The City of Statesboro Business Commission will host a small business listening session on Monday, April 24, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Statesboro City Hall council chambers. The listening session will allow local small business owners to share their personal experiences on what it’s like to do business in Statesboro.
“The listening session is a way for the Statesboro Business Commission to identify and prioritize concerns raised by the small business community,” says Gloria Strauthers, chair of the Statesboro Business Commission. “The members of the commission are small business owners, and we have our own ideas for improvements, but we also represent hundreds of business owners and desire to hear from them directly.”
The commission seeks to understand how barriers such as public policy and municipal operating procedures may impede local business growth and development. This listening session is the first of several the commission plans to hold for small business owners to voice opportunities and challenges. The feedback collected during these sessions will be used to provide recommendations to the Statesboro City Council on how best to support local businesses.
Formed in November 2022, the Statesboro Business Commission consists of nine local business owners appointed by the Mayor and City Council who serve staggered two-year terms. Statesboro City Councilmember Venus Mack, who represents the city’s third district and operates a small business within the city limits, initially proposed the idea of creating a business commission to members of the Statesboro City Council in early 2022.
“Most local business owners only interact with City Hall one to two times a year when renewing their business license or paying property taxes,” says Mack. “The goal of this commission is to bring local business owners together and learn from their first-hand experiences what it’s like to do business in Statesboro. It is my desire for Statesboro to be a place where people want to start a business or expand an existing business. Creating an open and welcoming environment where business owners feel they have a voice is essential to future business growth in Statesboro.”
The event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to pre-register at statesborobusinesscommission.eventbrite.com.
