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7 1/2 keys to small town success
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| Jack Schultz (right), author of “Boomtown USA,” responds to questions from the media before the 10th Tri-State Development Summit in Canton, Mo., Wednesday. Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is seated at left. |
By Steve Dunn /Gate City Managing Editor
CANTON, Mo. - There are 7 1/2 keys to big success in small towns, author Jack Schultz told 450 community leaders from Southeast Iowa, West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri Wednesday.
Serving as the keynote speaker for the 10th Tri-State Development Summit at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Schultz's examples of leveraging your resources included the “It's about time to come home to Keokuk” postcard campaign conducted by the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We have to figure out how to attract young people back home,” said Schultz as copies of the postcards were shown on a large screen behind him.
Seattle, Wash., has developed something similar to what the Keokuk chamber has done.
In addition to leveraging your resources, according to Schultz, the other keys to big success in small towns are:
Adopt a “can do” attitude.
Shape your vision.
Raise up strong leaders.
Encourage an entrepreneurial approach.
Maintain local control.
Build your brand.
Embrace the teeter-totter factor.
As an example of shaping your vision, Schultz cited Columbus, Ind., a town of about 39,000 with an unusually high number of architecturally-significant buildings.
“Be a person of passion and see what you can accomplish,” he advised.
As for raising up strong leaders, Schultz cited Tupelo, Miss., which for years was only known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. However, the town now has the Tupelo Furniture Market and has become the furniture capital of the South.
He used Santa Claus, Ind., as an example of the fifth key: Encouraging an entrepreneurial approach. The town has grown from 59 to 2,000 people on the strength of its natural ties to Santa Claus and entrepreneurial spirit.
Asking a group of students in the auditorium to stand, Schultz said the age group known as the millennial generation will be the most entrepreneurial generation in the U.S.
He used Effingham, Ill., as an example of the sixth key: Maintaining local control. When the Illinois Central Railroad dismissed his idea of starting a new railroad, Schultz pursued the idea on his own. As a result, the Effingham Rail Road Company was formed, the only new railroad in Illinois in l00 years. Now four industries including Krispy Creme Donuts have located in the area.
Branson, Mo., was used an example of building your brand. Branson, which has become the live music capital of America, has grown from 3,000 to 6,000 people with 1,000 chamber members.
As for embracing the teeter-totter factor, Schultz asked, “Are you willing to support the visionary people? Are there any towns without curmudgeons?”
The author of “BoomTown USA” also referred to a table showing the impact of 100 manufacturing jobs, based on information provided by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
The impact includes:
n 415 more jobs
n $12.7 million more personal income a year
n $5 million more bank deposits
n Seven more retail establishments
n $7.7 million more retail sales
n $540,000 increased tax revenues
n $2 million more service receipts
To prosper, communities must get over the FNL Syndrome, or Friday Night Lights Syndrome, Schultz said. Communities that suffer from FNL believe it's impossible to get together on Monday with towns they've played in sports the preceding Friday night, he explained.
“There are tremendous things going on in small towns across the U.S., but the national media doesn't report on them,” Schultz said.
For example, Leavenworth, Wash., has reversed a steep population decline by reinventing itself as a Bavarian village.
“Eleven women drew a line in the sand and said we have to do something different,” Schultz said.
Leavenworth's population has doubled to 2,000, including 500 chamber members. In addition, the town has 1.5 million tourists a year. Forty families from Bavaria even moved to the community.
Schultz noted several presidents and famous people have come from small towns, including Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, retired newscaster Tom Brokaw and entertainers Johnny Carson and Oprah Winfrey.
A third wave of migration called agurbs is sweeping over America, he said. More and more, people from big cities want to leave the rat race behind and relocate to smaller towns that offer a better quality of life, he added.
New small jets and the Internet make it easier for people to live in small towns, he said.
“Businesses are being built on the Internet now,” he said.
The first Tri-State Development Summit was held at Culver-Stockton College in 1996 and drew 225 people. The summit was held at the Grand Theatre in Keokuk in 1997 and drew 325 people.
