Stop Dollar Store Proliferation in Your Community: A Strategy Guide
More than 75 cities and towns have defeated dollar store projects in the last four years. Our new strategy guide can help you keep these chains out of your community.… Read More
17 Problems: How Dollar Store Chains Hurt Communities
Community leaders have good reason to be concerned about chain dollar stores. … Read More
Helping Lending Programs Reach Underserved Small Business Owners
For the past year, ILSR and Recast City have collaborated on bringing Equitable Lending Leaders, a program to help small business lending programs reach more underserved entrepreneurs and small business owners, particularly owners of color. Now that more than 120 RLFs have participated in Equitable Lending Leaders, we have identified several best practices.… Read More
On Wisconsin Public Radio, Kennedy Smith Explains the Cost of Dominant Food Delivery Apps and What Cities Can Do
Kennedy Smith joined The Morning Show on Wisconsin Public Radio to talk about how the largest, Wall-Street-fueled delivery apps are using their market power to extract ever-increasing profits from restaurants.… Read More
Report: Small Business’s Big Moment
One of the biggest challenges facing America’s towns and cities is leveling the playing field for small businesses. Our new report shows how civic leaders can use the American Rescue Plan to do just that, which will provide communities and local economies with lasting benefits for decades to come. … Read More
Webinar: Small Business’s Big Moment
On February 10th, 2022, ILSR and Main Street America hosted a conversation about how communities can use some of their federal American Rescue Plan Act allocations to support small business growth and development. The webinar was based on a new report by ILSR that outlines a dozen ideas for using American Rescue Plan Act money to cultivate and support small businesses. … Read More
Watch: New Wave of Federal Recovery Funds Can Rebuild Main Street
At the Future Cities conference, ILSR Senior Researcher Kennedy Smith moderated a panel discussion about how cities can leverage federal recovery funds to revitalize their commercial districts, create more small businesses, and reduce racial and economic inequality.… Read More
In Governing: New Opportunities for Cities to Create Affordable Space for Small Business
In Governing, ILSR Senior Researcher Kennedy Smith and Santa Cruz County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty examine how cities and towns can create affordable space for local businesses and foster a built environment that supports entrepreneurship.… Read More
Special Delivery: Our Report Shows How Local Delivery Services are Superior to the Big Apps
Unlike the predatory Wall Street-backed apps, local delivery services charge lower fees, support restaurants, keep wealth in the community, and demonstrate that when it comes to food delivery, local delivery models are better and more efficient.… Read More