Ideas, Resources, Issues on the Adirondack Economy January 19, 2010
Posted by ernesthohmeyer in Adirondack Business Advocacy, Biz Q & A, Ideas, Issues, Resources.trackback
When people think of the Adirondack Park, they usually think of it in terms of its natural environment and its regulatory nature. While the Park has a unified regulatory framework, it is split apart among various Federal, State and Local economic, tourism, and municipal entities. This makes it difficult for Adk small businesses to be heard and to advocate that the Park is a holistic region of nature, people and communities.
Adirondack business people are also environmentalists, conservationists, recreationalists and entrepreneurs. This blog is intended to advocate the fact that doing business in the Park is just a special and unique as the environment and as such requires similar resources, commitment and assistance. We seek a balanced and holistic approach for the future of the Park.
I welcome your comments.
Good article in the ADE today. As a younger transplant here for over 11 years and a product of the “quality of Life” argument, I tend to agree with your position.
I just read your opinion column in today’s Enterprise. While the title “Are small businesses dying in the park?” is notworthy, and there is much truth to what you wrote, we also need to remember something else.
Our economy is in the midst of a recession. Folks are just not spending money like they used to. And when they do spend it, price has become a deciding factor. People are doing without a lot less simply because they can’t afford what they want.
Also a factor here is the internet. People do a great deal of their shopping online. This enables them to shop around for the best price, get it shipped to their house, and all without leaving the comfort of their own home! What do you say when a customer tells you “I went to e-bay first.” or “I went to Amazon, and they didn’t have it.” Do these same people think to come into your place of business? No, they just go back online and search until they find whatever it was they were looking for.
I also remind myself of the fact that we have been known to be “behind the times.” By that I mean that whatever happens outside of the Adirondack Park doesn’t affect us initially. When the recession first started, most businesses here were probably doing very well. Businesses outside the Adirondack Park were affected by the recession, but NOT businesses inside the park. When the recession shows signs of improving, the recession will hit businesses INSIDE the park. This is what I mean by being behind the times.
If I had to give reasons for small businesses dying in the park I would say it has little or nothing to do with being in the Adirondack Park. Between the recession and the internet, this is what is killing small business today, and it is happening all over the country.
In my industry stores that have been open for over 30 years are closing their doors. Why? Because of increased competition between big box stores and the internet. And is it going to get better any time soon? Unfortunately, I don’t think so.
I will be interested in reading the rest of your columns. Are Adirondack Businesses on an endangered list? Not from where I sit. ALL small businesses are on an endangered list.
Ernie: Re your article in the 2-1-10 Enterprise, you are right on!! We certainly are overregulated already and I will stop short of suggestion the abolition of any state agency, but certainly a consolidation would be in line and somehow, the outside interests have to have their control taken away and the residents should be given the majority of control since they live, work and try to survive here.
I look forward to your future articles.
Until the wings of the environmentalist are clipped, the downward spiral of small business activity will continue.
To believe that a balance between developers and environmentalists is unachievable, is downright ridiculous.
The data is evident: school enrollment down, a closed school district, cost of housing, lack of adequate supply of housing, labor shortage, lack of affordable consumer products, property tax increases, difficulty in attracting quality medical personnel………it IS true that the goal of the environmentalists is to create the largest campground in the United States.
Thanks Ernest for starting this discussion – maybe we can achieve a new perspective and jump start small business’s here in our region and create a few resulting jobs
I agree that your ‘perfect storm’ is a possibility. One of the best editorials I have seen/heard recently in our ADK media is the advert by the Tupper Lake group ARISE – concerning remarks about the ‘preservationist’ groups and it was a logical not emotional statement
As a small business entrepreneur, now involved in my 7th or 8th business startup here in the region I believe there needs to be an effort to lead into a few key areas for the future – such as bio-tech and information based business services that will bring great jobs to the region and where our kids will be able to stay in the region after high school or college
Keep up the effort here and local elected officials, wannabe elected officials and appointed state, county, village and town or state agency employees should all take notice and get involved in Enrest’s discussions here to ‘Try to make a Difference’ if not for your kin, then for your neighbors…and yourself
Thanks again Ernest
Finding the balance between Economic Development and Conservation has been the fundamental battle since the creation of “The Park”.
One might argue that there are many businesses/industries that are no longer feasible here in this point in history, but there is a failure to identify that fact.
What is our region’s current competitive advantage? If we could objectively answer that to everyone’s satisfaction, then it would be much easier to form a long term strategy. Maybe that’s going to be a “work-in-progress” forever.