Nurturing the Small Business Environment

By Janice Williams, Executive Director Roslindale Village Main Street

According to, Economic Development Administration Assistant Secretary David A. Sampson, “Entrepreneurs are the engines of economic vitality and job creation because they are committed to tapping in and leveraging the power and the opportunities that private markets provide. We need to increase the number of entrepreneurs and spread the spirit of innovation and enterprise all across our country—even to regions that are less vibrant than the rest of the country.” (March 2005 at Office of Advocacy’s conference on Putting it Together: The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development).

The nation need only look to Roslindale as the model of entrepreneurship and small business creation. In Roslindale, the economic and cultural atmosphere of our community is driven almost entirely by small businesses. In Roslindale you can buy freshly baked bread and pastries, have your shoes resoled, book a cruise, buy wine from Croatia, buy 7 different kinds of feta cheese, buy organic and natural pet food, get a haircut and massage, get your prescriptions filled, buy a novel, buy Victorian inspired home and garden accessories, and dine at a wide variety of restaurants to name a few shopping experiences. These businesses are owned and run by individuals who offer the community not only basic needs and economic vibrancy but also a sense of uniqueness.

At a recent RVMS Design Committee meeting we hosted 17 architectural master program students from the University of Venezuela doing a project with Wentworth Institute of Technology. Prior to the meeting they had taken a tour around the Roslindale business district. The overwhelming comment from the group who was asked what they thought of Roslindale was “Cozy”. This to me denotes a sense of comfort in a business district that has a very special identity. Our individual businesses offer a walkable and pleasurable shopping experience within a village setting.

This seemingly successful pool of entrepreneurships belies some startling statistics. Most small businesses fail within the first five years. The reasons are many - lack of adequate capital, lack of experience, high rents, competition and low sales to name a few. Another stress factor in a small business is the number of hours that generally the proprietors (who are most times the only employee) have to work. It is incumbent on all of us that we nurture and support our small businesses.

RVMS’s purpose as outlined in our bylaws created in 1987 states: …to encourage the development, redevelopment, revitalization and improvement of the central business district and adjoining area in Roslindale. RVMS provides the communication bridge between businesses and between businesses and residents and visitors. We promote our business district and all its entrepreneurs to residents and potential visitors. We sponsor events like festivals, concerts, farmers market and holiday events within the business district that brings residents into the business district. And lastly we act as a small business resource center to try and help entrepreneurs (new and seasoned) get an edge on survival.