In this article, I want to explore why a storefront in Clyde might remain empty for years.

First, let’s explore why anyone would want to own a building that just sits uninhabited. The reason anyone owns real estate is to make money. Some buy a building with hopes of filling it with tenants. Others are hoping to do some work on it and turn around and resell it for a profit. A few will buy a building with dreams of putting their own business in it.

The first two types of buyers are not necessarily motivated to fill the storefront with a business. They are by no means against it, but it is likely not priority number one. In Clyde, we allow apartments above the ground level in our downtown buildings. This is a good thing, because without the apartment income, there would be very little incentive to buy a downtown building. However, this can become a double-edged sword, because if a landlord is getting enough apartment income to at least break even, they can become satisfied to just sit on the building and not proactively look for a storefront tenant.

The third type of buyer would be highly motivated to fill the storefront, since it would be with their own business. Unfortunately, a downtown in general and Clyde specifically does not provide the kind of customer traffic that would encourage many businesses to take a risk to buy a downtown building. It is far safer to lease and see what happens.

So what does happen when a business leases a Clyde storefront? It is easy to tell a sad story. We have all seen stores come and go. We are all weighed down with the opinion that a business cannot make it in Clyde. That is simply untrue. There are many businesses that have been in Clyde for years, some for generations. The fact is that a business can make it in downtown Clyde. Of course, some businesses are better suited for it than others.

There are a lot of things going against downtown Clyde in terms of getting businesses in. The fact that we don’t bring a large number of people is obviously a big one. Taxes in New York are another. I would add that some building owners are just not highly motivated to get a store in, while the ones who are have to struggle against all the things that keep businesses out of Clyde.

I have been encouraged to see improvements being made to our buildings over the recent years. I know the Chamber of Commerce is playing a vital role in helping building owners spruce up their buildings. This is an important first step. In some ways, if we can look the part of an active, vibrant downtown, we can start to act the part as well. But it is not enough to just have the building look nice.

While an owner may be able to break even or even make a few bucks with some apartments, they would do even better with a business tenant downstairs as well. All of Clyde would be better for it. But of course, we cannot just snap our fingers and have businesses come to Clyde. There is no natural pull. We are not a tourist town, though we do get tourists. We aren’t known for anything, like antiques or some great historical event. We are just another village, though we have a lot more going for us than some give us credit for.

I think that this lack of focus, lack of a natural pull is one of the biggest roadblocks to our buildings being full. In order to bring businesses in to Clyde, we need to provide the proper incentives and atmosphere. Without a good reason to come to Clyde, many of our storefronts will continue to sit empty, as they do in villages all around us.

Yet, perhaps if we can come together we can change the rules. Maybe we can work together and put Clyde on the map for something. In the next few blog posts, I am going to outline some of my ideas for what Clyde can become known for in the coming years. Please feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section.

I have heard complaints that people in Clyde just don’t care, or don’t want to get involved. I don’t believe that for an instant. I think we all care about the community in which we live. I think the lack of involvement has more to do with a lack of clear vision and leadership than anything else.

Sure, it won’t immediately cure what ails us, but I believe it is important to cast a vision for the future of Clyde. Here are some things I would like to see. Feel free to add your two cents in the comment section below.

Downtown

Our downtown is like many other downtowns in the region, and throughout the country. We have empty storefronts and little foot traffic. We can’t flip a switch and go back to the way it was, but there are things we can do to improve our downtown. First, we can spruce up the buildings. Owners have been stepping up recently and things are actually starting to look nice. The Chamber has helped out by finding grants for facade improvement.

Even though the storefronts are empty, they don’t have to look empty. Local citizens and groups like Clyde SPAN have been helping to decorate some of the empty storefronts, and we can do more.

But the real answer is to get businesses to buy in to Clyde. We could just give up on downtown, and chalk it up to a changing economy. Or we can get creative. As a community, we can come together to make our downtown work again. We may have to use the buildings for non-traditional things, or maybe we need to develop a persona for downtown, such as a center for crafts and antiques, or a place for low cost professional office space.

Much of this can be done with citizen and business involvement. The government can help by making downtown an active place to run a business. We can also do more to help out the building owners. Currently, there are a few things that increase the cost of ownership in downtown, like a tax on every toilet, whether it is in use or not.

We can do away with regulations that keep businesses away. We can also do things to attract business, such as looking into providing access to high speed internet via wifi, and perhaps tax incentives.

Together, we can make downtown vibrant again.

