Jason Broadwater

Consider Rock Hill, SC – First in its historic hey day, then decades of textiles, then as part of the rapidly expanding Charlotte region. A town with a consistently growing population, with consistently high rankings in national studies for quality of life, and yet a town with 20% unemployment. That’s one and five working adults.

Rock Hill is a town with a great small university with lots of artists, musicians, teachers, designers, and entrepreneurs. We have a great technical college introducing innovative programs like the Institute for Manufacturing Productivity and THE HIVE.

Rock Hill is a town experiencing well-paced and quality growth development, including

• the revitalization of Old Town for quaint and unique urban density
• the planned development at River Walk, a riverside community with
  • “new village” density and mixed use
  • Olympic-standards Velodrome
  • an X-Games-standards BMX track
• the Carolina Thread Trail and River Walk along the Catawba River
• Cherry Road area improvements and growth
• Manchester area growth (including soccer complex)

Yet, we have 20% unemployment.

So, what gives? How the growth and high-quality of life alongside a soaring unemployment? Can that last? And what can we do about it?

The traditional solution to unemployment is Jobs. Right? But, what if there is a population of workers who are not looking for jobs, instead each is looking for his or her next gig.

Consider the lives of the professionals in the following industries:

• Internet Marketing and Communications
• Web and Application Technology
• Computer Hardware/Software and Information Technology
• Creative Arts
• Musical Arts
• Audio/Video Production

Consider that these individuals are independent professionals – knowledge workers – functioning as single-person businesses. They move from contract to contract, putting together their own portfolios of work.

Contracting behavior is also increasingly present in Financial, Legal, Health, and even the Commercial services. The real estate/construction marketplace was thriving off such a marketplace just before the bust.

Consider back-office services as well – processing, accounting, server, secure storage, etc.

The new economy need is knowledge-based / skilled labor. The new economy model is more focused on the individual, whether that individual is an employee, a consultant, part of a boutique service provider, or an independent contractor.

Many of these professionals can live in Old Town Rock Hill and serve clients all over the area, region, nation, world. These creative and motivated folk, can gather here and work here.

Dr. Greg Rutherford and I presented The Hive to Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation yesterday during the monthly board meeting. I had a lot of individuals approach me afterward with positive comments about the initiative.

So far, we have:

• York Tech providing the institutional framework for the program
• RevenFlo providing professional accountability for all services provided by Hive (and providing knowledge for educational component)
• Edie Dille of York Tech defining and revising the business model, organizational model, and all necessary administrative logistics
• Dr. Ed Duffy as Director of Foundation, contracting entity
• A host of interested students
• Dr. Greg Rutherford, Jason Broadwater, and Edie Dille discussing with City and County Staff (including David Lawrence, Stephen Turner, Carey Smith, Jim Baker, and David Larsen) the collaboration opportunities in hosting the program in Old Town
• RHEDC considering how to participate
• Harry Dalton as a gold contributor (creating match grants for non-profit clients)
• Children’s Attention Home (as a committed client)
• Historic Rock Hill (as a committed client)
• Carolina Student Travel Connection (as a committed client)
• Boys and Girls Club (as a client in consideration)
• (one more unnamed client in consideration)

The program aligns so many goals and objectives of so many organizations and individuals in our community.

The Hive will

• train individuals to function as contracting Internet Services professionals,
• inject people and energy into Old Town,
• help retain Winthrop, Clinton and York Tech grads,
• help pull-in some talented individuals from surrounding areas,
• create a services cluster for city/county economic development,
• create a small business incubator for the new services economy,
• help local non-profits forward their missions creating increased social capital, and
• serve as a visible example of collaborative leadership.

Thank you so very much for registering to attend the 2010 Old Town New World conference. I apologize to ask this of you, but we are going to have to RESCHEDULE THE CONFERENCE.

We very much appreciate your interest in what we are doing. Forty registrations! … and I just sent messages to some of my friends on Facebook.

I very much hope you will still be able to join us. We do not currently have a date for the conference, typical punkers -:) We don’t have a venue either.

