Montgomery Unveils Business Boost Program

The village of Montgomery is trying out a new way to connect with businesses, and help them connect with customers.

It’s called Business Boost, and on Tuesday, Assistant Village Administrator Jamie Belongia explained the ins and outs to local business leaders at the Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon. The Business Boost program is geared toward forging bonds with existing businesses, and welcoming new ones, she said.

Belongia started by acknowledging that the village is in a bit of a paradox – they’re trying to be business-friendly, but they’re also the ones enforcing codes and issuing fines when those codes are violated. The Business Boost program, she said, is a way of reaching out to businesses in town, and showing that the village is more than just rules and regulations.

The program has three different parts, with different objectives.

Business Bonding: This is geared toward existing businesses, and gives them a chance to connect with village leaders, Belongia said. Business owners who sign up on the village website will get a Business Bonding meeting with staff members. They’ll talk with business owners, hear their concerns and work to address them, Belongia said, and in the process become better acquainted with the business community.

Business Breakthrough: This is aimed at new businesses in town, but is pretty similar to Business Bonding. Owners of new businesses can sign up online and get a meeting with village staff, to introduce themselves and to talk about any concerns they may have. Staff will use this opportunity to make sure new businesses know all they need to about village codes, Belongia said.

Business Broadcast: This is essentially a portion of the village website dedicated to business news, but it will also spotlight individual businesses who apply online. Residents can sign up to the Business Broadcast and get it sent directly to their email inboxes.

The village kicked off the program last month, and on May 1 had their first Business Breakthrough meeting with the owners of the new on Douglas Road.

Belongia said staff has been getting some pushback from businesses, some asking why this initiative is happening now, and some relating bad experiences with the village in the past. But she said the idea is to open up these lines of communication, and fix those problems.

She emphasized that businesses who want in on the program will have to sign up online. This, she said, avoids any sense of favoritism.

Check out the village website for more details on the Business Boost program.