Grocery Store

The number one thing on many people’s wish list for Clyde is a grocery store. The ball is already rolling on trying to find a grocer who will come to Clyde. Officials and volunteers have not been sitting idle, and hopefully together with a willing entrepreneur, Clyde will have a grocery again. When we do, we need to support it as a community. We also should look for a unique store to bring to Clyde, so that people from the region will travel here to our store.

Standard of Living

Of course, its not all about business. Clyde is also a place to call home. For many, it has been home for a long time. I grew up in Galen and am raising my family in Clyde. We enjoy quite streets and a pleasant walking community. But there are some things we can do to improve.

First, we can continue to work on infrastructure. Our roads and sidewalks need constant attention. Our water supply and piping must be kept up to date. We also need to ensure our community continues to be safe. We can’t stop supporting our police officers and fire volunteers.

But status quo is not good enough. Many of our residents are retired, and we should celebrate that. We have many community events now, but we can do a better job of promoting them and getting more people involved. We can also add more things to do, for retirees and working families alike.

I personally would like to see more in the way of events and festivals that will attract outsiders, yes, but also help us to bond as a community. In today’s world, we are all going 100 mph in different directions. The one thing we all share in common is the community in which we live. So lets do more together as a community.

Taxes

Taxes are too high. It is a statewide, even countrywide problem. On a local level, we need to collect taxes primarily to upkeep roads and other infrastructure, keep our streets safe, and to make improvements for the future of our village. We struggle because we have a decreasing population, and that means we have less people to share the load.

We need to improve the village to bring in new residents and businesses. Some of that can be done with tax and grant money. A lot of it needs to be done through individual effort. We can do a lot to improve the image of Clyde without spending a ton of money. This will help.

We need to seriously consider every penny we spend as a government. We need to find ways to cut costs so we can cut taxes. We also need to take our case to the State to stop sending unfunded mandates down to the local level.

I believe in a small government. I believe in a vibrant community that gets things done as a community. As we move forward, we need to develop our vision for the future of Clyde together. This is something we need to do together, with open minds and the heart to get the job done.

Clyde can be a unique and interesting place to live and visit. We just need to roll up our sleeves and get to work on it.

Let me know what you think about the future of Clyde in the comments section below.

As I walk around the village and talk to people, getting a new grocery store in Clyde is on the top of everyone’s list. Unfortunately, it is a difficult process to bring in something that big, especially since large grocery chains aren’t exactly eying small stores in small towns like Clyde.

What Has Been Done So Far

So what can we do? First, let’s get up to date on what has been done so far. The Mayor, the Town Supervisor, and many concerned citizens have been actively trying to recruit grocery stores to add a location in Clyde. All of the major chains have been talked to, along with a lot of smaller regional grocers.

As far as the big chains are concerned, there has been no real interest. Better progress has been made with smaller chains, with at least one grocer giving it more than a passing glance. Currently, elected officials, the Chamber, and concerned citizens are following up on another possible buyer.

The goal is to reach out to possible grocers and to let them know the community will support a new store. We are going to keep those efforts up, and may have to ratchet up the community element to make some real progress. At the end of the day, a grocery store takes a lot of money to start up, and money is tight these days.

What We Can Do To Help a New Store

There are a few things we can do as a community to help bring in  new store. From a civic level, we can work to secure grants or loans to help any new store owner. Of course, we can’t just snap our fingers and get money. Getting a grant, for instance, is usually a long and involved process.

Besides the money, we can band together as a community and voice our support for a new store. Any new owner will want to know if Clyde can support a grocery store. We can. We will. If a grocer is interested, we need to be supportive as a community.

Another thing we can do is to help paint a picture for a new store. What would our ideal grocery store look like? Would it be nice to have a deli? A bakery? What about a nice organic section? Part of what would make a small store in a small town successful would be if it filled a niche. If it had something surrounding stores did not, so that our neighbors from nearby towns would travel here.

So, if the closest place to buy organic food is Newark, why not encourage an organic grocery, or at least one that has a large organic section? Or how about a store with a really decent bakery? There are many ways a grocery in Clyde can stand out, serve our needs and attract business from the region.

The Old P&C is Not the Only Option

Of course, if we really want to think outside of the box, we need to consider all of our options. How about a downtown grocery store? There are a lot of vacant buildings and a downtown grocery could have a positive impact on our community. The old Bargain Center would make for a great small grocery. Perhaps Clyde doesn’t need something as big as the P&C. Perhaps what we need is a really quality small grocery.

There is a lot of support for a small downtown grocery, and some great possibilities. But the issues are the same. Getting someone interested, someone with money of their own to invest. We can help out by finding grants and loans, and with the support of the community. All in all, everything and everyone has to work together to make a grocery in Clyde work. It might be cheaper and easier to get a small downtown grocery started, and if so we should pursue it.

