These days it's difficult to go far without passing empty strip malls and vacant storefronts. And as if we needed it, those dark windows staring back just reinforce a sense of economic malaise. It happened to me last night.
"I wonder what that store was?" I mused. I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember the next one either, or the next. I'm sure they were someone's livelihood, likely a dream fulfilled and a labor of love, certainly a quest for financial independence. Employers. Taxpayers. Contributors to our national economic fabric and local softball teams. But these days more than any, that's not enough.
The world doesn't need yet another undistinguished clothing store chain or a tanning salon on every corner or one more burger & pizza joint. It doesn't need them now and probably never did, though it was hard to see that from the perilous heights of an economic bubble.
Regardless of industry or location, no matter if you're a local mom & pop or a national brand, long-term survival means being memorable. Standing out. Having something unique to say and saying it well. It means connecting with customers in ways that your cross-town or cross-country rivals don't understand and can never match.
If you can't do that, don't expect to be remembered much or missed long.
"I wonder what that store was?" I mused. I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember the next one either, or the next. I'm sure they were someone's livelihood, likely a dream fulfilled and a labor of love, certainly a quest for financial independence. Employers. Taxpayers. Contributors to our national economic fabric and local softball teams. But these days more than any, that's not enough.
The world doesn't need yet another undistinguished clothing store chain or a tanning salon on every corner or one more burger & pizza joint. It doesn't need them now and probably never did, though it was hard to see that from the perilous heights of an economic bubble.
Regardless of industry or location, no matter if you're a local mom & pop or a national brand, long-term survival means being memorable. Standing out. Having something unique to say and saying it well. It means connecting with customers in ways that your cross-town or cross-country rivals don't understand and can never match.
If you can't do that, don't expect to be remembered much or missed long.
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