2012/12/20

Growing small businesses like a garden, not exactly economic gardening | SmallBizSurvival.com

Growing small businesses like a garden, not exactly economic gardening

Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:43 AM PST

GrandBob (of GrandBob's Garden) stopped by with this comment. It's too smart to keep to myself. (I added a few edits, but tried not to lose any of GrandBob's personality.) --Becky

I know of a small town locally with only 300 people. Main street is full of Businesses for sale. They have a library (where a beautiful old bank used to be). A grocery store, A lawyer. No gas station except for a Coin Operated Gas Pump among the nearby library. I wandered.

Why doesn't some people get to-get-her and get a 2 story large brick building and lease out store spaces like a flea-market only more upscale. Share the rent, Utilities, etc. The "City" could allow the building to be Tax Free for 5 years. If it succeeds than that also becomes shared. No one is ever going to buy or rent 90% of the small Main Street Stores. Too risky as the town is now. If a Walmart can succeed near a small town rural area, why couldn't this.

In this one old Brick building here is some of the Possibilities for little stores:

A brick building in a small town, full of possibilities.

A Bakery,
A Laundromat,
A Computer Repair/Used/New business,
A boutique,
Hair Salon,
Barber Shop,
A grocery store,
Candy Shop.
Photographer,
Seamstress,
News Sheet or even a Small Newspaper by Computer etc.

Most of these buildings are abandoned and owned by the City. The City could let it out for free rent for a few years to get it off the ground. They are not going to collect any taxes from here on out anyway. They could levy a small tax from each owner. 1% maybe and apply it to fixing up the building or advertising for it's merchants.

OK, Maybe it's a Crazy Idea but why not try something different?

[It can be done. At least one small town has such a cooperative effort going on: 1440 Main Street in Ferdinand, Indiana. --Becky]

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