We should pursue all options and opportunities when it comes to bringing in a grocery store. What we need is a pitch committee, who can market Clyde and our visions of an ideal grocery to prospective buyers. We can even re-approach some of the larger chains if we have a good enough pitch.

This is something I personally will stay involved in, whether elected Trustee or not. Having a grocery in Clyde is an important issue, and we can not rest until something is accomplished.

We currently live in an era of disconnection. We have access to the world via the web, and we have access to more places because of our great roads and vehicles. We are not afraid to travel, and most of us do so for work, shopping, and fun. Because we all are moving in different directions, it is often harder to connect with each other.

Instead of connecting based on geography, we tend to connect based on interest. I personally have friends all over the world who share an interest in entrepreneurship. Overall, having wide open ability to travel and connect online is a good thing. But does it hurt our small towns?

We do not have as strong a sense of place as we used to. That is a fact, so I will not bemoan it. But my question is this, how can all of us better connect with the place in which we live? In other words, how can we engender a sense of home that can be shared with other members of the community?

I believe a big part of connecting with a place, with making it home so to speak, is to get more involved with that place. It is a good goal to engender pride in the community in which you live. We have a lot of pride in our hometown, but we also can easily disconnect from it. Only a small portion of us experience an event at any one time, whether it be a high school football game, a carnival, or a village hall meeting.

Idealists would hope to increase numbers at these types of events. They would hope that through sheer force of will we could get more people to shop locally and to seek out local entertainment. But a lot of things have to work together to provide a swell in community involvement.

I think before we can increase involvement, we need to work on  improving communication. Small towns don’t have papers anymore, but most of us have access to the internet. I think it would be nice if we could be better informed as a community about what is going on, politically, socially, with businesses and families. And I think it could all start with a few simple tools, perhaps a website and an email list.

Once more of us know what our village has to offer, more of us will get involved. It may be a trickle, but one more local shopper, one more family enjoying a pleasant day at the park, one more business learning about a new opportunity will help a community to grow.

What do you think?

It is Easy to Incite Muslim Rage

However, his actions have made a pretty important point. Here we have a pastor of a tiny church in Florida who says he is going to burn some Korans. Next thing you know, we have a world crisis. Just the idea that someone might burn a Koran has set off a fury across the world. Muslims have been rioting and protesting because of this. In one newscast, I saw demonstrators burning the American flag.

I understand that people can love the Koran and be upset when someone destroys it. I love my country. I love the American flag and all that is stands for. I hate to see it burnt. But yet, some Muslims insist on protesting the burning of their beloved Koran by burning something else that is beloved by others, the American flag.

Rage Seems to be Widespread

But that is just subtext. The thing that is even more troubling is how large numbers of Muslims will turn to outrage and violence over something as simple as one small church burning the Koran. We’ve seen it in Europe, where people have been murdered because of slights against the Prophet Muhammad.

Religious Intolerance

Apparently the Muslim religion places great respect on certain symbols. To destroy the Koran is blasphemy in their eyes. So is portraying Muhammad visually or disparaging him in any way. If this is part of their religion, fine. But I have heard Muslim leaders tell us how tolerant their religion is. Its not so tolerant if they feel the need to enforce the laws of their religion on people who do not follow that religion. That is the ultimate form of intolerance.

It is deeply disturbing that one man could cause a world-wide crisis by threatening to burn the Koran. Such is the uproar that the President of the United States felt he needed to comment on it, and the Secretary of Defense personally called this pastor because he felt burning the Koran would put American lives in danger.

Who is to Blame for American Deaths?

If burning a book can put the lives of Americans in harms way, I cannot lay the blame at the feet of the person who is just acting out on his right to free speech. As wrong-headed as Pastor Jones is, he has the right to be stupid. But if his stupidity causes Muslims to kill more Americans, the problem is with Muslims, not the book-burning Pastor. Muslims need to learn the importance of freedom of speech and religious tolerance. America is probably the most religiously tolerant nation in history. In many Muslim nations, being a Christian (or converting to Christianity) can get you killed.

The Curse of Extremism

If Muslims want a place in society, they need to learn real tolerance. I hate making a blanket statement like that, because many Muslims are very tolerant. However, there are vast swaths of the Muslim world that operate in extremism, hate, and vitriol. It is not the religion that scares most Americans, it is that whole nations are under the curse of extremism, paving the way for terrorism and repression.

What’s Wrong at Ground Zero?

Which brings me to the Ground Zero mosque. Why are so many Americans against the building of a mosque near Ground Zero? On the surface, it is easy to say that we are intolerant or politically motivated. And, in fact, that is likely the case for some.

