Business Development: Who’s Job?

I shared the following ideas with one chief city administrator. I even prepared an email to go to three neighboring towns and their mayors and managers. I’ll let you read through my proposal and discuss the results with you afterward ~~

Business Development Ideas

(Some thoughts and possibilities)

Current Practices:

1. Hospitality Committee: Warrenville: Hotels and Restaurants; working together to build business volumes
2. Warrenville Tourism and Arts Commission: city funding grants to organizations that program events that will attract tourism to town; also development of artistic outlets among town residents
3. DuPage Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Membership; Warrenville pays annual dues of approximately $40,000 to pool city events, features and hospitality resources so DCVB can attract regional and out of state attendees to the community
4. Choose DuPage program from County; Warrenville works to woo new businesses to locate both to the county and Warrenville from other regions
5. Brilliance in Business Awards: West Chicago working with Chamber of Commerce to recognize successful businesses, unique ideas in business, excellence, etc.
6. SCORE business development seminars and workshops sponsored through collaboration with West Chicago Library
7. Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce: Warrenville, West Chicago, and Winfield: business promotion, marketing assistance and training seminars for member organizations; business exhibits and conferences sponsored
8. Other?

Potential Programs:

1. Each of the three communities cooperate as one entity to help develop businesses in the 3-town region
2. Duplicate all of the programs to each of the 3 communities
3. Develop tri-town Job Fair:
1. Help employers find good job candidates
2. Help job seekers connect with employers
3. Develop career counseling and development program for people needing to transition to a new career from one which has become obsolete
4. Develop local transportation system for local 3-town commuters
4. Boost town center success
1. West Chicago downtown exists; improve image, business diversity and sales in existing area; attract new construction and rehabilitation of existing structures
2. Winfield village center development; relocate Village Hall and Fire Station to add commercial space to area; expand shopping district to vacant lumber yard and adjacent land surrounding commuter station; develop other economic zones to diversify local economy
3. Construct and develop dynamic town center for Warrenville in TIF 3 area; consolidate some businesses to new town center; redistribute commercial enterprises to other areas of community and build their identities  accordingly (Old Town area, auto repair zone, etc.); diversify housing opportunities for diverse family units including elders; locate in walking distance to new town center.
4. Other?
5. Develop successful sub area planning zones:
1. Warrenville: Route 59 corridor
2. Warrenville: Route 56 sites
3. Winfield: Roosevelt Road sites
4. Winfield: High Lake Road sites
5. Winfield: Geneva/Winfield Roads area
6. West Chicago: North Avenue sites
7. West Chicago: Route 59 corridor
8. West Chicago: western industrial zone
9. West Chicago: Roosevelt Road sites
10. Other?
6. Attract Specific industries to the three communities:
1. Auto sales, dealers: new and used
2. Art gallery, education, and supplies
3. Art performance venues: musical concerts, dance, theater, etc.
4. Home Improvement themed commercial space: remodeling, refurbishing, maintenance centers: services, goods, design, etc. Include décor and equipment/appliance sales
5. Other?

Note: Rather than competing with each other the three communities should seek ways to collaborate and bring unique opportunities to each town. Land mass availability varies for each town making some developments inappropriate for one town but more suitable for another. Character of communities will also encourage or limit some forms of development. Traffic accessibility is another concern. Projects developed together should share revenue streams in appropriate ways (common investment develops common forms of return on investment).

Suggested Methodologies:

1. Tri-lateral Commission (all three communities)
2. Electronic media corralled for maximum effect (websites, Facebook, Constant Contact, Twitter, etc.)
3. Coordinate with existing programs in county, state and federal agencies
4. Research and development partnered with regional universities (UIC, DePaul, ITT, NIU, etc.)
5. Celebrate diverse cultures in the communities
6. Think big, outside the box
7. Invent, adapt and emerge new models to build our uniqueness

George Safford, Managing Editor

Village Chronicles

July 4, 2014

The results were disappointing. I received a thank you for my thoughtfulness and thinking outside the box and for long term benefits for all three communities. That having been said, however, I was disabused of my notions of potential success. I was told this would not work because the three communities would not share their strengths with others as that would weaken the strong.

Now do you see why the Middle East and relations between Russia and America are so difficult to manage? Even small towns and villages living side by side have doubts about the advantages of working together.

This is not about a polite meet and greet. It is about building a strong future…together.  Why must that be so difficult?

August 18, 2014

Thought for the Day

Living a life of purpose and usefulness to others is a grand idea. Today I share this idea found on the internet the other day. I hope you think upon it and connect the dots back to living a life of purpose.

