuck Downard
Comment by Marty Smith — January 28, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
As a City Council member I would endorse actions that support positive growth for Copperas Cove. Small businesses grow when the community grows which encourages a healthy environment for everyone.
Comment by CherylMeredith — January 28, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
We need to energize the liaison between the city and the Economic Development Corporation. He needs to ensure all small businesses within the city know what the EDC can do for them, both to establish a business within the city and to help maintain the business if it encounters problems. We need to look at the tax rate within the city and see what actions can be taken to lower the tax rate to make it more economical feasible for small businesses to look at Copperas Cove as a viable market.
Bill Stephens
Place 5
Comment by Marty Smith — January 28, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
This is a tough economy and maintaining a good customer base is the answer. The city council must work closer with the EDC. Maybe a “Shop Copperas Cove” campaign would be helpful.
Michael Zehr
Place 3
Comment by Marty Smith — January 28, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
Allow them (small business owners) to be part of our decision making process. They know and understand the Copperas Cove (CC) area better than anyone. The local EDC has an employee that specializes in business; we also need to be included in the planning meetings. I would push for an open meeting to include all citizens and their recommendations. The citizen knows what they want and need in our city. The Chamber of Commerce and the EDC are key players, their leadership and advice will help improve our economy.
Comment by Danny Palmer — January 29, 2009 @ 1:22 am
As with any small city or even going back to earlier times, the small business owner has been and continues to be the backbone of any city, large or small. There are ways the City Council or others could do to help them sustain and thrive, some are as follows:
a. Promote a sense of belonging as an active part of what the city is doing. This can be done in ways such as hosting or promoting what they bring to the city and its residents which may not be found in other locals thus keeping business at home in the city. An idea that comes to mind is complementary booths at city promoted events.
b. Provide incentives for the small business owner to improve their quality of service to their customer base. Such as, hosting “better business practices” workshops, incentives to improve their exterior appearance such as strip mall shopping areas to have a common look and feel. Many of the shopping areas in the community look run down and lack “curb appeal”. If a business does not look attractive on the exterior, it is hard to lure a potential customer to its interior, thus less revenue and opportunity to thrive.
Konrad Kohler
Place 5
Comment by Marty Smith — January 29, 2009 @ 9:09 am
The Council must make every effort to spread the word of the opportunities in Cove. We do this through our EDC and our Chamber. The EDC has an excellent Small Business Development and Retention office that can assist small business owners with information on expanding, government procurement bid opportunities at Fort Hood, and tax information. The Chamber of course is the door to our community and provides the new business owner with a wealth of contacts and information about our community that can assist that new owner in getting established. This also works well for people that already have a business in Cove.
Charlie Youngs
Place 1
Comment by Marty Smith — January 29, 2009 @ 11:52 am
a. City Council must be knowledgeable of the current plans and efforts of EDC and the Chamber of Commerce that addresses this issue.
b. City Council needs to support those efforts
Joseph Solomon
Place 4
Comment by Marty Smith — January 31, 2009 @ 12:18 pm