The parish announced May 26 that Nicole Barraco will serve as the parish’s first Business Engagement Specialist, a role designed to strengthen relationships with small and local businesses, connect owners with resources and increase visibility for businesses throughout the parish.
Francesca Blanchard, a spokesperson for the parish, said the administration pushed for the new role because it saw a need among small businesses in the parish.
“We have the relationships with our industry and larger businesses in the parish, but we’ve really seen that our small businesses could use some assistance,” Blanchard said. “It’s almost like a concierge position. We want to make sure that small and homegrown businesses are getting what they need from us to be successful and to thrive here in St. Charles Parish.”
Barraco will work within the parish’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism to build relationships with small business owners and guide them through permitting, sales tax and other processes. She said her first-year goals include visiting businesses throughout the parish, meeting owners, learning about their needs and connecting them with available resources.
Those conversations will help shape future programs and services, Barraco said.
“I think the biggest thing is going to be us going out and meeting with the businesses, introducing ourselves, having the conversations, seeing what their needs are,” Barraco said. “It’ll give us a better idea of what it is exactly that businesses are needing.”
The parish plans to launch monthly training sessions in partnership with the Small Business Development Center. The trainings will be offered on both the East and West banks and will be open to existing business owners as well as residents considering starting a business.
“A lot of business owners are focused on the day-to-day operations, and they don’t really have time for research,” Barraco said. “But if we can push out that, ‘hey, we have this training available,’ it may spark them to be like, ‘oh wait, I could really benefit from attending that.’”
Barraco said one of the main challenges facing local businesses in the parish is visibility.
“We’re really working diligently on updating our business directory so that we have accurate information for residents and potential customers to be able to find and access them,” she said. “That’s been a big project so far.”
She also plans to spotlight the small businesses throughout the parish and help residents discover products and services available close to home. The parish already highlights businesses through social media posts, photos and videos, but officials said they plan to expand those efforts.
“You don’t necessarily know everything that’s out there, especially if you’re from the East Bank. You may not know what’s on the West Bank and vice versa,” Barraco said. “Maybe you don’t have to drive to the neighboring parishes to get what you need. It might be right here.”
Barraco brings both government and private-sector experience to the role. She has worked for the parish since 2017, most recently in the grants office, where she gained experience navigating regulations, compliance requirements and government processes.
“Hopefully if there’s any issues and business owners need to work with different departments, maybe I can serve as a liaison there,” she said.
Before joining parish government, Barraco managed multiple Smoothie King locations, giving her firsthand experience with the challenges of operating a business. She also briefly owned an insurance business in Jefferson Parish.
That experience inspired her interest in the new position.
“I would have really benefited from the guidance and the resources that we’re hoping to provide to our small businesses,” Barraco said. “There are some things you don’t know until you know, and sometimes it’s a little too late.”
Charles Delancey, owner of Brooke’s Sno-World Boutte, said operating a business in St. Charles Parish presents unique challenges.
“Thinking holistically, considering the surrounding areas like Terrebonne Parish, Lafourche Parish, Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish and the Baton Rouge parishes, these parishes individually average 100,000-plus residents per parish,” Delancey said.
St. Charles Parish’s population is about 50,400. The Census Bureau estimates the population fell about 4.1 percent between 2020 and 2024.
“It’s a very small margin of traffic compared to larger parishes,” Delancey said.
Despite those challenges, Delancey said there are significant advantages to doing business in the parish.
“With the support of our plants and refineries and their global reach, our base median household income well exceeds our surrounding parishes,” Delancey said. “With our median age range of 39, we are also still a young and growing community.”
Barraco said one of the goals of the new position is to encourage commuters to support local businesses while they are in the parish.
“We only have so many residents in the parish, but we do have a lot of people that commute into the parish for work,” Barraco said. “You’re on your way to work, on your way home. Stop by and visit one of our businesses. You can get lunch, you can get an outfit, you can get your groceries, whatever it is you need.”
Blanchard said the parish’s Economic Development Department is working closely with Louisiana Economic Development and other regional organizations to address challenges associated with population loss.
“It’s definitely something as a state that’s been a hot topic lately,” she said. “We’re definitely working with those other entities to combat whatever economic issues that can come with population loss.”
Blanchard said the parish is here to help small businesses and not make things more difficult or create hoops to jump through.
“We obviously laws and code that we have to abide by, but we’re here to help them navigate that process so that they feel less alone,” she said. “Starting a business can feel very confusing. I mean, this is people’s hard-earned money that they are investing and putting into hope and a dream. And we want to make sure that they feel supported and a part of this community. We’re going to try to be a resource in any way possible.”
Barraco said one of her long-term goals is for business owners to view the Economic Development Department as a trusted partner.
“I hope in five years that Economic Development is a place where potential business owners or existing business owners know they can go to when they do run into issues,” she said.
Business owners interested in connecting with the Barraco can reach her at 985-783-5140.