What is the city doing to help entrepreneur's succeed (Cleveland: closing, small businesses)

[Cleverfield]

With a struggling economy and businesses closing their doors frequently, I have to wonder whether the city really has a pro business policy. It would seem that the city's mission should be to encourage small businesses and entrepreneurs by creating incentives, assistance, and guidance. Rather, the city makes you jump through all kinds of hoops (permits, boards, etc.) to get anything done in the city. If the city really wants to make a comeback, shouldn't it adopt a more pro-business philosophy? What is the city doing now to encourage small businesses, and what can we do as Clevelanders to help make our city more pro-business?

[costello_musicman]

Well from Freshwater Cleveland today:

cle-based startups are attracting venture capital in record amounts

thinking outside the box is easy at multi-million dollar invention center think[box]

Also, entites like Jumpstart, NorTech, MAGNET, Bizdom,and Launchhouse all seem to be down well and raising funding,

[Cleveland_Collector]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

With a struggling economy and businesses closing their doors frequently, I have to wonder whether the city really has a pro business policy.

Still fretting that Nexus Cafe thing, huh?

It would seem that the city's mission should be to encourage small businesses and entrepreneurs by creating incentives, assistance, and guidance. Rather, the city makes you jump through all kinds of hoops (permits, boards, etc.) to get anything done in the city.

Question: Where is your proof of this? And, no, something someone "told" you doesn't count.

If the city really wants to make a comeback, shouldn't it adopt a more pro-business philosophy?

How, with nearly $6 Billion in new investments, can you honestly say that the city does not have a pro business philosophy.

What is the city doing now to encourage small businesses, and what can we do as Clevelanders to help make our city more pro-business?

The city is doing what it can. What you can do is patronize the plethora of establishments that are open for business within the city limits.

[Cleverfield]

Just because someone suggests changes based on observations doesn't warrant your defensiveness Cleveland_Collector. I want Cleveland to succeed, I want it to get better, and I see a lot of city policies being a hindrance to that. If Cleveland wants to improve, we need to eliminate some of the slow, inefficient bureaucracy. There's no reason you should need as many permits, and fit as many regulations as businesses are currently required to do. The city tries to milk you for every cent it possibly can, rather than encourage business development, a short-sighted policy that actually hinders progress, as well as revenue, in the long run.

[bjimmy24]

I have never tried to start a business in Cleveland, but I think Cleveland_Collector does make sense here.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Just because someone suggests changes based on observations doesn't warrant your defensiveness Cleveland_Collector. I want Cleveland to succeed, I want it to get better, and I see a lot of city policies being a hindrance to that. If Cleveland wants to improve, we need to eliminate some of the slow, inefficient bureaucracy. There's no reason you should need as many permits, and fit as many regulations as businesses are currently required to do. The city tries to milk you for every cent it possibly can, rather than encourage business development, a short-sighted policy that actually hinders progress, as well as revenue, in the long run.

C_C can't help it. If you don't worship Cleveland and everything about it, he gets snotty.

You make some very good points. In fact, Reason Magazine did an article on Cleveland a couple years ago in which they stressed those very points:

Reason Magazine: How to Save Cleveland

[Cleveland_Collector]

^ Why don't you tell us how they get things done in Chicago?

[Cleveland_Collector]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Just because someone suggests changes based on observations doesn't warrant your defensiveness Cleveland_Collector.

I asked you some questions. If you can't handle the challenge, don't pose the argument.

I want Cleveland to succeed, I want it to get better, and I see a lot of city policies being a hindrance to that.

What? (Or, is that "snotty" of me to ask?)

If Cleveland wants to improve, we need to eliminate some of the slow, inefficient bureaucracy. There's no reason you should need as many permits, and fit as many regulations as businesses are currently required to do.

Name them.

The city tries to milk you for every cent it possibly can, rather than encourage business development, a short-sighted policy that actually hinders progress, as well as revenue, in the long run.

If that was the actual fact, there would be nothing happening in the city. Yet, all I have to do is refer Costello's list in the development thread to prove that more than $6 Billion of development is happening in the city.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by andrew61

C_C can't help it. If you don't worship Cleveland and everything about it, he gets snotty.

You make some very good points. In fact, Reason Magazine did an article on Cleveland a couple years ago in which they stressed those very points:

Reason Magazine: How to Save Cleveland

Interesting that ABC News is doing a feature this week on How to Save Chicago's Children. It's always a bad sign for a city to be promoting a slogan "Don't Shoot; I want to grow-up". The feature stories are really sad.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Cleveland_Collector

If that was the actual fact, there would be nothing happening in the city. Yet, all I have to do is refer Costello's list in the development thread to prove that more than $6 Billion of development is happening in the city.

Is $6 billion a lot? In the context of an entire city? I have to admit, I have no frame of reference here.