But here’s what we do have:

• a list of speakers who are committed and excited about participating
• a list of bands who are committed and excited about playing
• one speaker in particular of a national reputation desirous to participate
• funding (as long as we get enough registrations of people… that’s you! thanks again!)
• a group of organizations (including the city) who are very enthusiastic to see large groups of happy engaged people in the main streets of Old Town

We are currently looking at 10/21, but it’s a moving target at the moment. I will be back in touch when we have a date or to update you on the process.

Thank you for your support!

Visit OldTownNewWorld.net

Conference Website

Punk Rock and the Knowledge Economy

We have three speakers, thus far:

• me
• Dr. Roger Weikle of Winthrop University
• Jason Gammons of Little Red Bird Design in Charlotte

We have three bands:

• Motel Glory (Rock Hill)
• SLED (Columbia)
• Grand Champeen (Austin)

Here’s a video discussing the conference topic, Punk Rock and the Knowledge Economy:

Unemployment, The Internet, Self-Organizing Principles, Punk Rock & the Knowledge Economy

That’s a mouthful, huh? Well, that’s the topic of Old Town New World conference this year.

For speakers so far, we have Dr. Weikle from Winthrop University and myself, and we are currently working on a few others.

The visual arts portion of the event will be “Punk Rock Hill: 30 years of punk rock in Rock Hill, SC” as curated by Mike Gentry.

The music portion will stick with the same theme (punk rock hill) and will bring together punk bands that are connected to Rock Hill. We currently have SLED and Motel Glory booked and are working on Grand Champeen.

The Herald published an article today endorsing Vance Stine for SC House District 47.

Vance is running against Tommy Pope and Brett Boyd in the June 8 Republican Primary for the opportunity to run against Herb Kirsh for the District 47 SC House seat.

I’ve never understood why newspapers endorsed candidates. I mean, I’m glad they endorsed Vance because he’s the right guy for the job – a true public servant and not an ambitious politician. But, it still seems strange that an “objective” news source would choose a candidate to endorse.

Regardless of their endorsement, they published a great article on why Vance, as opposed to Tommy Pope, should be elected to the position.

Vance has a clear message, details on his proposed solutions, and is not bound by towin’ party lines. He also has the experience needed for the job.

The article was pretty bold in its comments about Tommy Pope, who is probably a fine and competent man but seems to be taking a “be charming and say little” approach. Pretty safe approach, it would seem.

We’ll see what happens on Tuesday at the June 8 Republican Primary.

We’re starting to plan the 2010 Old Town New World Conference. The conference will be Sept 9, in an undetermined space. We’re hoping THE HIVE will be equipped and ready, and maybe we can have it there. This is something we need to explore further, but it makes a lot of sense. The conference will serve to kick off the program, so it might as well be on site.

We’re looking at a range of speakers this year from thought leaders in open source to renown economists on the new knowledge economy to successful creative individuals. We also would love to get a killer band to play that night (don’t know what will happen with this end) – so the people in town would have a rockin’ show to attend that evening.

Go to OldTownNewWorld.net to reserve your spot for the conference. REGISTRATION IS FREE ONLINE.

Vance Stine is running for SC House, District 47. He’ll run against Tommy Pope and Brett Boyd in the Republican Primary and then against Herb Kirsh for the District 47 seat in the South Carolina State House of Representatives.

I know Vance. I know he is a good man who is working for change. I know he is practical and motivated. I know he wants tax reform. I know he’s not afraid to say out loud that 388 is bad policy and was from the beginning. Vance is about home rule. And Vance is about addressing unemployment through the new services market place and new understandings about what economic development looks like.

I’m not party affiliated. I actually find myself very frustrated with both parties. I see pettiness and group think and towin’ lines and complex agendas. What I don’t hear about or see, and maybe it’s just not as visible, is collaborative leadership and real solution development.

Vance is a Republican, so I went to the Republican Party’s official website to see if I could engage with their message – since I support Vance.

When I got there, what I saw was a huge insulting drawing of Nancy Pelosi as a puppet master, and I thought this is exactly the problem we have with government.

I was expecting to see what the Republican Party hoped to achieve, what ideas they had for doing it a better way, what the issues are and how they suggested we approach them, but instead I got a quasi hate message like something a bully would have drawn about another person in their notebook in high school.

