ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — In 2016, MBA students from Texas State University performed a study in Round Rock to provide recommendations on how the city could attract more businesses to open shop. But that was eight years ago, and the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce is now performing a new study to learn what it can do attract and retain start-ups, scale-ups, and innovative small businesses.
The study started with a town hall in the city’s downtown full of the local business community. It was not marketed as a lecture, but actually a chance for local business owners to tell leaders what they need to help their business grow.
“It’s not enough for us to do a literature review, or see what we can find online, or use Chat GPT to tell us. We wanted to hear from the individuals themselves,” Lauren Postler, a consultant hired by the chamber of commerce to help conduct the study, explained.
Postler said Round Rock already has great industry partners like Dell, Army Futures Command, and a new Life Sciences Innovation hub opening at the Texas State University Round Rock campus, but this study can help them identify what other industries are already working in the city.
And it’s a great opportunity for business owners to tell leaders what resources they really need. Postler used the term “parent-preneurs” as an example of someone who may need more resources than the average start-up.
Marsha Stephanson is one of those “parent-preneurs” who found success. She is an Air Force veteran, and a mom, who discovered there was not enough resources for women experiencing postpartum depression.
She started Cater to Mom, a subscription box service that shares resources with moms who are experiencing postpartum depression. “We want to make sure mom is taken care of for however long she needs the support,” Stephanson explained.
She recalls the struggles she faced when first starting out. “I didn’t know what was available in the Austin area to start my business,” Stephanson said. Funding is another issue she and other businesses face as well.
But six years later she has seen amazing growth, reaching clients all across the United States. She was invited to the chamber’s town hall event to act as a sort of mentor for other business owners and entrepreneurs in the crowd.
People were split up into small groups where they were able to share their thoughts on what they wanted to see to help them grow their business. Stephanson was there to listen and write down their concerns and recommendations.
“I’m your waiter. I need to hear what you guys need,” Stephanson told her small group.
The Chamber is sending out surveys to other businesses in the area for the next month. The goal at the end of this is to give the Chamber, city, and county a list of steps it can take to attract and retain Round Rock’s future businesses.
