BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT BUSINESSES - A NETWORK THAT HAS COMMON SENSE AS ITS PIVOT

Our boys' main street Gravenhurst business, hinges on one detail above all else. Customer satisfaction. The wee lads learned early on, in their main street foray, to worry less about the politics of the day, and more about whether or not they were adequately meeting the needs of their customer base. While admittedly, they have, at some point, become side-tracked by the differences of opinion, with the local mainstreet business association, they've snapped back repeatedly, to the recognition they can't find much, if any, common ground to develop a long-term relationship. So why get worked-up about the adverse situations that develop, when there is no chance of meaningful reconciliation anyway? If they could opt out completely, without moving, they would do so in a speedy pen-stroke. The only other option is to remove themselves from the group, due to lack of confidence, and continue to forge relationships with town-wide businesses, as they have endeavored over the past five years. When however, they get characterized by the same brush stroke being used by the business association, holy mackinaw, that sucks……especially when it seems to lump us in with everything else that is apparently sub-poorly. We're having an exciting business year, and we want the rest of the town to know this, while apparently, we should be announcing our downfalls, just to perpetuate the news the main street is in the grips of a great depression. Hey, we've had tough times, and expect a lot more, and know our only salvation, will be to make right decisions on and on! That's our success or failure in a nutshell, and the business community isn't going to save us, if we don't measure up. We pretty much accepted this reality, when the shop was opened five years ago. The training wheels came off. And there were lots of falls, lots of scrapes, but all in all, our good mates in business, throughout Muskoka, gave us a helping hand and always the kind of advice that pulled the lads from the prevailing funk of near failure. The only discussion we have ever had, about the future welfare of the business, is whether or not to leave the mainstreet business area, to free ourselves from the neighborhood politics. It's particularly tough when you really like the position, and the opportunities afforded by the site. So when we suggest that it is better to remain uninvolved, at the present time, with all the dips and doodles of the association, it's simply a necessary attitude adjustment, in order to remain situated in a zone we all adore……for the successes that can be harvested annually from the old saying, "location, location, location." We see a lot more of this ahead, despite the drift of fog, raised by those who represent us.

We have a great deal of respect for the Gravenhurst business community, at large, that has had to share the burden of the economic doom and gloom, the press feels compelled to publicize with their sweeping and broad-stroke belief, that if there is hardship on the main street, there must be hardship everywhere……thus explaining why those businesses chugging along, despite the chagrin elsewhere, aren't given exposure for their successes at weathering the economic storm. Last year, around this time, even the regional television staffers, were wandering up the main street, looking for the carnage…..obvious and perceived, in order to present what they thought was the story…….not what was in reality……the actual story. So instead of making a fair representation of local merchants, some doing poorly, others doing well, they decided to support the most obvious theme……..which, in short, was "why is everybody jumping ship from the main street of Gravenhurst." This story could have been done for hundreds of communities in this province, who are exposed to main street age-issues, competition from new retail competition, and the normal, to be expected, transition and redevelopment realities of all older commercial centers. It was as if Gravenhurst was the only town on earth that was facing these issues of de-centralization of the business centers, and the problems associated with high real estate values in the downtown core, huge renovation and maintenance costs of old buildings, and insurance demands, to upgrade the safety of these same buildings……which is important and necessary. In many cases, well, it's just cheaper to go to newer buildings, and this has meant, for some investors, leaving the downtown core to its own devices.

