House of Delegates Listening Tour on Small Business Kicks Off in Clarksburg
The House of Delegates kicked off its 10-city listening tour to advance small business and entrepreneurship across the State last evening in Clarksburg. An overflow crowd packed the Caperton Center to talk about solutions and celebrate successes in the region.
House Speaker Tim Miley was joined by fellow Delegates who serve on the newly formed House Committee on Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, chaired by Del. Doug Skaff, D-Kanawha. The bi-partisan group heard from several regional business owners who came out to share their own stories of challenges overcome in establishing successful businesses.
Speaker Miley said he developed the listening tour as a way to hear directly from individual business owners about the challenges faced by small businesses, which account for the vast majority of jobs in West Virginia and across the nation.
Topics raised during the evening session included talent attraction and retention, internet sales tax, and access to capital. Several presenters said the lack of access to capital has been a barrier to launching or expanding a business.
One small business owner, who received funding through the West Virginia Capital Access Program, noted that traditional lending programs weren’t available to her in launching a new business. The West Virginia Capital Access Program made her startup possible, she said, urging the Delegates to support it and other programs aimed at growing small business.
For more information, see the article in the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram.
The next stop on the tour will be in Huntington on Monday, February 17, 5:30-7:30 pm, Marshall University, Memorial Student Union, Shawkey Room, 1652 Fifth Avenue, Huntington. Advance registration is available at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e8utg6vx0fe79da6&llr=t9kmyxlab