Document text
http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Featured Galleries: May 5, 2007 Is your city business friendly? Anthony Hernandez Archives Saturday May 5th Saturday May 12th Saturday May 19th Saturday May 26th Saturday June 2nd Saturday June 16th I'll bet you've done your fair share of traveling and that you've seen your fair share of business districts. How does your own business district stack up? Is it vibrant and healthy, filled with a wide array of goods and services and a good mix of local and regional/national businesses that cater both to residents and visitors alike? Can you quickly and easily find most of what you need on a day-to-day basis in your hometown or must you travel any distance to find what you need on a regular basis? Does your local economy seem skewed towards one audience at the expense of another? The preceding questions are all part of my main question: Is your city business friendly? Does its zoning, permitting, advertising, taxation, and other ordinances encourage entrepreneurs like you to open, maintain, and grow commerce? Or are you forced to jump through endless hurdles just to open your doors? Does the city impose nuisance taxes that discourage local patronage and drive customers elsewhere? Does the city tolerate obstacles to business that are impacting your bottom line such as not adequately patrolling or cleaning the business district? I am certainly not suggesting that businesspeople should have carte blanche to do whatever they like anywhere they like. Businesses must be regulated to prevent sprawl, control pollution, and ensure that they don't negatively impact the communities they depend on. For example, businesses such as big box stores and heavy industry should not be allowed to set up shop anywhere they like, especially when doing so poses clear risks to the vitality of local businesses and citizens. Anti-business sentiment takes many guises from historical preservation to town character, preferred business type(s), and other prejudice. Not surprisingly, this sentiment usually comes from people who have no experience in business and/or who cannot or will not understand that business is vital to the economy. Warning signs include the above-mentioned hurdles as well as a tendency to impose taxes, fees, and regulations instead of allowing the engine of commerce to produce its natural byproducts of increased employment and revenues from existing taxes. An economy that depends on one or two specific income sources is another huge red flag that must be addressed prior to the inevitable collapse. The simple truth is that your business will only thrive to the extent that your city allows it to thrive. If your idea of success falls into your local restrictions then you're all set. But if not, then you have several choices: You can move to a different city. This may seem easy, especially if you haven't opened up shop yet. But is it? If you did your homework, then you selected your desired location because your research indicates a strong likelihood of success. Changing locations will set you back and may even throw your entire business plan into jeopardy. If your business is already running, moving risks losing your entire customer base who may not travel to your new location. Can you afford to literally start over? Remember that your moving costs may well be higher than your initial opening costs- and you'll need to begin your marketing all over again to boot. You can close your business. I don't know about you but I can't stand to see a perfectly legitimate business forced to shut down because of an oppressive business climate. To me, that represents a huge failure on the part of local government, citizens, and the business community. You can soldier on through the obstacles. This will usually be your best short-term choice and may even allow you to remain in business over the long haul. But isn't that kind of like driving with the parking brake on? To paraphrase Albert Einstein, you cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for growth. You can complain. Complaining beats cowed silence in my book but on the other hand the world already has too much carbon dioxide without you making more by bellyaching. You can be a force for change. Take a moment to ponder some of the greatest modern and historical heroes from George Washington to Louis Pasteur, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and too many others to list. Society reveres and immortalizes those people who rose up in the face of overwhelming odds and demanded change. We honor those who put themselves on the line for the greater good. And most importantly, we hold the most sacred places in our hearts and minds for those who catalyzed peaceful change through constructive means that included and uplifted everyone. Is your city business friendly? If so, great! But if not, then become a force for positive change. You owe it to your fellow citizens, employees, customers, and especially yourself. Challenge the powers that be. Run for your local council or board of supervisors and don't hesitate to recall those who stand in the way of healthy growth. Join and support your local Chamber of Commerce. Shop locally and employ local people to the greatest extent possible. Above all, use your power as a local business to benefit your community. I'll be talking more about power and growth in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. Learn how ancient survival instincts guide everything you do and how to use those instincts to your advantage. My book The Enlightened Savage: Using Primal Instincts for Personal and Business Success is available from www.thenelightenedsavage.com or your favorite bookseller. My new book, Guerrilla Marketing Success Secrets, is now available at your favorite bookseller or from www.52bizweeks.com . Anthony Hernandez is a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Association Business Coach with over 20 years of business and marketing experience. He lives in Ashland with his wife Robyn, son Logan, and their two dogs. Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us