Chamber using buckshot

    Recently our Economic Development Committee has been traveling the state, speaking to a variety of different officials including UMaine professors and presidents. The last week we spoke with a gentleman in Caribou who asked us if we had any specific goals or needs: which we do not. Increasing the tax base?     Assisting our existing businesses? Yes. Specific goals we can go to NMCC or another institution to identify a specific item: no. And we had a fairly lengthy discussion about no overnight wins. We live in an age of instant gratification. I see it with my very small children, which leads me to think perhaps it’s human nature. Human nature accelerated by our bad habits and culture.
    So, this person said to us, “You’re using the buckshot approach.” I may just make signs for the doors, don’t you think we should all be able to smile at ourselves? Yes, I would say at this point, we have a few thoughts for other types of weapons as we consider spearing “the big one”. Yes, we’re using buckshot, and hoping something hits the mark! Whether it is one job or 10 (and while we obviously all want 10 high paying, highly skilled jobs with return on investment while staying in our primary market): Yes. We’re hunting high and low, and we’re looking under rocks, in the trees, and in the neighbor’s backyards. Economic development is a continuous process of hunt and peck. We’re planning to become master foragers in the process.
    This gentleman also spoke to us about: it’s not a fast food restaurant. No instant burgers. While we’re not inventing the wheel, we’re spending a great deal of time looking at everyone else’s wheels, and knitting our ties closer to our neighbors. Our success is dependant on one another: in our region and in our state.
    Luck and timing. I’ve also been considering part of the process as being one of “constant readiness.” Besides a storm ready community, perhaps we should be thinking about: are we an economic developer ready community?
    I firmly believe one of our jobs is constant vigilance, and readiness. We must be prepared to drop everything at a moments’ notice to be hospitable, friendly, and help facilitate anyone’s needs, big or small. We don’t know when luck might strike, and someone with some means may wander through our Web site, our town etc. — and if we are not on our best behavior, we may inadvertently be the stumbling block or reason they decided not to come back, not to buy this, not to tell their relatives, associates etc. about us.
    Timing is critical, and a certain amount of good karma might help. Beyond this uncontrollable element, we plan to continue shooting lots of buckshot, as we sharpen our bigger weapons for those large, voracious commercial animals. Herds … we’re looking for herds.
    Wendy Landes, MPA, is the executive director of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She can be reached in person at 24 Sweden Street, Suite 101; by telephone at 498-6156 or via e-mail at wlandes@cariboumaine.net.