Many of the current legacy business programs began as pilot projects, investigations, or surveys. These early-phase approaches are a great way to launch a program and are crucial for building support, testing ideas, collecting input and data, and finding out what works best in your community. Several successful legacy business pilot programs, such as those in Long Beach, California, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, began through nonprofits with a preservation mission. They have since transitioned to official municipal programs. On the other hand, municipalities like Evanston, Illinois, Napa City and County, California, and Portland, Oregon, are getting started with internal projects, recently launching initiatives to define their legacy business programs.

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Regardless of their origin, for a legacy business program to grow and succeed over time, it must develop into a permanent, well-defined, and scalable organization. This demonstrates a long-term commitment to preserving legacy businesses and community continuity. This permanence also fosters confidence and trust among legacy business owners, community stakeholders, and residents, who recognize a sustained dedication to them and the program.