NEW YEARS IN GRAVENHURST

EXPANSION PLANS - EXCITING DAYS AHEAD - 2011 WAS A BANNER YEAR AS A SMALL BUSINESS - BUT YOU WON'T READ THIS IN THE PRESS

A WHILE BACK, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR, ABOUT THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY OF THE MAIN STREET IN GRAVENHURST. I MADE A POINT OF ASKING THE MEDIA, TO PLEASE EXTEND THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND TALK WITH THOSE PROPRIETORS NOT TYPICALLY ASKED FOR AN OPINION, ABOUT THEIR STAKE IN LOCAL COMMERCE. AT THAT POINT WE WERE ALL GETTING FED-UP WITH THE DOOM AND GLOOM STUFF, THAT DOES NOTHING TO PROMOTE ANYTHING BUT SELF-PITY. I'VE NEVER KNOWN FEAR AND TREMBLING TO BE A GOOD BUSINESS PROMOTION ANYWHERE ON EARTH. IT WASN'T ONLY THE PRINT MEDIA THAT WAS MAKING THE DOWNTOWN APPEAR AS IF IT HAD ONE FOOT ON A BANANA PEEL. WE COULD WATCH SURFACE-RESEARCHED VIDEO CLIPS ON THE EVENING NEWS, SPREADING THE WORD THAT THE GRAVENHURST MAIN STREET WAS THE HANG-OUT OF DESPAIR. MEDIA COVERAGE WAS PERPETUATING THE UNFORTUNATE REALITIES OF ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN, BUT THEN ADDING THE WEIGHT OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS ONTO THE GENERAL MALAISE…..SUCH THAT ONE MIGHT ASSUME THE MAIN STREET WAS GOING TO DISAPPEAR ENTIRELY AS AN ECONOMIC ENTITY.

WHAT I ASKED FOR AT THE TIME, AND DIDN'T GET, WAS A NEWSPAPER RE-ACTION. A WILLINGNESS, AS FAIR REPRESENTATION, TO TALK WITH BUSINESS OWNERS WHO DIDN'T FEEL THIS WAS THE CASE….AND THAT DESPITE SOME BUSINESSES NOT DOING SO WELL, AND FIRE SCENES AND LAGGING CONSTRUCTION CAUSING OBVIOUS BUSINESS IMPEDIMENTS, THERE WERE OTHERS DOING QUITE WELL. THE GENERAL BROAD STROKES OF ASSUMPTION WERE JUST THAT….AND NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED. THEY WEREN'T. THERE WAS NO EFFORT TO INVESTIGATE THE MAINSTREET BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OR THE COMMUNITY GENERALLY, TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF OUR MERCHANTS AND OTHER BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PERSUITS. THE MEDIA WHEELS DON'T HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO A BLOGGER, AFTER ALL…..BUT THEY DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OF WHICH OUR FAMILY IS GAINFULLY OCCUPIED. EACH TIME THEY LATCH ONTO THE GLOOM AND DOOM SCENARIO, WHAT THEY DO, IN FACT, IS CAST DOUBTS ON ALL OUR BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, (PRESUMABLY ADVERTISERS) WHETHER WE ARE DOING WELL, OR JUST SURVIVING…..AND CONTENT TO DO SO FOR THE TIME BEING. YOU'D ALMOST THINK THEIR ADVERTISERS MIGHT POINT THIS OUT. AS A LONG SERVING WRITER ABOUT THIS AND OTHER MUSKOKA COMMUNITIES, AND AS AN OBJECTIVE REPORTER, IT IS NECESSARY TO REPRESENT ALL SIDES OF THE STORY…..NOT JUST THE CONVENIENT CONNECTION TO SOURCES THAT SEEM TO SUPPORT THE ASSUMPTION. WITHOUT MAKING A SINCERE EFFORT TO GET THE OTHER SIDE….THEY HAVE LEFT THE MATTER WITH LITTLE COUNTER-POINT, EXCEPT WHAT IS BEING REFUTED ON THE STREET. AND IT IS!

