Jackson Free Press

This city is on the brink of greatness, with more than a billion dollars worth of new development downtown. Young professionals, black and white, are choosing to live, work, and play in an urban environment. New restaurants are all over town. New residential projects are springing up throughout the capital.

We are a city on the move despite the naysayers. The collective landscape of Jackson will be different in less than three years. Some of you won't recognize it.

The success or failure of this growth, however, will lie in this city's ability to maintain that growth and expound on it, and particularly in how we relate to and support new business, but not the big ones: the small businesses and those who run them. We would also be better served by providing vehicles for young enterprising go-getters to access opportunities that could make them moguls as well.

You've read my rants about the "old guard" and our city's lack of forward-thinking businessmen and women. But as we collectively cheer on our development victories, we have to prepare for the inevitability of the transfer of power and influence. Not in the huge corporations that come to town but in the small entrepreneur—the small, local business that is the lifeblood of our city: the Chanes, the Mimis, the McDades, the Scurlocks, the Cool Als of the world.

Support is vital, and kudos to the Jackson Free Press for recognizing the little guy.

It has also time to embrace the "new" age businessperson, the non-traditional entrepreneur. Time to drag some of our icons here kicking and screaming into a fresh mode of "doing business."

The modern entrepreneur, developer or real estate mogul may not fit your conventional idea of "business." All of them don't have degrees. Some of them don't have "old money" in their families; some don't even own suits. They may not have the liquid capital. They don't communicate by traditional means and may do things in an unorthodox manner. But what they possess is talent and a drive for success.

It is incumbent on our city fathers to recognize and help cultivate a new slew of businesspeople, plucking them from our community and providing the opportunities that may not have been present when you were younger. Not chances to be an "employee," but a pathway to being a manager, president or CEO. Much like the opportunity that David Watkins has given me.

Some might wonder why he hired me, but ultimately, he's a vanguard, one who's not scared to give talent a chance. I've grown from involvement in Farish Street to business dealings in other areas locally. And I have his vision to thank.

In the end, I feel we can continue to win as a city if the torch is passed—as we embrace the power of social media, and embrace the fresh minds and fresh legs of our youth. We can't truly be progressive until we create true economic opportunity for everyone of all ages and hues.

Whether it's a "rapper" or "restaurateur," Jackson should continue to embrace the small-business men and women.

And that's the truth ... sho-nuff.

Previous Comments

ID

157805

Comment

I like that. We need to help low-income entrepreneurs to sustain hope in doing the right thing.

Author

CliftonWhitley

Date

2010-05-12T19:42:27-06:00