Home-based businesses are an integral part of daily life in our community. They create jobs, help families build a future with self-employment, and increase the tax base for local services. Technical assistance, job training, and financial guidance provide home-based businesses owners with skills for success.

Goals

• Coconino County has a thriving home-based local industry specializing in home energy / water efficiency auditing, consulting and retrofitting.
• Health care options for local entrepreneurs are available and affordable.
• Resource-efficient solutions for home-based businesses are encouraged rather than discouraged by zoning ordinances and other regulatory mechanisms in both the city and county.
• A culture of entrepreneurship exists in area schools from grade school through college.
• A business development collaborative coordinates efforts among the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Greater Flagstaff Economic Council (GFEC), Northern Arizona Technology and Business Incubator (NATBI), Basic Business Empowerment program from the Coconino County Community Services Department (CCCS-BBE), the Coconino County Career Center (CCCC), and the City of Flagstaff Community Investment Division (CCCI).
• Well-organized information, assistance and guidelines are readily available for aspiring home-based entrepreneurs.
• A one-stop entity provides information and support to facilitate access to reasonable financing for home-based entrepreneurs.

Strategies

• Convene a Home Efficiency Research Team to explore energy/water efficiency improvement business opportunities.
• Contact the Health Care Group of Arizona to coordinate with SEDI for outreach to home-based industries and entrepreneurs.
• Encourage the Coconino Board of Supervisors and Flagstaff City Council to allow “granny flats” and “mother-in-law rentals” and other resource-efficient solutions for affordable workforce housing.
• Support sustainability/entrepreneurship clubs, organizations and programs in the schools by developing presentations that promote opportunities in home-based industry.
• Convene a meeting of the heads of SBDC, GFEC, NATBI, CCCS-BBE, CCCC, and CCCI to work to coordinate services to home-based industries.

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