Self-Guided Course

The Role of Small Business in Main Street Success

Support local businesses by understanding your community's entrepreneurial ecosystem, strengthening relationships, and building a practical economic development tool you can use right away.

Small businesses are the backbone of every Main Street district. In this project-based course led by Gustavo Ustariz, you’ll learn how to understand local business needs, strengthen your entrepreneurial ecosystem, and build the kinds of relationships that make mutual success possible. By the end, you will complete a stakeholder resources data collection exercise and leave with a customized map and support tracking tool you can use to support small businesses in your community.

Price: $150 Non-Members | $100 Members

Time: 4-6 hours Skill Level: Growing Formal Learning: 100 points

Person with red braided hair and glasses sitting at a small round table, working on a laptop near a large window with treetops visible outside.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Explain how small businesses fuel identity, tourism, and economic vitality.
Recognize traits of a business-friendly district and identify common barriers.
Describe the seven entrepreneurial ecosystem factors and map them to real-world partners.
Assess readiness for coaching and identify strategies for supportive incentives.
Complete a stakeholder resources map and identify local ecosystem gaps.
Apply lessons from peer Main Street districts to strengthen your own approach.