Contact Small Business

small business support

Strengthen your community one business at a time.

Investing in your community's future

Local business retention

Local businesses are the backbone of our communities, driving economic growth and fostering neighborhood vitality. By providing targeted training and technical assistance, cities and chambers of commerce can equip entrepreneurs with the tools they need to adapt to a changing marketplace and innovate.

This support not only helps individual businesses grow but also strengthens the entire local economy through job creation, increased tax revenues, and contribution to the unique character the community. Investing in your local business owners through comprehensive education and support programs is an investment in the future of your community.

small business support platform

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The program

Support for business owners

Funded by the community, making this program a key component of your BRE initiative provides:

  • Expert tutorials
  • Downloadable toolkits
  • Local community data
  • Access to five learning paths
  • Self-paced learning 


Unlimited local businesses will have access to this training for a twelve-month period.

Learn More about the Program

Downloadable Resources

Templates, toolkits, and workbooks to assist business owners

Virtual Training

On-demand training for busy entrepreneurs

Support Staff

Dedicated support to offer best practices and advice

Client Testimonials

What people say

We are excited to have a turnkey program that supports all sectors — retail services, restaurants, traditional retail, and landlords. This platform will empower our small business owners with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

Andrea de la Rosa

Assistant Director of Small Business Development

  //  

City of Bloomington

I really enjoyed the meeting with Laura Marinos and Jennifer Gregory of Retail Strategies! They were very informative and supportive. They gave me so much information and tips for taking my business to the next level in the marketing area where I lack tremendously. I finally decided on a new name so I will be putting their tools into action soon!

Stacy Grant

Business Owner

  //  

Youngstown OH

Retail Strategies has been outstanding to work with. Their combined strategy of webinars and one-on-one sessions was ideal in offering valuable information and invaluable personalized service to our small businesses.

Sharon Woodberry

Director of Economic Developement

  //  

Youngstown, OH

The city of Youngstown has made continuous strides in advancing our city. This latest partnership with Retail Strategies adds to our city’s objective of focusing on retail progression in our market. In addition, Youngstown is proud to provide support to our local business owners through small business training and job retention programming with Downtown Strategies. Their team has access to key tools that will promote Youngstown and opportunities within our market.

Jamael Tito Brown

Mayor

  //  

Youngstown, OH

Technical support and training

learn anywhere

Designed specifically for locally-owned business owners, the online platform offers:

  • On-demand, self-paced learning in bite-sized videos
  • Downloadable resources (templates, workbooks, worksheets)
  • Interactive chat forum for peer support and networking
  • Technical support from the Retail Strategies team

strategic learning tracks

The curriculum is designed to modernize and grow local businesses. The program is structured around five essential learning paths:

  • Business Modernization
  • Omni-channel Retail Strategies
  • Restaurant Resilience
  • Property Owner Training
  • Holiday Trends & Outlook

Growth

99.9% of Businesses are Small Businesses

This number not only reflects the dominance of small enterprises in the business sector but also shows their significant role in generating employment and contributing to economic stability in our communities.

View Program Details

Learn more

Want to see our Small Business program in action? Contact us for a demo!