Introduction
In this essay, I’m recommending a concept. I hope to see some feedback in the blog’s Snippets column, in the next couple of weeks. In a nutshell, I’m suggesting establishing small town Community Cornera — Community-Minded Meeting Places and Event Centers.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer and seek legal advice for all businesses before pursuing anything spelled out below.
As a Redoubter, I am relocating to a small town with little more than a few restaurants, a gas station, and a coffee shop. I noticed a small prime location corner suite available for lease. My mind has gone into over drive with the current events surrounding our currency and economy and restriction of movements, products and services via mandates. “How can I find who is selling items like eggs, honey, bread, beef and maybe there is a need for an item that I can make and trade to add to the community? Furthermore, how do people in the community know about each other’s goods and services?” I am willing to foot the bill for several years to develop this idea.
#1 – How do I become part of the town economy and culture without becoming seen as an outsider? For example if I opened some new age yoga studio California-style in this small mountain town, I likely will be branded a “transplant”. Or if I open a competing business, not filling a need in the economy, but putting “Farmer Bob’s Shop” out of business. I could be exiled. Instead I want to be an extension of Farmer Bob’s Shop.
#2 – How to encourage participation? Mass mailers? Speeches on the importance of small community economies during hard economic times by experts? This could demonstrate how the space can be used and its intended purpose. I want to advertise and show examples of how the space can be used, not my strong point.
#3 – Reaching in and reaching out. Looking for local vendors, services, goods and if none exist then maybe reaching out to the surrounding towns and encourage people that do this sort of businesses to come and use the space. If this stimulates locals bring it back home to locals.
#4 – And foremost is walking the thin line of legality. i.e. If I serve food then I run up against the bureaucracy of restaurant regulation, licensing, and liability. But some places have “Log Cabin Laws” and wrapped foods not produced in a kitchen on site could possibly be sold.
The Rabbit Hole
This is the rabbit hole my mind has been in. I would really like to hear ideas. In a down economy — I’m talking Great Depression — it is my humble opinion that the only way to get through it is to depend on our own local economies, skills, goods, services, etc. Whether we use the $USD or precious metals or other goods and services to trade as a medium of exchange, we need community! And a common space to conduct…