LEDC Update
And just like that, the first entire month of the year is behind us. I hope the first month of 2020 was as productive for you as it was for me! The year has gotten off to a roaring start and we’ve had even more developments for the LEDC than I’ve been able to mention in these articles. However, I’m certainly excited about getting to work hard to get the word out and I plan to continue using these articles as periodic updates.
Speaking of updates, we are still getting ready for our upcoming Small Business Workshop on February 26th! Tim Wilson with the Small Business Development Center [SBDC] is coming to speak to us about the basic building blocks of small business. This is really going to be a quintessential workshop for the series and I’m eager to see a good turnout of Linden’s small business owners and even small business minded citizens. So, invite your friends and consider coming yourself to learn about the great resources we have in our area that exist to stimulate small business. The workshop will be held at noon at the County Seat Café and lunch will be provided.
Speaking of the SBDC, I recently had the privilege of attending an educational workshop that they put on in Corsicana, Texas on the topic of Qualified Opportunity Zones [QOZs]. QOZs are a relatively new economic incentive that were written into the federal tax code to provide for capital gains tax relief that hinges on investments held in identified economically depressed areas. While the opportunities that QOZs represent are fairly complex and can even border on mystifying at times (much like most things to do with the tax code), they do represent a new tool that areas like Linden can utilize to incentivize greater external investment.
Any time a new economic incentive like this one is created; it usually takes a while for cities and regions to fully acclimate themselves to it and really begin to utilize it to its fullest advantage. However, thanks to the educational workshops put on by the SBDC and other similar organizations, we can be better primed to take advantage of any new economic development tools. The SBDC is currently working on getting a similar workshop together for our region, so be on the lookout for a date for that as well! I’ll definitely be encouraging as many Lindenites as I can to attend so that we can all be better educated on this exciting new opportunity.
It’s exciting to see so many opportunities for growth in our region, but it’s important to remember that an opportunity is only valuable if it is seized. Just like with self-improvement, the improvement of our city won’t come about without a deliberate effort to pursue it. When you identify an opportunity, don’t let it fall by the wayside— take initiative and pursue it. Also, never be afraid to open up a dialogue regarding potential opportunities as well.So many times, cities, counties, and even entire states have come upon new development opportunities because a single citizen takes the initiative and brings fresh ideas to the attention of their community. Never let uncertainty keep you from exploring a new avenue of opportunity. It’s always better to explore and come up empty-handed, than to never discover anything simply because you never sought it out.