A community-based organization called the Arkansas Human Development Corporation (AHDC) is bridging resource gaps in rural communities to help small business owners access resources, grow and innovate.
AHDC was founded 52 years ago to provide workforce development services to farm workers displaced by industrialization. Over the years, the organization has expanded into housing development, entrepreneurship resources, health outreach and more. Today it hosts conferences throughout the state to bring rural business owners together so they can network, learn from each other and access local financial resources and opportunities.
“A lot of times, small business owners just don’t have the time to run their businesses, take care of their employees and products and then go out of the area to seek those resources,” said Clevon Young, executive director of AHDC, on the Rural Business Show. “Community-based organizations stepped in [to close] the gap for them in many instances.”
Young has been with AHDC for nearly four decades. He grew up in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas (population: 9,149), a small rural community on the Mississippi River, where he witnessed rural depopulation in real time. This motivated Young to get involved with community-based organizations making positive change in rural towns like AHDC.
“I now see it as part of my mission and calling,” Young said.
The Power of Collaboration
AHDC’s mission is rooted in collaboration and that’s what has made the organization so successful, according to Young. “We try to make certain that we are interactive, that we’re participatory, that we reach out to our community partners and other nonprofit organizations,” he said.
Most recently, the agency hosted the Northwest Arkansas Hybrid Rural Business Development Conference, in partnership with the Arkansas Small Business & Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), the Arkansas Business Navigator Program, the U.S. Small Business Administration and FORGE Community Loan Fund. The event brought 20 cross-sector organizations together to share strategies, resources and opportunities with local business owners, who can then bring those ideas and resources back to their communities. After the event, AHDC also provided follow-up media to help generate additional interest.
The conference included a lenders roundtable, featuring a full range of lenders, from traditional to micro to SBA specialty. Representatives discussed strategies for business owners to approach lenders and build relationships, as well as unique, under-the-radar opportunities for funding. “Our whole effort there is to try and build relationships and connections, so that people lose that fear of approaching financial institutions,” Young said.
AHDC events also serve as a platform to help business owners connect, exchange ideas and amplify their reach. For example, the owners of Delta Dirt Distillery, a family-owned vodka distillery in Helena-West Helena, spoke at a past AHDC conference to share their story and best practices with other entrepreneurs. The event helped facilitate new connections for the distillery, which resulted in more foot traffic and tourism around the distillery, local media coverage and more. Now the business is expanding and adding a restaurant next door.
Strategies for Success in Rural Arkansas
Based on his experience working in rural communities around the state, Young told listeners the most effective way to empower local businesses is by forming a core team of community leaders who can work on local issues, attend state meetings and seek out resources. This strategy has helped rural communities address infrastructure issues, crime, resource development and community engagement.
“Being collaborative, and being innovative, creative and willing to venture out and bring resources back into the community is a big plus,” he said.
Learn More
Visit arhdc.org or call 501-374-1103 to learn more about AHDC’s work in Arkansas and upcoming events.
Listen to the full interview here and connect with listeners of the Rural Business Show on X and Facebook.
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