“I may not be the most important person in your life…I just hope that when you hear my name…you smile and say That’s my Friend!”  ~Unknown Author

This is not about me. Or even you. It is about the ‘we’ in our lives. Think about that this weekend. And thank you!

August 16, 2014

News Not Celebrities!

I will make this complaint public once again: news channels – electronic, print and social media – should be used to spread facts that build understanding and a shared history of mankind’s efforts on this planet. It should not be wasted on factoids about celebrities. That is pure entertainment. It may be of interest, but it is not news.  Pretty simple, isn't it?

But no, it is not. Why? Because the lowest common denominators among us demand this trivia. As long as they do serious news is shoved aside for ratings and ad power. Money and greed take it from there.

I believe in the common good. That is not socialism. It is not communism. It is social good of all of us. Together the human community can move mountains and create good things. But first we must not be distracted by the fluff of life that is paraded before our noses daily.

I do not wish to read one more article on the Kardsahians or Jenners. I do enjoy stories about athletes who have conquered outrageous odds to win a special day for themselves and their fans. But not sports for sports' sake. Please!

Art is an expression of the soul and needs to be shared with all. After all, we live with art in every facet of our lives. We just don’t recognize it. That’s because we are being distracted by worthless factoids of drivel!

The powers of Mother Nature have built a wonderful Earth in which to rejoice. But she also wreaks havoc on the lives of inhabitants from storms of fury, fires of might, and floods of awesome power. We need to read about these things. These are news of the natural world. Like science and history, and other building blocks of human understanding.

News of entertainment and celebrities are unimportant. Politicians especially are celebrities of another sort. I have my favorites; you do too. Fine and dandy. But let’s look upon what these folk accomplish, not what personalities make them comely.

I firmly believe that we would all get along much better if we would attend to these basic rules of media. Why can’t corporations and advertisers in general do good deeds by sharing good words and supporting news media more appropriately?

Theirs is the power that makes the difference. The media channels would listen and act accordingly.

Let’s give this a try!

August 15, 2014

Robin Williams

Where does one start with thinking about, wondering or loving Robin Williams and the stark fact that he is gone from our planet? In our town it rained the day his death was announced. Tears of sorrow from heaven? Tears to match our own? Religious or atheist, Robin Williams was a man that made awe real in my life.

The genius of him struck me first. He opened his mouth and his mind flew out. Rapidly. Odd phrases at first which then formed solid thoughts. Stream of consciousness is like that; it has reality stamped all over it.

Turned just the right way it is funny. You don’t even have to be drinking a cocktail to find humor in his commentary. It was funny because it was a real reflection on life. Those observations make the hard parts of life tolerable for us.

But each of us has differing points of tolerance of personal pain.

Depression is like that. It hurts. It is at times nonsensical, difficult to explain, seemingly illogical. But it is real just the same.

Robin knew depression. He suffered it his entire life. His early school chums talk now of his shyness. Even current friends tell stories of his shyness. It is a special form of humility. And that lets life in.

Depression is like that, too. It is a special personal vulnerability. At those moments our defenses are thin or nonexistent. That is when life enters inward from outside. And we can commune with it, wonder about it, feel its sharp edges and round nodes.

Painful, of course. Valuable, very much so. Depression is a natural part of life for most of us. Managed well it is an asset that feeds deep thinking and understanding. With the edges sanded down we can see the pain of others and reach out to them to comfort and tweedled back to health.

The gift of Robin Williams is also the gift of knowing something more about depression. It was most likely a deep well of creativity for him. It can be the same for all who suffer depression.

Latest estimates place depression as an active experience for fully one-third of Americans. Is this only in the USA or is it worldwide regardless of geography or culture? I’m sure someone somewhere has studied that question. What are the results?

So depression is natural, at least to some extent. How broad the range of affliction on a personal basis tells the story of boundaries with mental illness. And that raises the specter of  treatment, chemical balances in the body, and a whole raft of other issues to be managed.

It is time that we people accept depression as a reality. It is one of the things that makes us human beings. But depression can run out of control and we must accept the fact as normal that help is needed and should be provided without stigma.

All illness is in some form a gift to the sufferer. It gives insights to life and enriches our experiences. We ought not shun illness, but manage it.

I have a friend who has AIDS. At first it was a horror and scourge in his life. Later he accepted it as a gift because it gave him an enriched life of insight and understanding. Indeed, it proves to be a deep well of inspiration for him.

