Main Street businesses across the state need to tell their story if they are to stay competitive with larger retailers, according to the state's new regional Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Administrator, Aikta Marcoulier.
"Out of every dollar that's been in a community, 68 cents out of that dollar stays in the community. When a big box store comes in, that money goes away. So, we have to tell the story and talk about the impact that one small business on that Main Street makes," Marcoulier said.
Prior to coming to South Dakota's SBA, Marcoulier was the director of a small business development center in Colorado Springs.
While the SBA administrator role is political, Marcoulier said she is not a politician. She took the position a few months ago after a decade of working to help small businesses get off the ground and grow.
"I am not in this position because I want to be a politician," Marcoulier said. "I'm in the position because this was the next level of supporting small businesses, and I've been doing it for 10 years."
Marcoulier is in South Dakota this week talking with small business leaders about new growth and expansion tactics. She'll also talk with female business owners about their unique challenges.
Learn more about Marcoulier and the SBA by clicking here.
