News of Note

Someone wanted me to blog about the snow removal in town. So I will! I think the guys have done a great job. We have gotten a LOT of snow, close to a record I hear. Naturally, no matter how a job gets handled in town, you cannot please everyone. At my businesses every year, the sod gets peeled back around the parking lot, BUT, I have got to keep the parking lot clean and wide for my families. The more they scrape off, the quicker it melts.


Here is a headline from the Morning Journal:

Wakeman gives cost-of-living raises despite poor finances

Didn't I just blog here a couple weeks ago that the Village finances were in good shape? Oh wait they are!

Here is what they headline should have been:

Wakeman only gives cost-of-living raises, despite finances

Have a great weekend!

Rural Small Business Trends

Very important article for us. It also touches on something that I talked about last year for the business association that with gas prices creeping up we need to emphasize shopping local to save money.

I will copy the whole article here, but here is the link to make sure I show the source.

Being in business in a small town or a rural area is different from being in a metropolitan area. Your local economy is certainly different from the national big picture. That’s why rural small business needs its own list of trends for 2009.

Here are my picks for the top trends for rural small businesses.

1. Local Economy - Each small town economy is different. Of course we are all interconnected, but each region has different dominating factors, whether it’s agriculture, minerals, small manufacturing, or something unique. It’s a better indicator for your business than the Dow Jones. Two bad wheat crops in a row will touch my business quicker than the tightening of the national credit market.

2. Energy Production - Oil and natural gas prices have fallen far from their record-breaking levels in 2008, but are still high enough to support continuing exploration. Wind power and other alternative manufacturing and production have boosted many local economies. This means opportunities to build businesses supporting larger energy production companies, as well as new opportunities in helping small businesses, local governments and homeowners adopt renewable energy.

3. Shop Local - High gas prices were the catalyst; lingering interest in shopping locally is one result. Combine that with the falling economy, and we’re seeing more small towns start or revive hometown shopping promotions. Searches on Small Biz Survival for “shop local” have quadrupled over the last four months. As an individual business owner, it’s your job to constantly, repeatedly communicate what you offer to your local customers.

4. Online Shopping - High gas prices have had a second effect for small town businesses: driving sales online. Entrepreneur.com reported a prediction that online retail will rise 17 percent this year to $204 billion. If you can compete online, it’s high time you do. As a small town business, you have a chance to tell your unique story and create an online shopping experience that big businesses have to pay dearly to try to replicate.

5. New Residents - Small towns will continue to see an influx of residents, escaping from metro areas. If the economy slides seriously downhill, I expect this to accelerate. Have you thought about how your business would serve new residents?

6. Atwoods Effect - Many new residents will be of the gentleman-farmer type. They may only have half an acre, but to them it’s a spacious ranchette. They need all the farming and country accessories that go with a rural lifestyle. You can be the one who provides them.

7. Regional Tourism - Instead of flying out to the tropics, many city residents will be looking for chances to travel regionally. Expect to see more family driving tours. The big beneficiaries will be the businesses that offer a slice of rural life, or a connection to the culture. This can be anything from traditional food making, old time crafts, old-fashioned farms, and even modern but rustic wineries.

8. Wildlife Assets - 87.5 million U.S. residents fished, hunted, or watched wildlife in 2006, up from 82 million in 2001, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All together, they spent $122 million, primarily in rural areas where you find most of the wildlife. Small town businesses have opportunities to provide the individuals with more services, not only lodging and food, but also equipment, and even other activities for families.

9. Local Foods - Transporting food long distances costs not only dollars, but also has an environmental impact. Foodborne illnesses have been linked to imported foods and huge food processors. Put that together, and you have a growing group of people who are actively seeking local foods from smaller producers. (Do a Google search for “localvore“.) Small town businesses can take advantage of this by not only feeding local residents, but also by reaching the nearby metro areas. Local food businesses can band together to promote a regional food experience.

10. Millennial Generation - The millennial generation is bigger than the Baby Boomers, more entrepreneurial, more civic minded. You’ve never had a better chance to engage the youth of your community. These are the kids who will help many small town businesses adopt new technology.

Bonus Trend:

11. Online Interaction - Even in my small town of 5,000 people, I’m seeing waves of locals on Facebook and other social networks, as well as reviews of local motels and restaurants on TripAdvisor. Not only should you be present in these places to interact with your customers, but you can also actively encourage your fans to post their reviews.

Part of the Small Business Trends 2009 Trends Series.

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About the Author: Becky McCray is a small town entrepreneur, co-owner of a liquor store and a cattle ranch. She writes at Small Biz Survival about small business and rural issues, based on her own successes and failures.

Fun Stuff

Here is one of the unique things you have to deal with when you are on Council.

One of the police cruisers has been sitting at Shaw's waiting on tires. I have no idea why the car isn't done yet. However, since its sitting there where everyone can see it, you get a flood of people whose main concern lately seems to be when that car will be done. If the car was sitting at the station, or somewhere else where you couldn't see it everyday, then no one would even realize it wasn't being used. It's just sitting there bothering them and hour by hour it gnaws at them.

