Question: Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, yet many struggle with rising costs, zoning restrictions, and bureaucratic hurdles. What policies or initiatives will you champion to help small businesses thrive and make it easier for local entrepreneurs to succeed?
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Karen DeVINNEY
First, it’s fairly easy to relax parking rules for small businesses aimed at foot traffic, especially in neighborhoods, as appropriate.
While knocking on doors, I’ve met many people who run small businesses out of their homes, providing web design, graphic design, social media management, etc. These businesses don’t need help from the city, since they are already allowed in homes.
Denton already encourages small businesses through Stoke and their ongoing Lunch with an Expert, as well as TIRZ funding, tax incentives, reductions in energy charges, and other programs through the Office of Economic Development.
If “bureaucratic hurdles” prevent a meat rendering plant from going in next door to my house, I’m all for them.
Suzi RuMOHR
As I’ve spoken to local business owners, builders, and entrepreneurs, there’s a theme I hear over and over: It’s too hard to do business in Denton.
While Denton should regulate certain aspects of businesses to ensure safety and preserve quality of life, we need to understand the downsides of each regulation to ensure the positives outweigh the negatives.
If zoning restrictions, development requirements, or hurdles are too difficult to overcome, it limits opportunities for locals to start a business. They either go elsewhere or don’t try their business idea.
If we make rules or processes too difficult for locals to navigate, then most of what we’ll get is large out-of-town corporations establishing business and building things, because they’re the only ones with the resources to navigate the process.
I want to work with the community to identify areas where Denton can remove hurdles for small businesses and local builders. That includes adjusting zoning, development requirements, and building codes to allow more micro retail, small neighborhood stores, and other small commercial spaces that are more affordable for a new business.
Margie ELLIS
Many of our local small businesses rent their space, and that rent has increased dramatically over the years, particularly downtown. No doubt property tax increases getting passed along from landlord to tenant.
Continuing to fund grants that will help small businesses; looking for ways to incentivize through utility reductions; as well as something as easy as helping to promote a small business by having a townhall onsite, or posting a check-in on social media or writing a good review…these are all things that could help.
Since many small businesses do not have a marketing budget, they survive by word of mouth to grow and sustain their business.
I would welcome regular correspondence with small business owners to hear and understand their struggles and support and champion them as a councilperson.