Small Business Development Along the Blue Line in Prince George’s County

Abstract

For our Public Policy Senior Capstone, this report analyzes how the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) can help build an ecosystem of support for local small businesses in Prince George’s County’s Blue Line Corridor. Specifically, our team focused on how to ensure local small businesses in the Capitol Heights and Seat Pleasant areas could stay and thrive amid incoming development. To explore this issue, we surveyed small businesses in Capitol Heights and Seat Pleasant to determine the issues they’re currently experiencing, the resources they can access, and further support they need. We determined that these businesses primarily need assistance with marketing and employment. This capstone project used background research, surveys/interviews, and data analysis to determine the best methods to support small businesses. It recommends that Prince George’s County government highlight these businesses through social media, newsletters, mail flyers, and Yellow Pages; address staffing issues by improving access to workforce systems, job recruiters, and grant programs; and that LISC helps facilitate and inform the creation of community development/business improvement organizations that lead to relationship building and resource allocation among local small businesses.