Economic Development Initiative (EDI) - The EDI has three basic goals in mind:

1. To support local businesses,

2. To bring needed services to Town, and

3. To enhance and stabilize the tax base.

Economic Development Signage Available to Local Businesses

Over the past few years, the Town Council has sought new ways to support local businesses and recently we have unveiled our newest initiative with some spiffy economic development (ED) signage. These red and white signs, which have been installed along our major highways, provide directional information to local businesses which are somewhat off the beaten path. It is expected that these signs will make it easier for people (especially out-of-towners) to find and patronize local businesses. Businesses that wish to obtain ED signage should contact Ann-Marie Ignasher, Town Planner, at 391-9203, or email her at aignasher@townoffoster.com.

Click here for RI Economic Development information and upcoming workshops

Foster Yellow Pages

If you're looking for a local business, you might find just what you need on the Foster Yellow pages where local business are listed by category in the traditional "yellow pages" format. The Town encourages everyone to help support our local businesses throughout the year by shoppig, eating out, and doing business close to home. You can find a listing of Foster businesses by clicking on the link in the gray bar located on the left side of this page. Businesses wishing to be added to the Foster Yellow Pages should email their information to jlewis@townoffoster.com and we will get you listed in a jiffy.

Want to start a Business? The Secretary of State's office has made it easier to find out how to go about it and has put all the forms you need in a forms library--click here.

May 20, 2009 Small Business News Alert: Interest-free loan program from SBA for "tough economic times" for information click here.

January 9, 2008 Small Business Seminars
"Every Business Counts" brought to you be RIEDC and Foster EDI

One important direction of this initiative has been to bring Economic Development seminars into Town for the benefit of local businesses. Our first such seminar was held on the ninth of January when 48 people crammed into the Foster Center Volunteer Fire Station to hear representatives of the RI Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) present their “Every Business Counts” seminar. Topics covered that day included an over view of RIEDC services, small business loans, marketing, and the move to bring broadband infrastructure into Town. Five representatives from RIEDC, two representatives from the Secretary of State’s Office and five representatives from the Town Government and 36 business people were in attendance. The Town was happy to unveil the new Town website and the Foster Yellow Pages. The seminar was by all accounts a great success.