By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs
America should empower entrepreneurs to create jobs in rural communities. Congress needs to invest in the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program to provide much needed lending capital and technical assistance to small, rural business start-ups. Likewise, Congress should enact the Rural Microbusiness Investment Credit Act to generate investment in both start-up and expanding rural small businesses by providing a 35% federal tax credit to rural entrepreneurs who invest in their own small businesses.
These proven strategies create rural jobs. And history proves that entrepreneurs can lead us out of recession, as they did last time when microenterprise employment grew by 9% nationally while big firms were shedding jobs.
But rural entrepreneurs have even more to offer. Brandon Raby, the Center for Rural Affairs 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year, learned from 20 years of skateboarding that a skate shop is a crucial element of skate culture, so he opened Caravan Skate Shop in North Platte, Nebraska.
Brandon also plays an active role in a local youth organization named "Skate and Create," which secured $30,000 from the city to help design and construct a skate park. Caravan Skate Shop is also a place where youth can discuss skating, watch skate videos, and hang out. Brandon enjoys serving as mentor and providing skaters a place to be without negative consequences.
We celebrate entrepreneurs because of their contributions to our rural communities - jobs, revenue, economic opportunities and much more. As a nation, we should invest in entrepreneurs for the same reason.
