Robin Helfand says the Berkshires are a mecca for small, independent businesses to develop and thrive.

She owns Robin’s Candy Shop in Great Barrington and just opened a second retail store called You Are Here – Robin’s Finds from the Berkshires and Beyond. She also works as a consultant for startups and small businesses that want to grow.

Helfand moved her candy store from New York to the Berkshires in June 2008. She spent a long time researching possible locations before deciding on Great Barrington. “I view it as the independent cultural, culinary, and merchant center of the area,” she said. “The customer base is looking specifically to shop locally, so it’s an incubator for small startups where people can grow their business in a very supportive environment.”

Ralph Petillo agrees. He’s the director of the Lenox Chamber of Commerce, and says what he loves about doing business in the Berkshires is the number of unique artisans and small shops that thrive there.

They are supported by tourists who flock to the area three seasons of the year to take advantage of cultural and outdoor attractions. Lenox alone boasts more than a dozen art galleries and is home to Tanglewood; Shakespeare and Co.; Edith Wharton’s restored mansion, the Mount; and Ventford Hall Museum of the Gilded Age, among others.

Petillo says the plethora of cultural venues draws a steady stream of traffic from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. “People come here looking for individual products, so the Berkshires have become filled with shops run by people who produce them,” he said. “Shopping in Lenox is like strolling through a world bazaar. There is everything from European fashions to old-fashioned mom-and-pop stores to world-famous shops.”

The Berkshires also offer also a number of resources to help fledging businesses. Michael Supranowicz, president and CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce in Pittsfield, says it’s not difficult to open a business in a small community. “It’s much easier to navigate the municipal regulations, and there is an abundance of people to help get businesses up and running,” he said, referring to free services offered by Berkshire Enterprises and the UMass Small Business Development Center Network’s Berkshire Regional Office.

The area boasts its own colleges, and with Albany and Springfield just 45 minutes away, it’s easy for businesses to find qualified employees, Supranowicz said. “One of the reasons the Berkshires are a success is because of the quality of labor here. We have people with good work ethics,” he said.

At Ease

Many are drawn to the area because of the its pastoral beauty, outdoor attractions (which include skiing, fishing, and hiking), and a relaxed lifestyle, making the Berkshires an ideal spot to live and work, says Ron Thompson, an executive board member of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce and partner and COO of Winstanley Partners in Lenox.

Although his home is in Westfield, he would rather commute there than to Boston, which he did for a number of years. “I felt like a drone, a robot back then,” he said.

Now, when the weather is nice, he spends his lunch hour at Stockbridge Bowl. “I go there with my lunch and pull out my fishing pole and cast for bass and trout,” he said. “People leave work and go directly to Bousquet to ski. We even went skiing as part of a chamber event. If you tend to be an avid sports enthusiast of any sort, you want to live and work in the Berkshires.”

Indeed, cross-country and downhill skiing brings tourists who frequent local hotels, motels, inns, restaurants, and stores. “During the winter, we have a fairly large ski population, as we are squeezed between the Catamount and Butternut ski areas,” said Christine Ludwiszewski, CEO of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The ski resorts also draw summer crowds. Egremont is home to Catamount (although part of the resort sits in New York), and the ropes course at its Adventure Park attracts tourists from all over the country. “People stay in Great Barrington and use the downtown as their base for restaurants and movie theaters,” she said. “We have everything from bed and breakfasts with three or four rooms to the Comfort Inn, which is on the north side and underwent a $1.5 million renovation last year.”

Great Barrington is the hub of the nine towns and villages served by the Southern Berkshire Chamber, and its vibrant downtown is one of its strengths. “You can park your car and walk to everything. There’s a lot of foot traffic all year round, especially in the summer,” Ludwiszewski said. “The Mahawie Performing Arts Center holds world-class performances and broadcasts shows live from London and the Met. Plus, we have a wonderful cooperative market, which has a lot of meats, produce, and cheese. There are also great restaurants, with foods ranging from Thai to Mexican to Greek and barbeque.”

Meanwhile, Ward’s Nursery Center recently underwent a major renovation and held its grand reopening earlier this month. Guido’s Marketplace is another favorite spot. “These are the types of businesses that make people want to live in the community,” Ludwiszewski said. “It’s the kind of place where people grow their business and then move to a larger space in town. There’s not a lot of space available, but there is a fair amount of movement on a regular basis.”

A toy and gift shop located on a second floor above a bookstore in a renovated, spacious home is an example. “Last August, the shop moved to a bigger space,” Ludwiszewski said, adding that accountants, landscapers, attorneys, and other business people have offices downtown above the stores.

Another area business pillar is the health and wellness industry, led by the prestigious Canyon Ranch resort and Cranwell Resort Spa and Golf Course in Lenox. “The number of spas here is so growing so fast that they may overtake the retail business,” Petillo said. “It’s a major industry for us. A lot of people who come here are in tune with holistic and alternative healing.”

Antique shops also thrive throughout the region, with many located in Sheffield and Egremont. “It’s an indoor sport. People come here just to go antiquing,” Ludwiszewski said. There is also some manufacturing in the area, she added, pointing to Sheffield Plastics and Custom Extrusions in Sheffield.

The city of Pittsfield is rapidly changing, and although it languished for more than a decade after General Electric closed, it has a new image.

“Pittsfield had a reputation of being an old mill town,” Thompson said. “But it has come a long way in the last 10 years. New businesses are popping up, there is a lot more activity, and it has a new shine. The revitalized Colonial Theater is just spectacular and is a big draw, and so is Barrington Stage. There is a brand-new multiplex theater there, and people are going into downtown Pittsfield at night. As a result, little restaurants and coffee shops are thriving.”

Work and Play

Although the Berkshires encompass a large geographic area, its business owners are a close-knit group. “There is a lot of cross-pollination,” Thompson said. “In my building alone, everyone is on a civic or community board. There are very few people in business here who aren’t engaged in civic groups. People are willing to give their time to good causes. One of my partners is on the board of the Economic Development Council, and another is on the board of the Colonial Theater. It’s a great way to get to know other business people.

“Geographically, the Berkshires is a big area, but from a business standpoint, it’s a small sandbox,” he continued. “There is a lot of connection between businesses, and there are always initiatives, such as one our chamber is undertaking called Buy in the Berkshires.”

Large employers don’t exist in the area, so firms such as Winstanley Partners, a full-service advertising, marketing, and creative-design business, need to have a larger client list than a similar business might in a metropolis.

“Our business structure is like a pyramid with a wide base on the bottom, which represents our clients,” Thompson said. “It’s part of the charm. Plus, it’s really nice to work in a place that people use for their vacations. The Berkshires offer the best of both worlds.”