Time To Buy In
Reports are pouring out that declare the economic downturn, as it is called by the politically correct or the politically motivated, has passed and it is sunny paths ahead to the future. I agree that there has been a lessening of the vice that has held this County and Country in its grip since 2008. But recovery doesn’t happen by happenstance. Those that have faced serious medical problems know that recovery requires a plan. We have been fighting an economic malignancy for more than a half of a decade and we need a plan for recovery. The future shouldn’t just happen to Jefferson County, we must drive the recovery process and determine which way we envision our future. I look around at the empty store fronts in the downtown areas of Jefferson County and I wonder why? Where are the small businesses that are spurting up across the Nation? Where are these that are touted in report after report that details the optimism in small business America? Are we simply running a little slower here, in the rural South, or is there another problem that is holding back the resurgence of small business Jefferson County?
Perhaps the answer lies in the meshing of our dreams with our realties. We want to have thriving downtown areas, steeped in history and profit. We want tourists pouring into our quaint shops and to revitalize our most needy areas so that they are a beacon to those traveling through our little section of the State. All of that is fine and well, if you have sustainable businesses that can bring in that type of foot traffic. There must be something that can attract locals to shop, if not daily, then at least weekly in our stores. Until we manage to build the type of tourist base that Sevierville, or even Jonesborough, enjoys we cannot rely on outsiders to keep our small businesses alive.
In order to bring in sustainable small businesses, we must keep the infrastructure strong, keep our taxes reasonable and they must be able to afford to locate their business in an area that has some traffic. The Director of Economic Development for the Chamber of Commerce, Garrett Wagley, gave an interview this week and he pointed out that there is a significant difference in having a marketable skill or idea and being a successful business owner. I agree. The Chamber of Commerce is offering assistance to those small business owners that are hoping to scale the wall of business dos and don’ts.
Ultimately, no matter what the economic outlook, if the community doesn’t buy into a small business boom then it will never, successfully, happen in Jefferson County. I hate to drive through our County and see all of the vacant buildings that once housed someone’s dream. I hope that this time around, as we begin to take that first step toward a small business resurgence, that we plan carefully. It has been my experience that shop fronts are much like the Heimlich maneuver. Every time you try and fail it makes it that much harder the next time. Until, finally, everything suffocates and dies. Let’s make a plan. Let’s engage the community. Let’s be successful. After all, it is 2014 and the future is so bright that we have to wear shades.
