Blog

Amazon is the largest online store and hosts products from some of the biggest brands in the world. They are also known for large inventories and discounts, so competing based on price can be a tall order for local startups. Interestingly, about 50% of the products you encounter at Amazon in the United States areRead more

Our community and many others have lost workforce talent to larger, coastal cities for decades. While the reasons behind it are complex, the steady loss of young, educated workers seemed unstoppable. Much more recently, the COVID pandemic has also seemed unstoppable and even more devastating. However, it sometimes happens that you can use one problemRead more

The COVID pandemic has exacerbated the economic precarity of rural America. Many rural and small towns were still struggling to recover from the last recession, and are now fighting for economic survival amid this one. As these communities grapple with unprecedented job losses, small business closures, and crumbling infrastructure, their recovery requires coordinated relief firstRead more

With 2020 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to reflect on the events and lessons the year has had for all of us. Of course, it’s likely that you have some desire to forget rather than reflect. Tempting as that may be, the end of 2020 won’t bring the end of COVID or economic instability.Read more

As the nation’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks concentrated in remote rural towns this fall, the geographic isolation once thought to shield them from the pandemic swiftly transitioned into a severe disadvantage. Rural communities and the small businesses and residents within them faced overlapping, systemic challenges entering this crisis. Rural residents—particularly Black, Native American, and Latino orRead more

Shoptimism is a term being used to describe purchases made from home during the pandemic. You are stuck at home and suddenly begin to see every flaw, paint chip and cluttered closet. So, you buy things to fix the situation—or you buy things to make you feel better about it. When consumers buy things theyRead more

The COVID small business crisis and prolonged and uneven, inflicting a disproportionate toll on microbusinesses in underserved communities that are the lifeblood of their local economies. While much attention has been paid to small business closures in urban communities across the country, the same dynamic is unfolding in underserved rural areas, with dire consequences. StillRead more

Jennifer James Autin was recently named the new Executive Director of the Rayne Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture during its December Board of Directors’ meeting. Autin has been serving as the Business Development Coordinator for nearly a year and shares her excitement to move to this new position. Autin grew up in Rayne, graduated fromRead more

There have been two large changes to loans offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). If your business utilized a loan from the SBA, check out these two changes to see if your loan qualifies in the changes: 1)    Paycheck Protection Program loan expense deductions changed by recent Omnibus bill:  A brief from the Congressional Research Service,Read more

LAFAYETTE, La. – One Acadiana (1A) and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at UL Lafayette (Blanco Center) have signed an agreement to form a strategic partnership to advance the two organizations’ shared missions. Both organizations are engaged on work to improve the policy environment at the local, regional, and state level, and thisRead more