This team focuses on the Sustainable Mix of Businesses in our area, Business Financing, Small Business Incubation, Finding productive uses of Waste Streams from Business (preferably as raw material for another businesses), Employment, Vocational Training, Local Market Structures, Local Currency, Bartering Systems, and any other issue that impacts the commerce of WELL’s region of interest.

 In 2007 the WELL Business Team reorganized itself as the Willits Briarpatch, which meets every other Tuesday at the Yum Yum Tree at 1:30 pm.  Jed Diamond has written an excellent article about the Briarpatch for the WELL Newsletter in July 2007.

 In June of 2007 members of the Briarpatch, City Council Members, City Staff, and Members of the Willits Chamber of Commerce attended an international convention of B.A.L.L.E, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.  Of all the communities that sent delgations, the single largest group attending was from Willits.  Jed Diamond wrote an article about how that B.A.L.L.E. trip inspired him.