A strong local economy doesn’t always begin with a corporation or large employer. Sometimes, it starts with one person who decides to open a bakery, design jewelry or sell homemade candles.That grassroots level of entrepreneurship was the focus of “Refreshing Our Focus on Local: Supporting Microbusinesses for Thriving Community,” presented by Marci Goodwin and Leigh Ann Brown during the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference in Excelsior Springs. The session challenged city leaders, chambers and Main Street directors who manage local downtown revitalization programs to rethink the approach to economic development by focusing on the smallest businesses – those often run out of kitchens, garages or spare rooms.The session took place inside the renovated Wine & Shine storefront on Thompson Avenue, a space restored as part of Excelsior Springs’ downtown revitalization.“We’re SmartStart Business Developme...