At city hall last Tuesday, business-minded community members gathered for the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (E3) Workshop hosted by the Eagle River Revitalization Program (ERRP) and Main Street America.
As part of ERRP’s ongoing efforts to support local entrepreneurs and businesses, the workshop aims to assess and strengthen the “entrepreneurial ecosystem” in Eagle River.
While ERRP Executive Director Karen Margelofsky acknowledged that the E3 terminology might be unfamiliar to some, the ideas behind it — community support, access to resources, and collaborative growth — are already in action across Eagle River, so much so that Eagle River was recently named Main Street of the Year by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
Still, as Margelofsky said, “there’s always room for improvement.”
When Errin Welty, WEDC senior director of downtown development and manager of the Main Street program, asked Margelofsky if she wanted to do an E3 workshop locally, she jumped at the opportunity.
The workshop was a day-long event, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a presentation about the E3 process.
Joi Cuartero Austin and Jonathan Stone led the presentation. Both are from Main Street America, a national organization that helps communities revitalize their downtowns and commercial districts, and both are from out of state – Austin from Illinois and Stone from Arizona.
Austin, who spent the weekend here, said she immediately had a positive impression of Eagle River.
“I think sometimes it’s hard when you’re born and raised or a resident — you don’t always view your community through the eyes of a tourist and see the assets here,” she said. “But Eagle River has a great business mix and very few vacancies.”
She also highlighted the community’s understanding and promotion of its natural assets, such as snowmobiling and lakes, and the support already given to entrepreneurs through programs like ERRP’s Young Entrepreneur Market.
“Eagle River has a lot of foundational things in place already,” Austin said. “So let’s take stock of all of those assets for small business owners and then see what the next step is to support entrepreneurs.”
After explaining Main Street America’s entrepreneurial ecosystem framework, which consists of money, positive culture, regulation, networking and relationships, talent pool, and education and training, Austin opened up the conversation to the room.
Participants, which included residents, city officials, volunteers, and business owners, shared how they support entrepreneurs and what they hope to learn and accomplish.
Robin Ginner, Eagle River’s city and zoning administrator, described how close collaboration with ERRP helps create a welcoming environment for businesses, old and new.
“We work with the revitalization program quite heavily,” Ginner said. “And I also sit on the Economic Vitality Committee, so I’ve got my finger on the pulse of what’s happening in our business community. Then, when entrepreneurs come to me for zoning permits, I know who they are and how I can help them.”
Brian Showers, a new full-time resident and former business owner, attended the workshop because he’s considering a future venture in the area. He praised the cooperative spirit in Eagle River and expressed excitement about becoming more involved locally.
“I just started getting plugged into what’s happening in Eagle River,” he said. “And I was pleasantly surprised at the level of activity and the efforts of [Margelofsky] and others. On the business front, it’s exciting. I met a lot of the business owners, and they’re very supportive of each other. So I think there’s a lot of great opportunities here.”
A recurring theme was the need for stronger relationships between businesses and support organizations.
Margelofsky said that while education and resources are available, the challenge lies in getting busy entrepreneurs to slow down, seek help, and take advantage of training opportunities.
“I can’t believe how many people I talk to who don’t want to admit they’re struggling. Every business struggles,” Margelofsky said.
Showers related to that, explaining how starting his former wedding venue business felt like “building an airplane mid-flight.” What helped most was finding local support resources and having access to someone who could answer questions and offer guidance.
“Finding a community with a conduit or a resource liaison that raises their hand and says, ‘I’m here’... you don’t find that in every community,” he said. “And again, I’m finding it here, which is super important.”
Another topic brought up by Margelofsky was how to support home-based entrepreneurs who want to remain flexible while contributing to and growing within the community.
“She doesn’t want to be a brick and mortar,” Margelofsky said, referring to an area woman who runs her business out of her home but is looking for community involvement. “We’ve got to get her in a more visible area, but she has her clients, and it’s working for her. So it caught me off guard…what is she asking me, and how can we help her?”
Markets such as farmers’ markets are often helpful for visibility, and participants also suggested connecting home-based entrepreneurs with businesses that allow vendor products in-store and partnering with fair committees.
Overcoming regulation barriers was another topic, with the group discussing instances where zoning codes inadvertently hindered small-scale manufacturers or food truck entrepreneurs from operating within desired areas.
Other challenges included the seasonal nature of the local economy, attracting and retaining new businesses, and ensuring the entrepreneurial ecosystem is inclusive and accessible to all community members.
“We don’t want to lose those institutional businesses that have been around for a long time,” Austin said. “But we also need to modernize enough so a new generation can step in.”
Following the presentation, Margelofsky led the Main Street America representatives on a driving tour of the city, emphasizing the importance of a community-wide approach to supporting entrepreneurship rather than focusing solely on the business district.
After a lunch break, they headed downtown to speak with business owners, including stops at The Hiker Box, Hooked and Tagged, Roots, Breakaway Sports, and Andy’s Pontoon Saloon, which was recently awarded a Best New Business Award from the WEDC.
At The Hiker Box, an outdoor gear and camping retail business, Tom Stephens, who owns the store with his wife, discussed his 11 years in business, including how it evolved, his approach to staffing and employee engagement, challenges faced due to seasonal fluctuations and industry trends, and the resources and support he utilizes, such as grants and community partnerships.
“It takes community and business involvement to make it happen. It’s not going to happen by magic,” he said.
It’s also not going to happen overnight. Austin said this work isn’t about imposing long-term plans but helping Eagle River businesses take the next actionable steps with the tools and talent they already have.
To identify areas where improvement is needed, ERRP conducted a business survey to gather more input directly from small business owners.
“We’ll be getting more survey input, and then we’ll be meeting virtually with [Austin and Stone] from Main Street America,” Margelofsky said. “They want to meet about four times virtually to discuss what areas we’re missing or need to improve. This is just the first step in the process.”
Overall, the workshop had a sense of optimism and momentum. With dedicated community members, continued collaboration, and support from statewide and national organizations, businesses in Eagle River will continue to thrive.
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