ANCA teams with local chambers to expand small-biz services

SARANAC LAKE — North Country small-business owners and staff can get involved in training programs and other services this year. The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is crediting a federal grant that it was awarded last September. Offered in partnership with local chambers of commerce, the programs are designed to support the retention of small businesses in the region and empower owners and employees with resources and skills to “help them prosper,” according to a Jan. 21 ANCA announcement. ANCA is using a U.S. Department of Agriculture rural-business development grant (RBDG) to support a series of educational programs for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Adirondack North Country. It developed these programs in partnership with the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) and the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (SLACC). Lauren Richard, ANCA’s small business program director, said the impetus for the educational series was her team’s assessment of gaps in technical assistance observed through their ongoing work with small businesses. “During and following the pandemic, we have gained so much insight about the technical services small businesses really want and need,” Richard said in the announcement. “Feedback about ANCA programming over the last several years, as well as collaborations with regional partners and service providers who work closely with local businesses, have given us a strong understanding of where entrepreneurs can really use more support.” ANCA staff identified five key areas that continue to challenge business owners in the rural North Country and that lack adequate funding support among ANCA’s network of partner organizations. These areas of focus include membership-based businesses, digital empowerment and marketing, value-added food businesses and agriculture, leadership development and strategic planning, and improving workplaces through an equity lens. “We are thrilled to be working with our partners at ANCA to implement outstanding programs through this joint USDA Rural Business Development Grant,” Matthew Courtright, president and CEO of TACC, said in the ANCA announcement. “As TACC remains focused on business support, programs, services, and development, strong partnerships and collaboration will be key. We would like to thank the team at ANCA for their leadership, assistance, and continued partnership. Continued great things are ahead.”

2025 programming

To increase access to their 2025 programs, the partners will offer a hybrid format for many workshops and one-on-one follow up with participants for some programs. Several learning and networking opportunities supported by the RBDG started in February and will continue through May. An eight-week, food-business lab course for people interested in establishing value-added food and farm businesses was scheduled to start on Feb. 4 with content provided by the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship. In March, ANCA and TACC will host a three-part series on strategic planning and leadership development for businesses and entrepreneurs followed by another three-part series on digital empowerment and marketing for businesses. Spring programming will culminate with ANCA’s signature Small Communities. Big Opportunities. business conference, which will be held jointly for the first time with ANCA’s annual Clean Energy Conference. The joint event, scheduled for April 30 to May 2, will present a variety of opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from and connect with fellow North Country business owners, community leaders, and other stakeholders.