Communities require willing helpers.

When do communities need urgent attention?

Businesses will always come and go, but communities need to preserve their business environments and the services they provide. Business closures can lead to a community’s decline.

When businesses close, surrounding centres capture the local customers. Just as your car needs to be serviced regularly for the best performance, businesses and non-profit organisations are the “engine rooms” of every community.

Sluggish communities must adapt to the realities of new technologies and globalisation. Community leaders need to become more agile and adaptive. All societies have a diverse range of retail stores, tourist attractions, manufacturers, community organisations, and service providers with problems, frustrations, wants, and needs that must be addressed and adjusted.

While most businesses are independently owned and operated, they have many things in common, and some companies will be unique to the community. In addition, some will be impressive enough to attract the community’s and out-of-town visitors’ support.

A healthy community needs many different kinds of activities. These activities include commercial, retail, restaurants, sporting and recreational facilities, and residential services. In addition, they bring various people into the shopping centres and other areas of the communities, which keeps them functioning well.

Its businesses, coffee shops, and restaurants draw shoppers and travellers to the area, helping to create a bustling and growing community. Unfortunately, without the hustle and bustle, the community will decline.

Community leaders should always pay urgent attention to ensure any vacancies left by strong business people are quickly re-purposed. Nothing is more depressing than going into communities with many empty premises. Landlords must support finding new tenants, not just hanging out for the ‘top’ dollar.

Quotable quotes

“I realised if you can change a classroom, you can change a community. And if you change enough communities, you can change the world”. Erin Gruwell

“Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together”. Paul Ryan