Small Nation

Small Nation is what every town in America needs....a group of young, enregetic professionals working with local entrepreneurs and business leaders to create a climate downtown that encourages small business growth and expansion. The transformation of downtown Bellefontaine the past few years is nothing short of remarkable and most of that credit goes to Jason Duff and his team at Small Nation!

Small Nation has done great things for the City of Bellefontaine, from their revitalization efforts to developing and building up small businesses and business owners. Perhaps even more importantly, they are open to sharing their vast knowledge of developing downtowns with small towns and cities across the country. It's great to see such a community-minded organization reaching out to other communities to help them succeed.

Small Nation has been great to work with while they have revitalized our downtown. I truly appreciate the opportunities and support they give to Bellefontaine entrepreneurs and business owners. It is exciting to see all of the hard work paying off.

Small Nation is revitalizing Bellefontaine into a prosperous collection of buildings, businesses and people that make this community home. Small Nation's successful strategy energizes public and private partnerships that are essential to the process.

Small Nation has quite literally changed our small town, Bellefontaine. From infrastructure improvements to smart acquisitions and start-up incubation to turning the tide on a community culture that once had its challenges. In the early 2000s, the consensus was that small towns are dying. Perhaps there was statistical truth to that sentiment. However, Bellefontaine has beaten the odds thanks to Small Nation and so many local leaders at the City, Chamber, and hard-working business owners.

At Hickory Medical Direct Primary Care, we have appreciated Small Nation's guidance through the design and renovation of our office space and their ongoing support as our practice has expanded. We are excited to be a part of Small Nation's efforts to revitalize West Columbus Avenue. Thanks for helping to bring back downtown Bellefontaine.

Small Nation may be small but MIGHTY! They are a group of young entrepreneurs who take older historic buildings (that are generally vacant) and renovate them to suit their new tenants. They then attract and encourage businesses to locate in this amazing new space. As a result of their efforts, Bellefontaine is a destination for visitors who may be looking for an interesting place for a cup of coffee, lunch or dinner, a cold draft beer, a sweet treat or time to browse unique boutique shops. Additionally, our downtown now is home to a family practice physician, yoga studios, indoor golf center, a brewery second floor loft apartments. Businesses like Six Hundred Downtown Pizza and Brewfontaine have received state-wide recognition for their unique menus. Small Nation has developed a unique relationship with the city’s administration with countless examples of public-private partnerships. SMALL NATION has earned the gratitude of our community and the envy of other towns.

The energy, drive, and innovation that is present in this group is intoxicating. A business member of the downtown Bellefontaine project I have been blown away by the cooperation, the support, and ultimately their ability to tap into the vision and passion of their clients. Starting or expanding a business is a scary and daunting task, but when you have a team behind you, that understands the market, the customer base, and the complexities of the project the impossible becomes possible. What I witness taking place in Bellefontaine due to their revitalization efforts is nothing short of amazing!