When small business owners find themselves facing uncertainty, there are a number of ways they can choose to respond. They might wait to see how the situation plays out for others around them before taking action. They may decide to pivot away from an aspect of their operations. They might make adaptations to keep their business afloat. Or they may partner up with others across their network of relations to find solutions together.
In our towns and villages across Southeast Alaska, adapting and partnering up are often connected solutions that entrepreneurs turn to in times of change. When a record-breaking storm brings disaster relief crews from out of town, a local coworking space serves as a makeshift home base. When a late shipping barge delays a shipment of restaurant supplies, chefs connect on their town’s Facebook group to share resources. When a rental unit finds itself inundated with floodwater, a neighborhood mutual aid network steps in to muck it out.
At Spruce Root’s Master Class for Entrepreneurs last month, a group of small business owners gathered in Juneau to share these stories of partnership through change and grow skills to better prepare themselves for facing future unknowns.
Over three days, regional experts spoke with participants about climate resiliency, regional economic trends, small business financing options, and practical applications of AI. Participants mapped out the ecosystems their businesses exist within and the factors that shape them. And they connected while drafting commitments to themselves, their communities, and the work that drives them.
Throughout the course, a common theme emerged: when we partner up to adapt together in the face of changes to our environments, economies, and communities, we experience a collective power that buoys us through times of uncertainty.
This culture of interwoven support is not new to our communities; it has been passed down through generational knowledge that connects us through a common love for place. And it is a compass to guide us through the myriad challenges we face in our rapidly changing world.
In times of urgency, it is often important to slow down before taking action. Those of us who have experienced small business ownership know it can be challenging to find time to step back from the daily grind and reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go. It is in these moments when we slow down, though, that we are able to see our paths more clearly and invest in the changes we want to make.
Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa, Nt’oyaxsnn to all of our participants and facilitators who slowed down to share their time with us at Master Class. We are grateful to learn from you and for the creativity you brought to our gathering.
We would also like to extend our thanks to partners from Rain Coast Data, Alaska Small Business Development Center, Alaska Climate Research Center, and Rural Community Assistance Corp for facilitating lectures and leading meaningful conversations around their areas of expertise. We are also grateful to Sealaska for hosting us at their recently renovated event space in downtown Juneau.
Interested in joining us at a future workshop? Check out upcoming offerings and other opportunities to get involved here.
