ABSTRACT
Population declines with growing numbers of elderly residents will reshape the future of many small rural communities that have already experienced population losses and economic stagnation. The economic environment will mean that some of these communities will need to find new ways of financing small businesses and public services. Maintaining these businesses and services will be even more important in the future to help maintain the communities as suitable places to live. One of the more successful strategies has involved residents investing to reopen or retain establishments about to close due to owner retirements. The residents pool their funds, rehab the business, and then hire a manager to operate it. The businesses are designed to be economically sustainable without continued investments by residents, which distinguishes a community-supported enterprise or community-owned business from a social enterprise that sells a product to advance its social mission. This chapter illustrates ways in which community-supported or -owned businesses have been used to finance both private and public goods and services around the world. While specifics of the ventures may differ, they all involve local contributions of time and money by residents plus they have a clear social mission such as promoting local social capital or community betterment.
