from JERID GROSS

Silver-Bullet Solution: Invest

To Keep Aspiring Entrepreneurs

To the Editor:
As it pertains to my candidacy for the Ward 4 Common Council seat, my primary goal is to convey to the citizens of Oneonta that we truly do possess the raw materials and resources to have a thriving local economy. While I am certainly not a one-issue candidate, this article will speak only to Oneonta’s huge need for jobs and businesses.

In the last century, Oneonta thrived for two reasons: a vast number of farms and a booming rail industry. With the decline of rails and with farms moving west, we have struggled to adapt. As a population, we decided to stay our course and to continue relying on farming and rails and as a result we have only continued to decline.

As a member of your council, it is my intent to create a culture of entrepreneurship by providing startups with money for rent and startup costs. The idea is to lower the barrier of entry to create as many new privately owned businesses as possible to keep our money local. This will drive money into our area instead of out of it, which will grow our local economy. New businesses setting up in the area, like a law firm, for example, may want to consider helping themselves by getting the word out about what it is that they do – having an online marketing strategy for personal injury law firms is certainly something that should be considered in order to help send new customers and clients their way. New businesses would still be expected to secure funding through loans and private investing, but I believe that it is prudent of us to assist in making these ideas realities. It may never be a good time to start a business but hopefully, with the help of the money that is provided to them to start up their business, it could not only help them be successful as an entrepreneur but it will also help our local economy. Furthermore, I want to help aspiring businesses to find the resources they need to get their startups off the ground. This includes providing practical support with resolving common issues such as selecting a registered office address for example.

But how do we encourage the right businesses to form here in our city? The answer lies on The Hill. Both of our superlative colleges bring thousands of incredibly smart and talented minds to Oneonta each year. My goal is to spearhead a program that would allow these individuals to develop their big ideas by submitting a business plan for review. Plans would be judged on feasibility, growth potential, and likelihood of attracting money from outside Oneonta. The best plan(s) will be offered up to two years of assistance to starting, refine, maintain, and grow the businesses.

This plan will encourage individuals from out of town to stay and start businesses, increasing the tax base as a result. As business thrives and expands, there will be an increase in employment opportunities. At the same time, the business owners are likely to put down roots and start families.

his leads to further increases in the tax base. Industry, families, population, wealth; it’s a silver-bullet plan. However, this growth does not happen instantly, it takes time and effort. However, there is the potential for a huge return and we won’t get anywhere by staying our course. Let’s be brave and let everyone know that Oneonta is a great place to start a business.

While there are many more details regarding this program, they simply can’t all be addressed in the length of this article. If you have any questions about this proposed program I would be more than happy discuss them with you. Please email me at gossjerid@gmail.com and I will respond to your inquiries. Thank you so much and please vote for Democrat Jerid Goss in the upcoming primary.

JERID GOSS
Oneonta

Jerid Goss will be facing Kaytee Shue on June 25 for the Democratic Common Council nomination in Oneonta’s Fourth Ward.