Business owner: Savannah needs to do more to foster entrepreneurship
This column is by Kewaan Drayton, who co-founded The Savannah Underground and Red Eye Film Productions and is a business partner at Mailbox Café.
Savannah has extraordinary potential when it comes to entrepreneurship, but its global ranking for entrepreneurship has dropped significantly. It’s time to maximize that potential, as young businesses nationally create most job growth.
More: Savannah's Cecilia Russo Marketing awards three Georgia entrepreneurs $5k grants
I understand the potential, as a lifelong Savannah resident (except for four years of college), who started my first business in the 10th grade. I see that potential every day, as the founder or co-founder of three Savannah businesses and the recipient of the 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce.
More: Tybee company makes history with harvest from Georgia's first floating oyster farm
Georgia is highly regarded for its pro-business environment. CNBC ranks Georgia fourth on its 2023 list of America’s Top States for Business; Shopify ranks Georgia third on its list of 10 Most Business-Friendly States in 2024.
Georgia also ranks highly on entrepreneurship. WalletHub ranked it sixth in 2023 on its list of Best States to Start a Business. But this, too, reflects heavily the overall pro-businessenvironment.
Third, Savannah has its own impressive distinctions that have implications for entrepreneurship. Travel + Leisure ranked Savannah fourth on its 2023 list of Readers’ 15 Favorite Cities in the United States. This reflects the city’s appeal to tourists, who stimulate entrepreneurship opportunities to address their needs and interests.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) regularly wins national recognition for art, design, creativity, innovation, and such specialty areas as fashion design, graphic design, and animation. These are all distinctions that are closely aligned with entrepreneurial opportunity.
Yet, Savannah’s ranking for entrepreneurship dropped significantly in 2023. StartupBlink’s 2023 Startup Ecosystem Index ranked Savannah 140th among U.S. cities (down 24 places from the previous ranking) and 464th globally (down 83 places).
Savannah needs to take steps to proactively maximize its entrepreneurial opportunity if we want to keep our current entrepreneurs and attract others. These ideas stem from my discussions with entrepreneurs in Savannah in my multiple capacities as vice chair of the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, as an advocate for Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, and as a partner of the Mailbox Café, a hub for entrepreneurs in intown Savannah that is located next door to SCAD’s Eckburg Hall, which houses its fashion and accessory design — fields that are well-suited to aspiring and budding entrepreneurs.
First, the City of Savannah has rightly created the Savannah Entrepreneurial Center, which aims to support local entrepreneurs. The presence of the Center is a great start, but there's an opportunity to enhance its impact by boosting outreach efforts, particularly in historically underserved communities.
Second, through the Entrepreneurial Center, the city should consider offering a one-stop shop to guide aspiring entrepreneurs on the diverse local, state, and federal governmentalrequirements and obligations for starting a business.
Many entrepreneurs I’ve connected with have complained to me about being bounced from one governmental or nonprofit agency to another — with no apparent concern for the frustration and lost time that it causes. Savannah has many valuable resources: there’s SCORE, the Small Business Development Center, the Entrepreneurial Center, the Small Business Assistance Center, the ACE Women’s Business Center, and multiple chambers of commerce.
Recognizing the importance of fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurs to kick start their businesses — ultimately contributing to tax revenues and job creation — it would be wonderful to see streamlined processes that make this journey more efficient and enjoyable.
Third, a broad coalition of advocates should be created to maximize Savannah’s potential for entrepreneurship. That coalition could include the three Savannah area chambers of commerce – the Savannah Area Chamber, the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Metropolitan Savannah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Right to Start and its national experts could provide additional context on steps that other cities are taking.
Savannah is in an enviable position when it comes to entrepreneurial potential. The challenge is for Savannah to maximize that potential for the good of everyone in the Greater Savannah area.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Business owner: Savannah needs to do more to foster entrepreneurship
