Small communities entrepreneurial action.

Small communities are taking an entrepreneurial approach.

Entrepreneurship in small communities is the art of finding profitable solutions to problems. Every successful entrepreneur, indeed every successful business person, has been able to identify a problem and come up with a solution. And they do it before somebody else does. This is the best time for small towns and villages to thrive beyond their heyday.

If you believe what you read or hear about all small towns and villages dying, it is rubbish. Some are indeed dying because of circumstances well beyond their control, but they are rare. Even a highway bypass or a new dam does not stop the entrepreneurial activity. You only need to research what happened to the towns of Breima and Adaminaby in NSW.

Most small communities survive and prosper because they continue to change direction. They can manage disruptive changes and generate new opportunities according to local wants and needs.

Modern trends also favour small towns, opening up possibilities that never existed previously. The Internet, better transport, exploding city populations, and people seeking a better lifestyle are all impacting the future of these communities.

The entrepreneurial directed action is the key.

Please focus on the community members, as they are the ones who live there. Entrepreneurs will drive change, but the community members will be involved in the successful implementation.

Entrepreneurial activity is more likely to produce change. Why not consider your small town or village as a business experiencing difficulty?

The source of most great changes came from within the community and its contact base. Remember, most successful community turnarounds started with an idea and personal efforts called sweat equity.

A simple approach to a small community development with a new set of eyes is usually all that is needed.

Become action-orientated. There are simple things you can do immediately to put your ideas and opportunities into action in a small community:

• • Learn valuable lessons about operating on a small scale.
  • Look at applying sound business practices.
  • Understand the capacity of the ecosystems to support small communities’ growth.
  • One idea is enough to create positive momentum in any small community.

Quotable Quotes

“Some people say I have attitude, maybe I do, but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does; that makes you a winner right there”. Venus Williams

“Why not look at small communities as a ‘successful business’? It should have all the elements of a successful business. Planning, management, marketing, operations, finance, relationships, innovation and so on”. Peter Sergeant