For the local business network to regain relevance, and effectiveness, town council needs to round-out its support of the group, with a little tough love. If they don't appreciate its failings, to bring merchants at large together, and why rifts exist, (not just with our business), nothing they do will ever be more than what is accomplished annually now. Just a lot of berating and generalized opinion, that they're not getting a fair shake of money or attention. And there will never be enough of either to satisfy them. Of course, Gravenhurst Council must support this business network, and is showing their commitment to co-operate, and bend for the greater good. While this is a positive initiative, and exactly what I suggested a year ago, to heal some of the festering wounds inflicted in the past, the lingering issue is still one of confidence……and what we see happening is the "same old, same old," that at the very best, means the main egos will get pumped up, and the self importance issues will manifest into political maneuvering and manipulation……and a year from now, the only difference will be the need for more money, more compliance, and more bending to achieve the same ends. That the business network feels empowered, is apparently what this is all about. When the reality is, unless the directorship of the business network can reach-out, and mean it……and show what it takes to build a bridge that functions as it should, and carries the weight without collapse, there is no way that they, or the town, can achieve anything more than the mirage of co-operation. It's up to every business to hustle up their successes on their own…….frankly, the way it has always been, and will continue to be. There are benefits, of course, to having friends in the neighborhood, and a local government that shows its support for the business community…..and not just for the benefit of cranky mainstreeters. But the optics suggest, that while they think a bridge is being built, well, that's the whole problem with mirages. You take a step, and you find out rhetoric and grandstanding doesn't span even the smallest gap with reliable bridging.

We aren't interested, any longer, in trying to convince local politicians, about the necessity for a thorough revamp of the business network in the downtown area. So, like many other businesses, we've found that our best plan for the future, is to run our business without even the slightest worry about the very next salvo / press agitation, from the association, about the very great odds stacked against the mainstreet. We can forgive them for their generalizations because it's their trademark after all. They've been doing this for years. We have a much harder time understanding why the town hasn't employed some restorative work, to force the association, to come to terms with its inefficiencies and ongoing decline of relevance to the business community it serves. Council has a responsibility, as the supporting, sponsoring governance, to understand what the deficiencies are, between the representative group, and the business members…..and not just from the pages of yet another survey. A councillor should be attending every business in this zone, without business association influence, to fully appreciate that there's little chance, at present, of ever unifying this group of businesses…..that are tired of being taken for granted, and having their concerns inadequately represented in a variety of forums. As we are seen as the rogue element, in the neighborhood, and unworthy of any significant and meaningful outreach, we don't have to worry about being included in any reindeer games. It suits us fine. But don't believe everything you read otherwise, about the merchant togetherness in this neck of the woods…..because it just isn't so!

Not changing what doesn't work, and allowing status quo to reign supreme, is to guarantee this important business community further diminishes in relevance, as an historic and ongoing economic pillar. A significant investor to this town, and this neighborhood, will perform due diligence, and find out these great divides themselves……..and how it may be better, and generally advantageous, not to be a part of the present association, when independence from an over-riding association, can be had elsewhere in town. As the bitching about decentralization, and the establishment of more aggressive commercial pods, continues to be the belly-ache we all must hear and read, council should really assess what the doom and gloom approach has done to the once shining star of Gravenhurst downtown….or uptown, whatever the association calls it these days. Like peeing into the wind, folks, we're all getting wet, and the town's reputation is losing the lustre our pioneer builders rightly achieved, by hard work and determination to succeed, as the historic gateway community, to one of the most beautiful regions on earth.

What we need in this community, plain and simple, is leadership. What we're getting is less than stellar. Public relations bandaging. That's about it!

The buck…..it stops with the citizens. It's time to let town hall know, as stewards of our town's good name, we're not happy about this present condition, of being made to feel disadvantaged because our main street isn't what it used to be! We did have terrible fires, and there have been great burdens caused by mainstream re-construction, and we have all faced disadvantages and inconveniences from current events. As a neighborhood business, we share the chagrin of these imposing realities. But buried in this obvious situation, is the nagging disconnect that has been in place for more than a decade. It was a prevailing issue in the early 1990's, and I can remember writing an editorial, to this effect, about how important it was, in this era of transition and urban expansion, to work in a unified way to make the mainstream corridor more attractive to customers, permanent and seasonal. The editorial didn't cause anything more than a blip of consideration, and the often repeated statement, as you might hear today as well, "who the hell does this guy think he is, telling us how to run our businesses."

In free enterprise, change comes by necessity in the bid for profit. Or there is profound failure. If the business association was operated on a basis of this accountability of demonstrated successes, we find it hard to believe, that it wouldn't be defunk as a result of its failings, or totally re-constructed from the ground up by its governing agency……the town.

So here we are again. Second verse, same as all the rest.