Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’

Small Towns

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

We have been in Rangiora for nearly 2 months now. And so far I love it. Small towns are great. I now take my 3 year old to pre-school on the bike. People are friendly. Cars drive slower. They angle park in the main street of town. It’s quaint, it’s comfortable and it is 20 minutes from the city.
Rangiora is like a black hole. People seem to move here and never leave. It’s quite the opposite to Westport, where I lived for a while as a kid. That’s more like a catapult. People start there and then fly off as soon as they are released never to return. Having said that I have to admit that I love Westport and would defend it against anyone who would dare to criticise it. I am just not likely to move back there.

Economic Growth

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

I have been watching a show on TV 7 called Beyond The Recession. A lot of smart people saying smart things I have heard before about how to grow the economy. I am not going to disparage any of them because they are all more successful than me and I can see how most of what they said is right. They spoke of investment in technology, investment in small business, economic literacy, improved saving habits, lower debt, better education et cetera. They are all good points but I personally would like to see something else.

As a small sole provider with some skills in my chosen profession but none in business except what I have picked up along the way what I would like to see is a local small business center. Somewhere I could sign up to and attend once a week or fortnight where I could go to seminars, talk to financial advisors and business mentors, meet other people like myself, thrash out ideas, brain-storm so to speak and support one another.
Maybe this already exists. Maybe this is what the Chamber Of Commerce does or incubators do. Maybe I just need to go to the pub more. I don’t know. Maybe I have become so isolated working from home that I can’t see ll the hands stretched out offering help. Maybe the same affliction that prevents my son finding his socks in his draws afflicts me. Maybe I just need to learn how to look for things better.
Obviously this would cost money and this is a problem. I can’t afford this with my hand to mouth business model but struggle to get beyond this model without some assistance.

If I found something that I had faith would assist me I would scrounge around and find the money but I have seen a lot of support businesses promoted that are based more on wishful thinking than real results.

Am I the only person who thinks like this?

So where do I go from here? Probably in the same direction I have always gone.

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