13 Ways to Kill Your Community. #2 Don't attract business.

This post is my summary of Doug Griffiths and Kelly Clemmer's book 13 Ways to Kill Your Community.

# 1  Don't Have Quality Water. (Posted August 2 and is found as a Page at right.)

#2   Don't Attract Business

• Ask businesses in your community about the challenges of operating there- eg how taxes affect their rate of success and what types of businesses are missing or poorly developed. They have 1st hand experience. 
• Ask residents which businesses and services they want. Eg. Survey which goods and services do people leave town to purchase?
• Recognize that success is up to the town. Don't just erect a sign saying "This town is open for business". Don't write to corporate head offices asking them to "come on down." What does your community need???
• To drive out existing businesses, ensure they don't have a competitive tax model, that they are encumbered by rules and regulations which make their function costly and burdensome, and that they don't get the services they need. "To drive business out of the community, you must ensure that they have no competition in the community." (p.34)  [Adage. Women wanting to buy a coat will not go to a community where there is only one store selling coats. They go to a community where there are several such stores.]
• "It's an accepted economic principle that each dollar entering your community changes hands seven times. This means that a dollar spent in your community will be spent six more times before it leaves you community." 

This book is available through the Hantsport Public Library. And at LINK