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Building Communities
Practical Tools and Information
Kathy Tweeten, director, NDSU Center for Community
Vitality
NDSU Extension Service, community
economic development specialist
This newsletter is meant to share practical tools and information to assist you in your important role in community and economic development work. We welcome comments on current letters plus encourage your advice for future articles.
Kathy
Content
► Editorial – Rural Excitement
► Community Capitals Used in Assessment
►
Building Business-friendly Communities
►
4th Annual Nature and Rural Tourism Conference
►
Marketplace for Entrepreneurs
Editorial – "Rural Excitement!"
I have worked with several small communities in their planning efforts in recent years and have found those that are most successful seem to have several characteristics in common. These are my observations only and are not supported by research.
Communities that seem to have the most success in planning and the implementation of their plans have these common elements:
1. Broad-based representation from the community, including youth involvement in the planning process
2. A chair or champion for every project in their work plan
3. A shared vision for the community
4. A written work plan
5. A paid staff person or someone willing to take on the job of reminding chairs/committees of deadlines and scheduling meetings
6. Accountability to the community (an organized way of telling the community what has been accomplished)
7. Annual updating of the plan
8. Celebration of accomplishments
I will be able to check out my theory in the near future as Richard Rathge, director of the NDSU State Data Center, is going to begin a study of all communities that have completed strategic plans. An analysis of the plans will be done, as well as follow-up interviews with community leaders. You will be hearing more on this soon.
Sincerely,
Kathy Tweeten
NDSU Center for Community Vitality director and
community economic development Extension specialist
Community Capitals Used in Assessment
The seven capitals that make up community, according to Cornelia Flora, director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, are cultural, political, financial, human, social, built and natural. As we look at communities and try to determine in which areas we are doing well and where we might do better, using these capitals as a guide is valuable. Flora did this kind of assessment recently with two pilot communities in the state, Watford City and Devils Lake. Mary Emery, associate director for the center, provided the results at the recent “Rural America Competing in the New Economy” conference. For more information about the assessment process, contact me at- ktweeten@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Building Business-friendly Communities
Source: University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Cooperative Extension, authors Diane Vigna, Extension
specialist,
and Nancy Miller, associate professor - NEBGUIDE G05-1566-A
According to a national study of small-business owners conducted in 2001, several findings suggest ways to build retail and service businesses in small communities.
These are:
· Maintain a good business image by participating in community events
· Encourage small businesses to cooperate with each other – enhance involvement in chamber of commerce
· Plan local marketing events that include most small businesses
· Establish a campaign to celebrate local businesses, encouraging local shopping
· Provide the social and economic infrastructure to allow the small businesses to grow
· Develop funding for small business growth
· Continually develop professional skills
· Invest in employee training
· Seek federal funding
· Develop Web page or Internet multichanneling
· Partner with other near but noncompeting businesses
· Contact various offices or centers with the university (your state).
For additional information on this study and its results, please go to: http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/consumered/g1566.pdf.
4th Annual Nature &
Rural Tourism Conference
"Community Success through Tourism"
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
8:30am - 4:30 pm
Fargodome, Room 202
For more information go to:
www.marketplaceofideas.org/mfe/programs/NBT/NBT_2006_Mailer.pdf
Join the many North Dakota rural entrepreneurs involved in nature and rural tourism. Registration is only $5.
Marketplace for Entrepreneurs
Watch the news or go to
www.marketplaceofideas.org/mfe/annualconference for information on the 2006
Marketplace for Entrepreneurs conference to be held Jan. 17-18 at the Fargodome.
If you ever have wanted to start a small business, this is the place for you.
Also available at the event are dozens of business and business resource booths.
