Survival Strategy for the time being

A few days ago I had the opportunity to talk with a group of people at St. Batholomew's Episcopal Church in Hartsville prior to their second service. The talk was community related. Churches, after all, have a major stake in the growth of community. One thing that required discussion during that talk was a basic shift in what might be the strategy to Sell Hartsville.

The Selling Hartsville effort began as a growth strategy. The hope and desire of those involved in this community building/community selling effort was that opportunity to further improve the great town we know as Hartsville, SC would flourish. Then, the economic downturn began to flatten hopes and expectations. At one point someone said this is the worst time we could have chosen for selling Hartsville. I replied then as I reply now that this could be the best time for selling Hartsville. The difference, as I mentioned to those at this church gathering, is that now our Selling Hartsville efforts are survival in nature. If we want our hospitality taxes to be there, it is going to be Hartsvillians who are going to have to be eating in Hartsville restaurants. If our downtown is going to survive it is Hartsvillians who are going to have to look here first for their needs and wants. Since our first primary audience were those of us who are Hartsvillians, this is a perfect time to be selling Hartsville.

In his blog today Rich Harwood is writing about "Mourning in America." He is pointing out that things are not getting better yet and there are no signs of a turn around. So, we do have to rethink our ways of doing business. It is our Selling Hartsville hope that part of that rethinking is more buying in Hartsville so when the tide does turn we are still working from strength and not weakness.