Unconventional Thinkers: Michael Shuman
Jan 26th, 2009 | By Dawn Rivers Baker | Category: Unconventional ThinkersIt often seems that economic development goals and initiatives conflict with economic policy goals and initiatives, because the goal of developing self-sufficient, sustainable local and regional economies does not satisfy the goal of simply growing the economy. That is why, while it is impossible to develop an economy without spurring growth, it is possible to have economic growth without the development of self-sufficient, sustainable regional economies. We do it all the time.
I recently got a chance to talk about this sort of thing with Michael Shuman, author of The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating The Global Competition. During our conversation, we talked about an intriguing idea to help capitalize microbusinesses in those local economies: adjust SEC rules to waive reporting requirements for micros issuing small stock and to allow small, local stock exchanges to be started around the country. That would certainly solve the perpetual access to capital issues that plague would-be microbusiness owners with great ideas and no money.
