August 2022 Advocacy Updates

Below are things you should know or take action on right now as a local-independent business owner or community leader:

– 2022 Member Survey findings released: Lowcountry Local First’s 2022 Member Survey found top challenges include supply chain shortages, cost of health care, and workforce woes. Despite ample challenges, two-thirds of member companies reported revenue growth in 2021. View the findings and summary. 

– Creative Commercial Spaces: We love a creative use of commercial space and this month highlight two local spaces: The Station Park Circle (North Charleston) and The Creative Realm Space (North Charleston). Learn about these community-centered collaborative spaces.

– Member Resource – Commercial Space Advising: LLF harnesses the power of our membership to provide confidential, no-cost custom advising for issues related to a commercial space, including: finding space; design and build-out; regulatory process; and lease negotiation. Learn more here.   

– Reading List: Continued supply chain shortages, rising costs of doing business, and recession concerns are all contributing to the feeling that small businesses can’t catch a break. READ: “After Enduring a Pandemic, Small Businesses Face New Worries,” The New York Times, July 26, 2022. 

– Making ‘Big Tech’ work better for small biz: The bipartisan legislation aimed at making ‘Big Tech’ (including: Amazon, Alphabet/Google, Facebook/Meta, Apple) more equitable for small businesses using the platforms and to encourage fair competition has so far failed to reach the U.S. Senate floor for a vote before the Aug 8th recess, kicking the legislation down the road for a potential Fall vote. If you’d like to learn more about these proposed reforms and ensure our markets are fair, you can sign up for updates at Small Business Rising – a national coalition of independent businesses and entrepreneurs who are standing up for a level playing field – or share your story with Lowcountry Local First. 

Questions? Input? Let us know.