Williamson County: A Hub for Entrepreneurs & Small Business Success
When youth sports teams seek sponsors, local small businesses often step up to help. When families and couples want a place for a special meal, they often go where the restaurant owner knows them by name.
Numerous examples show small businesses supporting the local community. In turn, Williamson County wants to make sure it is always there to support small businesses.
In This Article
A County Mayor Who Knows Small Business
That has been the approach for the past 24 years, under County Mayor Rogers Anderson, with help from Williamson, Inc. and other organizations.
It is unlikely to change under the recently elected County Mayor Andy Marshall. After all, Marshall knows the importance of small businesses, having owned and operated one for nearly four decades.
“Small businesses are what make a community thrive,” says Marshall, who opened a grocery business in Williamson County when he was only 26 years old, then began the restaurant company, A. Marshall Hospitality, in the late 1990s. “It’s essential that a community doesn’t lose the character that makes it special, and the way you do that is by supporting small businesses.
How Fair Rents Keep Local Shops Competitive
Marshall says one key to Williamson County’s success over the years has been property owners’ willingness to keep rental rates reasonable for stores and offices.
If property owners focus only on the bottom line, Marshall says local entrepreneurs won’t be able to compete with national chains.
“A lot of our property owners have made sacrifices in the amount of rent they charge in order to keep that entrepreneurship and small-business spirit thriving in Williamson County,” Marshall says. “If they had thought differently, then we would have quickly just looked like anywhere else. That really set up Williamson County to be a great community.”
It Takes a County
The importance of Williamson County small businesses to the people who live here was never more evident than this past spring, when the nationwide retail marketplace Painted Tree Boutiques suddenly declared bankruptcy and shut down all 61 of its locations.
This included the Williamson County location, affecting more than 200 small-business owners.
A Rooted in Community Market at The Factory in Franklin
Barely a week later, Williamson, Inc. announced it would hold a two-day market in early May called “Rooted in Community” for the businesses affected by the closure.
Held at The Factory in Franklin, the market ran 10 hours each day, allowing store owners to sell inventory to customers and make business connections.
“We were all devastated when Painted Tree closed,” says Donna McClanahan, who owned two Italian-themed businesses housed at Painted Tree: Ciao Bella Boutique and La Dolce Vita Marketplace. “But the Chamber stepped in so quickly with that market. It proved that small businesses make a difference and they matter to people.”
From Painted Tree to Collective Boutiques
In addition, Williamson, Inc. gave all the affected business owners a year of free membership.
Many small businesses quickly took the first steps to return to full operation with the July opening of a new vendor marketplace called Collective Boutiques, housed in the former Painted Tree location.
Looking for a starting point in Williamson County? Visit williamsonchamber.com for resources and events.
Get to Know Williamson County
Want to learn more about living and working in Williamson County, TN? Check out the latest edition of Livability Williamson County, Tennessee.