While Shop Local campaigns may generate a slight bump in local sales for a few weeks, the results are usually mediocre and temporary. This is not a criticism of the people running these campaigns. The problem is, instead, with the nature of the Shop Local campaign itself. Ditch your Shop Local Campaign for a Discover Local initiative, and see a permanent change in local consumer behavior.
FOR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Workshop
Seven Forces
What’s squeezing small towns
(and what to do about it)
In this powerful workshop designed for community leaders, Jason uses data, humor, and real-world case studies to provide a new perspective on the daunting economic reality faced by small cities, towns, and rural communities today: Even as economic development efforts succeed, the people in your community struggle.
A Workshop for Local Leadership
SEVEN FORCES
What’s squeezing small towns
(and what to do about it)
Workshop Audience
- Town, City, and County Councils/Commissioners
- Economic and Community Development Councils, Boards, and Departments
- Curated Community Leadership Groups
- Chamber of Commerce Boards
Workshop Take-Aways
- An eye-opening understanding of the economic forces impacting your community
- A detailed description of creative community responses to these economic forces
- Examples and case studies to help you design action steps for your own community
Workshop Content
In the Seven Forces workshop for local leaders, Jason describes the seven national economic forces that negatively impact local economies while exploring seven creative community responses for success in the face of those challenges.
Economic Force
Increasing Wealth Disparity
Community Response
Redefine community success to be centered on the individual economic health of the people in your community and thus change how you design and measure economic development.
Economic Force
Extractive vs Circulatory Economics
Community Response
Rewrite the criteria for business recruitment and development to place value on (and measure) circulatory economic outcomes for the community.
Economic Force
Workforce Inversion & Disconnect
Community Response
Design and manage workforce development initiatives that invert the supply/demand paradigm and use community connectivity to support services that empower people to work successfully.
Economic Force
The Small Business Retail Gap
Community Response
Design, implement, and manage Discover Local Initiatives to flip the retail gap of your downtown and other shopping districts from a negative gap to a positive one, providing a platform for small business success.
Economic Force
Capitalism vs. Free Market Economics
Community Response
Design incentives that encourage broad local market participation while discouraging asset lock-up and wealth harvesting through absent corporate ownership.
Economic Force
Natural Resource Ownership & Control
Community Response
Understand the value of your natural resources and design revenue-generating models through the continued ownership and control of those resources.
Workshop Costs
Workshop Fee: $2,500 (Community-Level)
Workshop Fee: $5,000 (State-Level)
Printed Materials for Workshop
Mileage Reimbursement (if driving)
Airfare Reimbursement (if flying)
Transportation Reimbursement (if flying)
Hotel Accommodations (if applicable)
A Workshop for Local Leadership
SEVEN FORCES
What’s squeezing small towns
(and what to do about it)
Ideas for Change
Visionary Person
“Jason is a visionary person with a remarkable ability to put ideas into action. In supporting economic development, highest recommendations!” — Stephen Turner, Director of Urban and Economic Development, Rock Hill, SC (retired)
Crystal Clear
“Jason’s keynote presentation made Economic Development crystal clear.” — Patty Schmucker, EDC Team Jefferson, WA
High Value
“The one word I would use to describe the actual meat and bones of his talk would be: high-value.” — Leslie Friedman, Executive Director, Elbert County Chamber of Commerce
From the Heart
“Jason speaks from the heart. I would highly recommend him again.” — Anthony Gallo, President, Lorain County Chamber of Commerce
Unreal Good
“This was the best seminar I was privileged to attend in the past two months. The speaker was unreal good and the info he gave us has already had a positive impact on our town. Good job. No, great job. Thank you.” — Bill Beall, Mayor, Federalsburg, MD
Truly Inspirational
“Jason is a seasoned speaker with a charismatic style that blends messaging around economic development, community building and marketing. Truly inspirational!” — Lynn Carpenter, VP Marketing, VisitCalifornia
A Hit for Sure
“Jason provided our group with a great mix of data, humor, and insights that were informative and entertaining at the same time. We’ve received very positive feedback from attendees. He was a hit for sure!” — B Gorman, President & CEO, Tahoe Chamber
Exceptional
“Jason… Your share in Salisbury was exceptional on many levels.” — Bob Rich, Owner, Delmarva Farm Management Services / Land Advisor, Sperry Van Ness
Icing on the Cake
“Your presentation was the icing on the cake. You brought a very inspiring and well thought out message. I would love to see your ideas begin to root here in Nevada.” — Sheryl Gonzales, Project Manager, Western Nevada Development District
Uncanny
“Jason’s ability to convey the message of how crowdsourcing can be used as a tool to spur redevelopment efforts is uncanny. He has made the connection between public engagement and community redevelopment.” — Wade Luther II, Economic Development Director, Camden, SC
Visionary
“Jason is a self-organizing and visionary entrepreneur and a leader in our community.” — Debra Heintz, Executive Director, Arts Council of York County (retired)
Excites the Mind
“Jason excites the mind when he is speaking. He is creative and brings the ever-changing culture to the discussion of long-time problems. He looks through new eyes. Our 60-plus CEO attendees enjoyed his talk greatly…and are still referring to his ideas!” — T. Jan Wiseman, Executive Director, Greater Salisbury Committee
Incredible Ability
“Jason has the incredible ability to take complex, creative ideas and articulate those ideas in a very powerful way. Our community WILL move forward thanks to Jason Broadwater.” — David Bradley, President & CEO, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
Thought-Leadership Articles
Save Your Community’s Small Businesses from Extractive Debt
A Small Business Debt Fund can save your community’s local small businesses from extractive debt cycles that kill small businesses and send money out of the local economy.
Category Marketing: How Small Businesses Win
Category Marketing: How Small Businesses Win The Art If David would have walked out to meet Goliath with sword and…
Extractive Economics: Why communities are getting poorer & what to do about it
Are the people of your community getting richer or poorer? Well, by isolated metrics, like wages and 401ks, one could argue richer. But by lived experience, in relation to the important expenses of our lives and our ability to build wealth over time, the clear answer is poorer. But why? The answer is woven into our economic system.
Kids, Character, and Workforce Economics
There is no better workforce investment than my wife. My wife is a counselor at a small, rural, Title I elementary school in South Carolina. How much money is being spent to address the soft-skills crisis in the US right now? How many billions of dollars? How many employers report that workers struggle with communication, teamwork, adaptability, conflict management, and self-regulation? Working with adults is triage. We must invest in the future of our workforce.
Individual Economic Health
Economic Developers have traditionally focused on business recruitment and real estate development. Now we find ourselves in workforce development, skills training, soft-skills, even transportation and childcare. We need a new perspective on what it means to serve a community in Economic Development.
Shift: Pending U.S. Economic Crisis
More people are getting poorer over time. We must evolve our understanding of the economy so that we can see the pending crisis that lurks underneath. Only then can we design the changes that will avoid calamity and create a better future for all.
The Agriconomy as an Economic Development Strategy for York County, South Carolina
York County should invest significantly in developing the “Agriconomy” (as I call it) – agri-business, agri-tourism, agri-lifestyle, etc. – in the western part of the county.
20 Solutions that You May Not Like for the Economic Crisis in the US
Some of you will not like these solutions… I get it. Some of these are pretty radical. But, the fact remains, doing all of (or even some of) these things that I spell out below would help combat the economic crisis in the US, The Great Slide I call it, of the working class into poverty.
Change Needed in the City’s Approach to Residential Development
Recently, I attended a joint meeting of City Council and the Planning Commission in Rock Hill, SC. I was among the listening public.