working for yourself

I'm often apprehensive about mentioning the benefits and independence that seems to go hand-in-hand with self-employment, partially because I don't want to "rub it in" for those suffering under the yoke of corporate cubicle-dom, and partly because I fear that I am somehow missing something and that any day now "the real world" will decide to strike me down and make me suffer for enjoying what I do.

However, there is no other entity that I feel "working for yourself" will assist, should they choose to take that step. This entity that I speak of is the small town. Too may towns blow tons of dollars on outside reports and community assessments by expensive "planning" firms who manage to sell the idea that they can give the small town the golden "answer" that will cure all of their problems by running study groups and interviewing a handful of residents for a few months.

Instead of wasting money on these types of reports, I suggest that small towns do as much as they can on their own. Read some books about smart growth, contact some free conservation groups who may be willing to lend a hand and/or some advice, and use the inside knowledge that only the residents can share to come up with your own solutions. Instead of blowing thousands of dollars of non-local event planning management teams, do some research on planning your own events.

Check for local talents before hiring outside marketing firms - it is a rare occasion that non-native folks understand the complexity of a town's offerings. They may be able to offer an outside opinion, but they don't know the history of the town and how these things have affected its life in the past. If you need an outside perspective, talk to your tourists and visitors. Talk to neighboring towns to get their understanding of what you have t offer - you may ind that it exposes lots of misunderstandings that you didn't realize you've been promoting over the years.