Dying communities need entrepreneurs.
Dying communities have people chasing two rabbits but never catching either.
I get a little frustrated when people tell me their town is boring or, worse still, dying. That’s because, from my outside point of view, your town is not dying. It’s just exactly what it is now, no more or less.
To some extent, your generation determines what you think about your town and whether it’s dying. It’s not that your generation defines you. How long you’ve been around determines how much history you’ve seen and what you’ll compare to the present.
If you’ve seen decades of your town’s history, it can cloud your objectivity and perspective. Most people want to compare today to how things were 20, 30, or 50 years ago. Even though you know the community is not returning, overcoming those good memories is hard.
During your lifetime, things have changed. Technology has changed. Demographics have changed. You’ve changed.
But you still remember how it used to be, which affects how you see things today. Do you remember when downtown was full of traditional retail stores? When you don’t see those same stores, you may be tempted to say things like, “Our town is dying.”
You don’t see the nontraditional businesses spread all over town, where people are doing business with their laptops and smartphones. Many aren’t aware of the million-dollar company with no employees operating from someone’s house. Perhaps you haven’t shopped at the retailers that sell only online and ship orders everywhere.
It’s not about bringing your town back from the brink. It’s about bringing your village forward into the future. I find it weird that in Australia, our flag and culture offend so many people, yet our benefits don’t.
Many people in our communities and beyond are good at discussing what they are doing, but do little to help. Some people do a lot but don’t talk about it, and they are the ones who make a community prosper; they are the ‘movers and shakers’.
Something has to change in dying communities.
Someone must become creative and innovative, or we will have even more dying communities. Why not host a small gathering and serve some refreshments with the entrepreneurs and innovators in your town? Do it after work hours and just talk, which is something you can all do together without smartphones.
Expect to come up with ideas and opportunities to start driving your community into the future.
If you want better answers, ask better questions.
Quotable Quotes
“You can control your destiny, whether good or bad”. Barry Diller
“I am struck by how sharing our weaknesses and difficulties is more nourishing to others than sharing our qualities and successes”. Jean Vanier