SO THE ONLY WAY TO GET REPRESENTATION FOR OUR POINT OF VIEW, ON THE MATTER, IS TO PUT UP……OR STOP BLOGGING. ANDREW AND ROBERT, IN THEIR MODEST MAIN STREET MUSIC SHOP, BEING TOLD OVER AND OVER THAT BUSINESSES WERE SUFFERING, (AS THEY SHOULD BE) JUST WRAPPED UP NOT ONLY AN EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS SEASON, BUT ARE ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY FROM RECORDING A REALLY SOLID YEAR…..DESPITE THE APPARENT ODDS OF DOING SO. SO GOOD IN FACT, THAT BY NEW YEARS, WE WILL PRETTY MUCH DECIDE ON EXPANSION PLANS…..NOT A HUGE ONE, BUT ONE THAT IS PROPORTIONAL TO THEIR FINANCIAL SUCCESS. WE'RE ALL PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT THIS, BUT THE REAL JOY IS THAT WE HAVE SUCH A LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE, THAT DOES NOT TAKE THE MEDIA REPORTS SERIOUSLY, AND ARE BOTH SUPPORTERS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND APPRECIATIVE OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT BEYOND THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE. THIS ISN'T INTENDED TO BE A SELF-SERVING BUSINESS-PUMPING BLOG. I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF SWAY. IT'S ABOUT PROMOTING THE NOTION, THAT OUT THERE……MIXED IN WITH THE FOLKS WHO AREN'T HAVING SUCH GOOD FORTUNE IN BUSINESS, ARE THOSE THAT ARE THRIVING AND THINKING OF EXPANSION…..AND OTHER BUSINESS INTERESTS LOOKING AT VACANCIES WITH THEIR OWN BUSINESS ASPIRATIONS. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEDIA TO REPRESENT ALL SIDES OF THIS STORY…..NOT JUST THOSE STORIES THAT FIT THE PATTERN OF WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN APPROPRIATE STORY-LINE AT THE TIME.

In the new year, it would be great to see a revitalized collective of business associations in this town, from one end to the other, shore to shore, come together to accentuate the positive, and opt for a more aggressive, positive, customer-seeking initiative…..that networks across an entire town…..and get rid of the fragmentation that is not working…..and hasn't for decades. We are a large business community not just the pods of commerce that get played up by limited, zonal advertising. The Wharf is as integral to the main street's success, as the ballooning commerce at the south end, where I've got to tell you, we possess one of the best LCBO stores in the region if not beyond. An interesting survey, would be to find out how many out-of-towners (not just cottagers or day travelers) come to that store specifically because of its selection and design, from Bracebridge and area, and then go on to shop at our other businesses before they leave. We need to tap into our positives. The Wharf is a big deal, and when you see the parking lots jammed, to overflowing, at this time of the year…..at the dinner hours, somebody is benefitting by running good, adaptable businesses. Think of all the employees. There are plenty of economic positives in this community, if a reporter, with a little time on their hands, could invest in research……to uncover whether or not, there are legitimate claims to this "prosperity" claim, being made by the mad blogger. I'm not speaking for these businesses, just validating their right to be asked the same questions, as those who feel the end is near…..and provide such an apocalyptic overview, time and again.

Andrew and Robert have some expansion plans to work on…..and it will take time and money to pull it off. For us, even a small increase of floor space is a big decision, as we are careful, and frugal with our business decisions. Our investment is based on customer satisfaction with what we are providing as a business. If they don't like what we're doing, or find the service we are providing is lacking, or that our attitude is arrogant and inconsistent, then we would first…..correct the situation to their satisfaction. They decide whether or not we expand our business. At present, we have every reason to believe, our customers kind of like what the boys have done over the past five years. Thus, this will be a huge consideration, come New Year's Eve, when we decide on expansion, or status quo. Either way, we're not moving an inch as a business, being very much convinced the main street of Gravenhurst, is still a good place to invest.

Happy New Year.