Regional communities survival approach.

Regional communities are looking for new approaches.

Here, we set out an approach to supporting and growing not-for-profit (NFP) organisations and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in regional communities, particularly in rural and remote areas where the need is greatest. We desire to leave the world a better place by inspiring NFPs, SMEs, and communities to work together for the common good. 

Seek to continually identify, facilitate and innovate a regional community’s micro-diversity, social, economic and environmental sustainability. This means improving jobs, opportunities and the overall lifestyles of the people there.

Traditional top-down, one-size-fits-all thinking of governments and others rarely works and needs to be replaced. The principles of economic gardening are one such way. They can provide a pathway for people to develop their ideas and grow their communities and enterprises from the bottom up.

Old ways are not working for most communities.

Encourage people in the community to look far outside traditional practices because old ways are not working. It can yield surprising solutions to challenging problems and unacceptable performance. The smaller the regional communities, the more this should be practised.

There were roughly 600,000 not-for-profits in Australia, with 34% (200,000) in NSW. Part of your efforts should be creating new conversations because they lead to better relationships, health, organisations, and nicer places to live and work.

Nonprofits are at the very heart of a community, but are too often neglected. Improving the relationship between funders and the NFPs they support. Improved support should lead to new business being created and not being left to chance. Many NFPs in a community have influential firms and people attached to them with whom to work.

The Australian Council of Social Service found that 80% of frontline agencies cannot meet current demand levels with their resources. The most significant gaps were in meeting demand in the areas of greatest community need.

There is a real need to discover how to unlock human capital in today’s environment. This can be done by collaborating with all stakeholders instead of operating in isolation. People in regional communities do not tend to operate in isolation at a local level, but lack the resources for broader collaboration.

Get started with your outlook.

You can choose your outlook on the community daily, so choose wisely and well. A happy and positive outlook gives you the winning edge, which is very contagious. 

Your outlook determines how others respond to you and how they respond to their community. When you smile, people tend to smile back. But if you come across as a hard-nosed, grumpy person, they’re likely to respond negatively. If you want to enjoy people in your community, think well of them. This isn’t rocket science, but it’s easily forgotten.

A happy and positive outlook always delivers the best outcomes. Successful people embrace this truth, whether it’s a surgeon entering the operating room, a pastor preparing a sermon or an executive launching a new business venture. Confidence increases your chance of success every time.

Quotable quotes.

“The good life is not the sum of our security, wealth, status, postcode, career success and levels of happiness. The good life is one defined by our capacity for selflessness, the quality of our relationships and our willingness to connect with others in a useful way”. Hugh Mackay

“We must look for a shared commitment to finding solutions for businesses and non-profits in regional, rural and remote communities. If governments knew how to do it, they would have already done it”. Peter Sergeant