Nashville entrepreneurs want more efforts to improve quality of life
3 min read
Recently EO Nashville members, leaders and founders gathered to celebrate the organization’s 30th anniversary, raising a glass to the entrepreneurs driving our business community.
The celebration coincided with a pivotal time of transition for our city, and coincidentally fell close to the same time we survey our membership on the opportunities and challenges of being an entrepreneur in Nashville.
Collectively, EO Nashville members employ 15,000 people, with chapter sales totaling $3.9 billion. EO Nashville is the largest EO chapter in the U.S., the third largest in the world, and have the most female members of any EO chapter in the United States.
We poll our members every four years and always share the results with our mayor and city leaders. This latest survey includes input from more than 60 business owners on a variety of issues that impact our community, providing insight on the positives and pain points of being a business owner in Nashville.
Nashville is promising for entrepreneurs, but improvements could be made
The results of this survey show about 54% of survey respondents have a positive outlook on the city’s future as they grow their businesses, and they believe Nashville is moving in the right direction.
Many consider the city’s entrepreneurial spirit the top advantage of being an entrepreneur in Nashville, and they believe its vibrant economy and network of business owners are valuable assets. Additionally, only 12% had a negative outlook when it came to how they predict their business to perform this year.
When asked about the city’s top issues, EO Nashville members mirrored the concerns of many Nashvillians, who believe affordable housing, transit and improving public education top the list. The members also consider these same issues the top three constraints to growing their business.
In addition to weighing in on the direction our city is moving in and their business outlook for the rest of 2024, respondents also shared ideas on several topics that matter most for our city, including affordable housing, transit, education, quality of life, economic development, business and government. A few of those comments include:
- Create affordable housing in each of our neighborhoods, not just some of them.
- Focus on smart traffic lights, more sidewalks and walkability and smart parking meters to help with traffic and transit woes.
- Incentivize banks and credit unions to lend to Nashvillians who want to start a small business and do everything possible to broaden access to capital.
- Promote the good things happening in Metro Nashville Public Schools and invest in schools and students.
- Ask companies moving to Nashville or expanding here to help pay for the infrastructure needed to support our city’s growth, such as more affordable housing, education and transportation options.
- Learn from successful area nonprofits who are developing programs to address issues like poverty and homelessness.
- Nashville should consider smart city technologies for efficient urban planning and use Internet of things (IoT) devices to keep an eye on traffic, buses, trash collection, and how much energy we are using.
Nashville’s efficiency and culture drives entrepreneurship
When asked what makes Nashville special, comments included:
- Nashville’s regional cooperation makes it unique and attractive. People typically work well together in the spirit of we all win together.
- Nashville’s strategic location offers competitive advantages, especially for the manufacturing sector, with its convergence of interstate highways, a rail system hub, and an international airport. This infrastructure, combined with a supportive regulatory and tax climate, provides an optimal environment for a range of industries.
- Our city offers an exceptional quality of life. The friendly community, diverse recreational opportunities, and generally affordable cost of living contribute to a well-rounded lifestyle that entrepreneurs and their teams can appreciate.
- The creative energy and richness of culture that permeates the city inspires innovation and out-of-the-box thinking, key components for entrepreneurial success.
These are just a few of the great ideas and comments shared. Our EO Nashville members are a bold and innovative group making things happen in our city. We could not imagine a better anniversary gift from our entrepreneurs to our community than providing insights that we can all benefit from.
Sameera Lowe is executive director of EO Nashville. Under her leadership, the chapter has become the largest in the nation. Richard Moscardelli is president of EO Nashville’s board of directors and a partner at 615 Real Property.
link