So, I went to the Democratic Party’s website and saw Obama and thought, well, at least they are focusing on what they bring and not on the other side (and it’s silly that a president is on “a side” to begin with), but then I read the text. It said:

“Republicans are threatening to run on a platform of repealing health care reform.
The president’s message to them: Bring it On.”

… and I thought, that’s the same damn thing as the Pelosi drawing (just not as over-the-top).

Politics is like a game that’s based mostly on the self-importance of those playing it, and secondarily on the purpose of government. The flaunting of the animosity among them is like watching High School Musical or something. I am literally in disbelief with what I hear about the behavior and comments of those at the national level.

I’m sure there is much being done in those spaces, as well. But it’s not as visible somehow.

With frustration in both major political parties, with confusion towards the process, and with reservation towards those involved…

I will support Vance Stine for SC House.

Vance Stine is a good person who believes that the government can be more responsible and more productive. He is experienced in governing well and collaboratively, and he is running for the right reasons – change.

Vance wants tax reform to fund the schools and better manage the state’s resources and entrepreneurism to drive the economy.

I am helping Vance articulate his ideas on the web. I helped him with his website and web marketing. I believe that he is right on track to focus on:

1. Funding Education
2. Addressing Unemployment
3. Home Rule

It’s the economy stupid – but for the health and growth of our community – government for the people, by people.

Rock Hill, SC and York County as a whole…

We Are Succeeding

We are succeeding in that we

• are growing,
• are experiencing improved quality of life, and
• are adding jobs, homes, and schools.

We Are Failing

We are failing because somehow these facts exist:

• 22% unemployment in Rock Hill
• 15% unemployment in York County
• Schools have been stripped of funding, with not even enough dollars for basic operations, much less for growth and improvement

We Need

Work, not just jobs.

Solution

Evolve. Focus on identifying productive work and facilitating the micro-business, professional services, skilled knowledge worker individual citizen in contracting for that work and functioning as his/her own business. It is the nature of the new professional services marketplace. Professionals want work, not jobs. Organizations need work. There is work to be done. It’s the models among us that make all parties win.

Job Growth from 1985-2005

• Educational Services, Health Services, Social Assistance
  • ~94% Growth

• Professional and Business Services
  • ~93% Growth

Professional and Business Services

• Information Technology
• Financial
• Architectural / Engineering
• Marketing / Communications

The current 11,000 (according to Bruce Yandle) independent contractors functioning as sole businesses tells us that there are already many ways for a skilled individual to be contracted to do specialized work here in York County.

Look at the business models that you see in service businesses. Look at the financial adviser who is “captured” or not “captured”. Look at the REALTOR versus the real estate agent. Look at the residential developer, the architect, the builder, the stone master, the mason, the plumber, the electrician. We have seen these people, know these people, are these people.

As the Information Technology sector grows (with huge increases in spending from every sector), we are seeing the same kind of marketplace but with different skills. We see consultants and developers and coders and project managers and designers and writers and illustrators and administrators and marketing professionals (SEOs, PPCs, Copywriters).

These are the service providers of the small business marketplace

• 70% of small businesses outsourcing web marketing/consulting/development
• 55% of small businesses outsourcing IT

Combine the rapid growth of the small business service provider in every sector, and the above tendencies, and you have a services marketplace to be reckoned with.

What York County offers these individuals

• Old Town Rock Hill (walkable urban, hip in a laid-back Southern way)
• Villages of York County (rural, quaint, historic, friendly, small town livin’)
• Winthrop’s Interactive Media Program
• York Tech’s Web Program
• Green Trails
• State & National Parks
• Proximity to major metro (for airport and amenities and marketplace)

I see two trends emerging:

• the knowledge worker

• the web

My research tells me that the Professional Services marketplace (health, financial, technology, and more) is increasingly the engine of the US economy.

This marketplace is increasingly made-up of knowledge workers – those highly skilled workers who may function as employees, contracted employees, service provider companies, or freelancers. There are already 11,000 single-person businesses in York County, according to Bruce Yandle of Clemson University.

As for the web, my research tells me that around 70% of small businesses outsource their web marketing/consulting/development. Small public sector and non-profit organizations are no different.

There is work in clustering. A skilled knowledge worker can provide services to a national, even global marketplace, and contract with one another, and have an environment of shared learning.

We are here in Old Town Rock Hill.