By Jules Block, Owner, Bark Slope
Starting and maintaining a successful business is no small feat — even in bustling Brooklyn. Our borough is known for its vibrant neighborhoods and entrepreneurial spirit, but it’s also home to numerous challenges for aspiring small business owners. High operating costs and a complex regulatory environment can be both time-consuming and costly to navigate. Small businesses like mine face these and any number of other hurdles every day.
One innovative initiative that has proven to be a game-changer for small businesses is LinkNYC, the kiosks on blocks throughout the city that offer free Wi-Fi and quick connections to public services. Through LinkNYC’s LinkLocal program, I advertise my small business, Bark Slope, across LinkNYC screens in my community for free to drive more customers to my store and ultimately increase my bottom line. I feel grateful for Bark Slope’s decades-long run, but the margins in any retail business are always thin, especially when major online retailers relentlessly threaten to pull customers away.
The opportunity to advertise for free in my neighborhood — where community members support small, local businesses whenever they can — has made life as a business owner in Brooklyn much easier.
Beyond promoting Bark Slope, LinkNYC is now my go-to source for information about my community. I learned about the deadline for applications to join my local community board through a LinkNYC ad. Empowered by the information I read on a screen near my business, I eagerly applied and was thrilled to be named a new member of Community Board 6, serving the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, the Columbia Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Red Hook. LinkNYC has an incredible potential to foster civic engagement and encourage active participation in shaping the city we love and are lucky to call home.
LinkNYC is now embarking on the next phase of their work to improve the lives of everyday New Yorkers through the deployment of their new Link5G smart poles. This upgraded street furniture provides the same free Wi-Fi, free phone calls, and free connection to critical public services as the original LinkNYC kiosks but comes with the added capability to enable 5G internet connectivity for my neighbors and fellow small business owners. Our elected leaders now have the unique opportunity to champion a program that uplifts small businesses, fosters community growth, and shrinks our city’s digital divide by supporting the Link5G rollout.
In a city where every advertising dollar counts for small businesses and where community engagement in local issues is paramount, LinkNYC has proven to be a lifeline for entrepreneurs like me. I know firsthand how LinkNYC can help small business owners thrive, enhance local economic viability, and strengthen the social fabric of our neighborhoods. I urge elected officials at all levels of government to support LinkNYC — to embrace innovation, amplify local voices, and create a stronger, more vibrant New York City for all.