Other locations, years and attendance are: the Oakley-Lindsay Center in Quincy, Ill., in 1998 with 425 people; Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Mo., in 1999 with 425 people; Memorial Auditorium in Burlington in 2001 with 450 people; and Oakley-Lindsay Center in 2003 with 450 people.
Serving as the keynote speaker for the 10th Tri-State Development Summit at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Schultz's examples of leveraging your resources included the “It's about time to come home to Keokuk” postcard campaign conducted by the Keokuk Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We have to figure out how to attract young people back home,” said Schultz as copies of the postcards were shown on a large screen behind him.
Seattle, Wash., has developed something similar to what the Keokuk chamber has done.
In addition to leveraging your resources, according to Schultz, the other keys to big success in small towns are:
Adopt a “can do” attitude.
ADVERTISEMENT |
Raise up strong leaders.
Encourage an entrepreneurial approach.
Maintain local control.
Build your brand.
Embrace the teeter-totter factor.
As an example of shaping your vision, Schultz cited Columbus, Ind., a town of about 39,000 with an unusually high number of architecturally-significant buildings.
“Be a person of passion and see what you can accomplish,” he advised.
As for raising up strong leaders, Schultz cited Tupelo, Miss., which for years was only known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. However, the town now has the Tupelo Furniture Market and has become the furniture capital of the South.
He used Santa Claus, Ind., as an example of the fifth key: Encouraging an entrepreneurial approach. The town has grown from 59 to 2,000 people on the strength of its natural ties to Santa Claus and entrepreneurial spirit.
Asking a group of students in the auditorium to stand, Schultz said the age group known as the millennial generation will be the most entrepreneurial generation in the U.S.
He used Effingham, Ill., as an example of the sixth key: Maintaining local control. When the Illinois Central Railroad dismissed his idea of starting a new railroad, Schultz pursued the idea on his own. As a result, the Effingham Rail Road Company was formed, the only new railroad in Illinois in l00 years. Now four industries including Krispy Creme Donuts have located in the area.
Branson, Mo., was used an example of building your brand. Branson, which has become the live music capital of America, has grown from 3,000 to 6,000 people with 1,000 chamber members.
As for embracing the teeter-totter factor, Schultz asked, “Are you willing to support the visionary people? Are there any towns without curmudgeons?”
The author of “BoomTown USA” also referred to a table showing the impact of 100 manufacturing jobs, based on information provided by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
The impact includes:
n 415 more jobs
n $12.7 million more personal income a year
n $5 million more bank deposits
n Seven more retail establishments
n $7.7 million more retail sales
n $540,000 increased tax revenues
n $2 million more service receipts
To prosper, communities must get over the FNL Syndrome, or Friday Night Lights Syndrome, Schultz said. Communities that suffer from FNL believe it's impossible to get together on Monday with towns they've played in sports the preceding Friday night, he explained.
“There are tremendous things going on in small towns across the U.S., but the national media doesn't report on them,” Schultz said.
For example, Leavenworth, Wash., has reversed a steep population decline by reinventing itself as a Bavarian village.
“Eleven women drew a line in the sand and said we have to do something different,” Schultz said.
Leavenworth's population has doubled to 2,000, including 500 chamber members. In addition, the town has 1.5 million tourists a year. Forty families from Bavaria even moved to the community.
Schultz noted several presidents and famous people have come from small towns, including Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, retired newscaster Tom Brokaw and entertainers Johnny Carson and Oprah Winfrey.
A third wave of migration called agurbs is sweeping over America, he said. More and more, people from big cities want to leave the rat race behind and relocate to smaller towns that offer a better quality of life, he added.
New small jets and the Internet make it easier for people to live in small towns, he said.
“Businesses are being built on the Internet now,” he said.
The first Tri-State Development Summit was held at Culver-Stockton College in 1996 and drew 225 people. The summit was held at the Grand Theatre in Keokuk in 1997 and drew 325 people.
Other locations, years and attendance are: the Oakley-Lindsay Center in Quincy, Ill., in 1998 with 425 people; Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Mo., in 1999 with 425 people; Memorial Auditorium in Burlington in 2001 with 450 people; and Oakley-Lindsay Center in 2003 with 450 people.
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