My official statement on the issue: Don't worry folks, when it's done, it'll be done.

Council meeting

I wanted to write when I got home from the council meeting but it was after 11:00 pm when I got home.


Highlights:
Did you know that River Street north of 20 is called North River Street, but River Street south of 20 is simply called River Street? It wouldn't be much of a problem except that we have a 18 River Street and a 18 North River Street. The previous owner of 18 River had a PO Box but now the current residents are having mail delivery problems. Kudos to the mayor for immediately checking with EMA to make sure emergency personnel know which house is which. The mailing solution? Well the council will vote on an ordinance next month to rename "River Street" south of 20 to "South River Street". I am sure that new signs will be bought once the change is approved. Unfortunately, the mail delivery problems will probably still continue to a degree.

Fourth quarter reports were approved last night and look very good. They look good because of the 1% income tax!! We have a number of projects that will be taking place this year, one of the biggest being maintenance to the water tower. Lots of things that would not be done without the income tax.

While we are improving things with the tax money, we also have to maintain equipment as well. We also have to maintain our personnel.
Let's talk about personnel. Much gets said about the village employees (that includes police) and some of it, by virtue of anonymous comments, is not favorable. I am at the village hall on an almost daily basis. I see first hand what is going on and what our people are doing. They are doing a great job. Many of them gave up health insurance several years ago when money was tight. Some of them are working for almost half of what their predecessors were and doing a much better job. You can walk into the village hall and see it first hand. Ask the mayor to show you the two boxes he carried out at the meeting last night. It was one of the coolest things I have seen done at a meeting.

So when I talk about the village being in good shape, there really are two reasons for that. The income tax and the sacrifices of our employees. They deserved the raise they got, it doesn't come close to what they have given back to us.

News of Note

We will be having a Special Ordinance Committee Meeting on Thursday at 7:30 at the Village Hall. We will be discussing a proposed Exterior Maintenance Ordinance.

If you haven't had lunch at the Poore House (former Buffalo Cafe) yet, you need to check it out.

The weather has kept me from getting the yard signs out yet, but I have them ready to go.

My hit counter quit working and I installed a new one today. It's a bit short but at least its back up and running.

Update on Chief Hunker

I talked to the Chief today and he is cleared to return to work next week.

Looking Good

We have our village council meeting next Monday. One of the things we will be discussing is the payroll ordinance. Last month, pay raises for the village employees and police officers were voted down by three council members and the mayor because it wouldn't "look good". Two council members voted no on a first reading to simply submit an application to obtain financing for the purchase of a new police cruiser. Our older cruiser as of the time of this post is currently inoperable. I guess even looking into buying a cruiser doesn't "look good" either.

You know what does actually look good? Our Village finances. We are in the black. Other municipalities are making cutbacks, we don't need to. Other counties are laying off literally dozens of workers, we are doing fine. That is in no small part due to the 1% income tax and the way that the Village officials, past and present, have handled things. It's not something that happens overnight, or even in one year. If we didn't have the tax we would be in the same boat as the others.

The proposed pay raises amount to a total of somewhere around 3500 dollars. That number is DIVIDED amongst all the workers (seven by my quick count, maybe more), not for each one. Some of the Police Officer raises were based on evaluations and weren't automatic. Some of those funds for the raises come out of sewer and water money, not all of the raise is paid for out of the general fund. It's not a huge raise by any stretch of the imagination.

This payroll ordinance failed on its third and final reading after being passed on the first two readings unanimously, because it wouldn't "look good". Hold on a second, we still have the income tax, nothing has really changed has it? We can sit and talk about all the other towns, townships, counties, whatever, that have had to make cutbacks. WE ARE NOT THEM! We should be pretty proud of that. I am. We need a cruiser and we can afford it. It's what we would do if the tax had passed. Wait, we still have the tax, why should we be thinking of not buying one all of a sudden? Our workers should get a raise, and we can afford the one that was proposed, why did it fail on the third reading?

Here is an interesting note for you to think about. In January of 2008 we voted for similar raises. It passed. I did not hear one person mention they voted against the tax because of that. Maybe it didn't look so bad.

You know what actually does look good? A council and a mayor that keeps the Village running as it should, and not base decisions like this on what "looks good" because of a ballot issue OR whether you are running for council this fall.

Take a look again at my post about Spam. Click here.

Back to work

Well, I hope everyone had a great holiday. I will be back to my regular posting now that I am back to a regular schedule.

There are a lot of things that I will be talking about this year, and I will need to add a few things to the site. Since I have a committee set up for the passage of the income tax, I need to disclose that here, and assign a portion of the approx. 11 dollars I spent to set this site up as a contribution to the committee. Its really a hassle but you gotta follow the rules, right?

I hope that all of you have a great and prosperous 2009.

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.