CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — brightcove.createExperiences();
New job numbers reveal 103,000 jobs were added nationally in September, but the nation's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1 percent.
The reality is many of the jobs that have been lost in the economic downturn are not coming back.
Charlotte appears to be in a unique position. In the last five years, 99 percent of the jobs created have been created by small businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce said the numbers are good, but the city has got to step it up.
At a special summit for entrepreneurs in uptown, the chamber got direct feedback from business owners and self-starters about what the city needs to do to enhance their growth. One of the major needs expressed was for more opportunities to partner with large corporations.
"A large corporation should be willing to extend their resources -- both financial, social and entrepreneurial, but also cultural -- to foster the ecosystem to make small companies more successful," said Abhi Mehta, who owns a data analysis company called Tresata.
Chamber CEO Bob Morgan said the goal is to connect small business with large companies and capital. Morgan said the city must also transform its business mindset.
"We celebrate companies that are recruited from elsewhere. We have significant success in that area," Morgan said. "We can do a better job of celebrating the entrepreneurial element in our community."
The chamber plans to discuss the ideas that come out of the summit during its annual retreat next week. Before the end of the year, the chamber said it will have a concrete action plan on how to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in 2012.