Business Support

Exploring other possible business support initiatives.

Multilingual and Culturally Specific Support

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If your program supports BIPOC, ethnic, and immigrant communities, you should offer your support and training in multiple languages. Additionally, consider whether there are culturally specific instructional designs or training formats that best fit your target community. These could include narrative or oral storytelling, community or cultural leader-led training, family-formatted instruction, culturally-specific art and designs, expert/apprenticeship models, and group or circle training. For more information on this topic visit Culturally Responsive Teaching at the National Equity Project.  

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Market Analysis

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No current legacy business programs support market analysis initiatives, yet this may be one of the most valuable tools for legacy business success. Conducting a market analysis for your area can be a valuable tool to help your legacy businesses remain competitive by leveraging local data to understand market and customer changes. Changes in customer demographics and consumption identified through market analysis can help legacy businesses adapt as their communities evolve, reducing the risk of displacement. The market analysis can also provide guidance on local competition, market opportunities, and product pricing or diversification. 

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While the outcome is valuable to your legacy businesses, conducting a market analysis can be a complex and costly undertaking and, without internal expertise, would generally require a partner for your program. Some EDOs may provide this service, so be sure to check with them or your municipal economic development department to see what support they offer for market analysis. Additionally, many municipalities often have open data portals or data dashboards that allow you and your business owners to access reports on local markets and demographics. The SBA also has references and some assistance for market analysis projects.