Controlled or not, any illness including depression, can rob us of the person we need to know.

I weep for Robin Williams, the loss of his presence. But also for his humor. He still brings me uproarious laughter. And that brings tears, too.

August 14, 2014

Middle East vs Religious Wars

I am very uncomfortable with what is going on in the Middle East these days.  The choices on what to do, what public policies to support and who’s political thinking to support, is enormously complex.  Let me spell it out for myself. Perhaps this will help you, too?

1. Gaza and Israel: I've written about this recently and frequently. I do not like these two powers fighting each other. The balance of power is not; Israel has the power to carry out its intents. Gaza does not. Gaza is in awful condition because its people gave up on the PLO and gave ‘power’ to Hamas. Hamas is clearly a terrorist organization that attempts to govern but cannot bring itself to make the compromises necessary to govern. So it fails. It does what it knows best to do – do violence to make a political statement.

The problem is their statement kills their own people. Inevitable but true. Meanwhile that same population lives in absolute misery. The only way out if for Israel and Gaza to agree to be peaceful and collaborative on common goals: trade, peace, medicine, health care support, education, and more education. Build a future together in the region. Let peace happen.

2. Egypt and the Rest of the Muslim World: Egypt does not have a recent history of good government. Ask its own people why. They will tell you. Yes, Egypt and the USA have been good partners, but that’s because America has the money and military materiel to help Egypt. At the core, however, are huge in-country problems that need to be fixed. Not mended or dabbled with; fixed. Then we in the rest of the world will believe that Egypt will be a reliable partner with global powers to help make and keep peace in the Middle East.

3. Saudi Arabia: has the wealth, oil resources and education to be a leader. But doesn't lead. It follows silently and lets other nations take the brunt of the upsets so it can calmly enter the discussions and press for peace.

Peace in the Middle East is good for the entire globe.  All of us. That’s the basic fact. All of the peoples of the region deserve peace. But to earn it they must compromise, cooperate and collaborate on making life better for all of their citizens. Pretty simple, really. When there is peace everyone can live their own lives of purpose, of religious study and expression, of education and career. These are the basic goals that should form the vision of peace for the region. With it much is possible. Without it only death results.

4. Religious Wars: these are pure bosh! The God of Abraham is the same God of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Their prophets are prophets for all three religions whether holy or wise men only. Holiness is the proper concern of each religion, but not for the others to be concerned about. Live your own believes. And understand once and for all that the God of Abraham was not a God of violence and revenge. He was and is a God of love and peace. Why then the wars? Because we are all men and women who are easily misled. Politicians and terrorists are not wise men; they are men of power and greed. And thus wars. There is no need for religious wars. No new Crusades, please. They were wrong back then and they are wrong today.

5. Iraq/ISIS/America: I pray that America is not back in Iraq as a power nation. Broker, yes. I sincerely hope that military intervention at this point is a balancing tool to save lives of minorities and innocents. ISIS is terrorist, not religious. It claims the latter but, remember the God of Abraham! These wars of religion must stop. They will with education and common seekers of peace. That is the turn of events that must be made. Is and can America help make that happen?  We can hope. But first we must be certain that political leaders in America do not misuse this opportunity to wage war as Bush/Cheney did in the past. That was a colossal error; hopefully we have learned our lesson.

Now do you understand my discomfort? So much good is on the cusp. So much bad is currently at work. Can we make it work? Will we?

August 13, 2014

Who Are You?

Asked some teens what three words best described them. These are kids who are struggling with underage alcohol and drug abuse. “friendly, understanding, caring, intelligent” were some of the words used. Not one used loving.

Many hours later, in the wee hours of the morning, I realized that. Loving was a word not used to describe themselves. This got me thinking about being loved. Do they love; are they loved? One is giving outward, the other is letting someone inward to your life. Might this be significant?

Not sure. I recall times when I certainly didn't feel loved. I also felt uncomfortable saying I was loving. I wonder if this is a rite of passage. Are these stages of personal development universal to maturing?

At last night’s session I was once again seeking a common link to self destructive behaviors. Not all in the group identify their behavior as self destructive. They are there because parents or a judge told them so. They have received the message that something is wrong and it is with them. So some of them are following a path back to acceptance. That is not the same thing as accepting one’s own self as being in trouble, in the wrong, or even accepting the label as being unacceptable.

Maturing is, after all, a life long process. It begins at birth and ends with death. The in-between is life and how we deal with it. A lot of experimentation goes on. We learn by doing. Even loving and being loved. And yes, even sex. How does one ‘do it’, and was that the right way, under what circumstances? Was it good for you; hell, was it good for me? What is the transaction we just did? Was it appropriate, normal, good, nasty, whatever?

