Creating a fresh approach to regional business.
Australia is fortunate to have plenty of land in regional areas to build new communities and businesses, but do you know how to utilise such an asset?
Successful regional business and community development involves an accumulation of many actions and outcomes. The sum of many individual efforts repeated day in and day out can have a profound effect. However, it is the day-to-day activities that determine a community’s growth and success.
Over the years, we’ve learned valuable lessons, problems, and frustrations to avoid expansion in regional, rural, and remote communities. So, it’s helpful to share some successful business practices essential for any organisation looking to grow by moving into new communities.
Unfortunately, many people involved with the initial steps fall by the wayside as they cannot see the impact of their efforts. Yet, with every additional step, you immediately enhance the value of the initial step. Therefore, you must guarantee to drive the actions coordinated and practically until objectives are achieved.
It’s challenging to take a successful business from one area and launch it in another by duplicating previous success. So, it is logical to adapt your organisation to its new home by “becoming local”.
Some communities are stable, but only around their foundation industries (agriculture, mining, tourism, etc.) and the associated support services. Few have applied global thinking and innovation that will add new opportunities and benefits. And other initiatives that are leading to job growth and drought-proofing their future. Give special attention to the youth in regional communities; they are the future.
Associate with people who share your vision and have the knowledge and skills to help you achieve localisation. Hire leaders to recruit staff and align the organisation with regional culture. Launching your business with a localisation strategy teaches you to customise locally for other areas in Australia or other parts of the world.
Regional Development has been abused and misused for a long time because it is caught between tradition and change, individuals and the government. As a result, there are plenty of “talkfests” without action, and the “movers and shakers” get flogged to death.
Regional Development is a political football. Terms are too academic and should be more practical. After all, you are looking for growth, and a new and sustainable job comes about through business growth and sustainability. So watch for the new breed of business person changing the nature of regional communities.
Quotable Quotes
“Entrepreneurship is the best hope for building better regional, rural and remote communities after adversity”. Peter Sergeant
“Your capacity to accelerate regional businesses can be severely limited by their ability to do business, marketing and financial planning”. Peter Sergeant