What smaller Texas communities can learn from startups about COVID-19 economic recovery

In Minnesota, cross-sector collaboration, contact tracing, and a focus on adhering to public health safety protocols have helped Cook County avoid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, despite being a tourist destination. Local health officials and industry leaders presented a united front, while residents and business owners focused on ways to "keep the tourists from infecting the locals." With only seven residents contracting the virus by summer's end, the efforts appear to have been successful.

Truck convoys ensure safer journeys for drivers and their goods around Kanyabayonga, an area that experiences intermittent instability and violence between armed groups. Up to 100 trucks carrying goods like charcoal, bananas, or lumber line up most days and wait for permission to continue their journey. The local economy has benefited, with restaurants and stores popping up to accommodate the influx of people. A ban on night time driving to prevent threats from armed groups has also supported the growth of a hotel industry, with 15 informal hotels now in operation.

Facing the economic strain from the financial fallout caused by the coronavirus crisis, Tenino is printing its own money like it once did in the wake of the Great Depression. The small town in Washington has issued at least $2,500 worth of wooden bills to exclusively be used for small businesses on Main Street. Thirteen residents have applied for the funds and $150 have been spent by residents on necessities as of June. Other small towns across the country have already sent inquiries to the mayor of Tenino, seeking to imitate Tenino's effort.

A handful of entrepreneurial individuals in Kansas have found success in starting businesses during the pandemic by leveraging customer needs and pandemic relief funding. Although this business plan isn't "foolproof," in Kansas and nationwide, the number of entrepreneurs who filed applications increased significantly compared to previous periods.

Business counseling for struggling entrepreneurs has been crucial for small businesses trying to get back on their feet in the aftermath of the shutdown. The Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program was specifically formed for Asian Pacific Islanders, who failed to find help because of language barriers. API SBP brings together different business communities to work collaboratively and pool resources. In addition to rent relief, navigating changes to PPP, and finding available grant programs, counselors have recently assisted businesses with social media presence and building websites.

Empowering young entrepreneurs fosters new, sustainable, and inclusive approaches to design and fashion. In Brazil, designers from Aglomerado da Serra, a favela in Belo Horizonte, are using up-cycling to make a more sustainable—and inclusive—fashion brand. The brand, Remexe, represents just one of the projects undertaken at Lá da Favelinha, a cultural center and showcase of novel ideas from the favela. With the support of grant funding, designers from Remexe also held a workshop in Bristol, helping their colleagues in the UK create a sister social enterprise group, Re:Wurk.

Scholarships and grants can help students who are looking to being their careers after high school to succeed. In Maine, the Maine Blue Collar Scholar Fund provides financial support to high school graduates who wish to start their own businesses or pursue a career in the trades. The program encourages entrepreneurship and is currently seeking to expand its support to teachers interested in learning more about local internships and apprenticeships for their students.

Local governments in Maine support small businesses in order to boost the economy throughout the state. With Small Businesses Development Centers scattered throughout the state, businesses and entrepreneurs are able to get loans, business plans, and other resources to help them succeed.

In the mountain towns of Telluride and Mountain Village, locals are going beyond banning plastic bags and are thinking bigger about how to reduce single-use plastic. The Telluride Venture Accelerator focuses on bringing “startups in the plastics-alternative market” to Colorado. A local committee is also finding ways to encourage businesses to change their plastic habits, and together the local government initiatives and environmental startups will change consumption habits regionally.

Michigan, and Detroit in particular, has focused on bringing in immigrants to help the area grow. Several programs are helping migrant business owners succeed in their new home. Hatch Detroit helped Hamissi Mamba, a refugee from Burundi, start his own African-inspired restaurant. Motor City Match supplies funding for businesses, and Global Detroit helps make “Detroit more attractive and welcoming for immigrants.” Together, these groups are succeeding.