Pretty basic questions. Feelings, too! How do we ever know what is right at any given moment?

Dealing with that ambiguity is a large part of life’s experience. Allowing myself to observe myself knowingly and making sense of it, is part of life’s experience. It is not easy. Not meant to be easy. It is the struggle that defines the journey of self discovery.

No wonder so many youth don’t get it. We didn't get it at their ages either! A simple truth!

We see the swagger, the puffed up chest, the knowing look. These are all clues that all is cool. But it mostly isn't. In time it is clearer but it takes time, and letting the observations happen, and the learning.

No, these kids are all very smart. All like-able. All with their whole lives before them. some missteps now, and again to be sure, but eventually they will find their way.

I asked them if they felt they were listened to. Two said yes; one did not. But he was afraid to be known on the insides. Still is. So he is avoiding listening and being listened to. That is his dance step in the journey at this moment. Hopefully he will learn to share – outwardly and inwardly. Build relationships with others not based on carnal need or security. But on feeling, intellect and emotion. These are the long lasting vertebrae of our core.

I wonder each week if we are asking the right questions and giving them time to think of the right answers. And then, do we actually listen to their answers? Are we rushing the process because we need to know, or are we helping them feel their way out of a tight spot? Are we easing, placating, and helping them cover up the important stuff of life?

So many questions. So few answers. Is that them or us?

Take a breath and try to understand. Then plant more seeds.

August 12, 2014

Contemplating Homecoming

This October will mark my 49^th anniversary of graduating college. Knox College (Galesburg, Ill.) Class of 1965. Doesn't seem possible. It’s not the 50^th yet, but pretty near. Do I attend or not?

That is the question. And the answer is probably not. For two reasons:

-Cannot possibly afford to go; the meals are $25 to $50 each, hotels will be $75 to $125 per night, gasoline will run at least a full tank at $70, and there are three nights of lodging involved.

-I wonder what attending as a gay couple would be either unique or welcomed? I really don’t worry too much about that, it is a reality of our times, and about time!

The expense part is more real than theoretical. Retired and living on social security does not allow the luxury of even this modest travel expense. And that after a lifetime of good and productive work in meaningful careers in non-profit organizations. I do not bemoan any of that work experience. It was all good and very rewarding. Even highly profitable some years, and good to pay for college of both kids.

My retirement situation was marred by divorce, then self employment (although successful) health matters torpedoed that business and forced me into retirement and living off of investments for a while until social security and Medicare kicked in.

We still live comfortably, but without the extras of travel.  We miss that. New Mexico and Arizona beckon. Montana and Wyoming as well. Then there is a tour of New England we’d like to do sometime. All three of these trip ideas are on our to-do list. Not likely to become reality but it is fun dreaming!

Getting back to college homecoming – it is a time to remember and re-meet classmates from nearly five decades past. That alone would be fun. And sobering.

I don’t recall ever having attended a homecoming in the past. So I am unable to know what it must be like. Even so it is 49 years later. So many of our classmates are deceased. Many more are too ill to attend. Still others of us are in a pinch of history that makes affordability an issue. The middle class has shrunk. Although our classmates had big dreams of high paying jobs in industry, many of us went on with education and dreams of improving the nation and global community. And we did do that. At least we did our part. Peace Corps, international relations, church careers, social work, and non-profit organizations large and small. Teaching, too, so many teachers and researchers.

Thinking back to the early 1960’s I remember discussing with other Knoxites how we should and could make the world a better place. So many of us did just that. At least we worked at it consciously.

Alas the efforts did not pay off as we expected. We lived full, rich lives no doubt. But the world is now in a large pickle. Wars abound. Criminality among third world nations are full-time careers. Human trafficking, rampant disease, poor drinking water, poverty beyond comprehension, and human suffering in every corner of the globe including the USA. We’d like to deny the latter, but it is here. It is among us in this the richest nation on earth. A stunning reality.

I sense the frustration of current generations, the youth that were are kids, and the youth that are now in college and entering the workforce with new degrees and commitment to begin their lives as adults. The challenges today are as ever daunting as they were for us nearly 50 years ago.

Will this always be thus? Should it be? I suppose each generation needs to earn its own merit by struggling with the imponderables, but it would be nice to know that the world actually is getting better year after year.

The reality tells us otherwise. Why is that?

Why?

August 11, 2014