It grates at many people that a mosque is going to replace one of the buildings that was damaged on September 11th. Of course, its not a mosque, really. It is a high-rise building (13 stories) that will include a prayer room along with a bunch of other things, like a pool, and a September 11th memorial. There will not be a minaret going up within sight of the Ground Zero, but that is probably the impression many people get based on the coverage of this.

Property Rights versus the Right Choice

I have a hard time with the question of whether this Muslim center should be built. I believe in property rights and freedom of religion, so legally I think it probably can move forward. But what of the other arguments? Many people are saying that it is insensitive to build a mosque so near Ground Zero. But I imagine that the leaders behind the building, if they are sincere, have as their goal healing rather than hurting. Yet, there are questions about the real motivations of the leaders, as well as their funding sources. These things, of course, should be investigated.

Is the building of the mosque the same thing as the burning of the Korans? In some ways, it is. It is perfectly legal, but maybe not the smartest thing to do. However, I am more against burning of books than building a religious building. It is true that some American mosques attract extremists. There is fear this will happen at the Ground Zero mosque. But we can’t be sure.

How Do We Monitor Extremism?

There is a greater question at stake. How do we best prevent Muslim extremism within our borders? How do we ensure American mosques are not preaching hate? This is especially difficult when we cannot, and should not, police religion.

Perhaps the best thing we can do is to continue to embrace religious tolerance. We should not trample on the rights of Muslims, nor do we in general. At the same time, we should not become afraid of extreme Muslim reprisal. As stupid as the example in Florida is, we should not be afraid to burn the Koran.

To peacefully co-exist, we must let others behave as they like, within the law. This goes for Christians and Muslims. There does not need to be a religious war between the two. Instead, Muslims should be allowed to preach the merits of their religion to Christians, and Christians should be allowed to preach the merits of their religion to Muslims. It seems many Muslims in the Middle East want us to accept their religion, but refuse to allow our religion to have a free voice in their countries.

True Tolerance

In America, we can practice true religious tolerance. When a Christian and a Muslim can preach to one another, and neither is shut up or killed, that is the truest form of tolerance. Some think that tolerance is respecting Muslims but not trying to convert them. If we can’t preach other religions, how is this tolerance?

We must set the example for the rest of the world. We must embrace religious tolerance when it comes to moderate Islam, and we must take a stand against the extreme fringe of the religion, the fringe that brings violence in the name of Allah.

You can read more about why I am running for trustee here.

I am grateful for the opportunity to run, and if I am elected I will serve dutifully and work hard to make sure everyone in the village knows what is going on and gets a voice.

If anyone has any questions anytime prior to the election, feel free to email me (click here) or call me at 294-0019.

I look forward to meeting a lot of new people and getting a much broader sense of the issues and concerns of Clyde residents. I believe David and I will start walking the village and visiting everyone starting in early September.

Why it works

Here is why positive thinking is good and often effective. When you are thinking about positive things you are not focused on negative things. I think we can all agree that always seeing the negative side of life can really get you down. Focusing on the positive helps you to be more upbeat and energetic. Also, with positive thinking you are often thinking ahead to the future. That is obviously a good thing. Planning makes a lot of things possible, after all.

What is wrong with it

The only thing wrong with positive thinking as a way of life is that people take it too far. They banish negative thoughts and will not even deign to consider the bad things that happen or could happen. This is not realistic. You do not have to ignore the bad things in life to maintain a positive attitude. In fact, it is unhealthy to do so.

Positive thinking should not be about ignoring the negative things. It should not be about falsely banishing bad emotions and thoughts by not acknowledging their existence. Instead, true positive thinking looks at bad things in a different light. To have a positive mindset is to find the good in every situation.

How you should think

Here is what works for me. I maintain optimism by thinking about and being thankful for all of the good things I have. When my kids are being a pain, I take a moment to appreciate that they are part of my life. I also try to take an optimistic look at the future. I know that there are endless possibilities for success out there. I also know that each one will take a lot of hard work. I can’t just envision my way to success (and neither can you).

When bad things happen, or even more commonly, when I lose focus and have to deal with stress, I sometimes get in a funk. The best way out is to look forward, not backward. A life spent dwelling on the mistakes of the past is a life poorly lived. I agree that you should look more to the promise of the future than the heartbreak of the past.

Beyond that, I have learned how to find enjoyment in pretty much everything. There is much to enjoy in life, though sometimes it takes paying attention to the details. When you find enjoyment, you will find that you have a much more positive outlook on life (and you won’t have to fake it).

I am fascinated by knowledge. It is interesting to me how one person can completely get how to do something, and the person beside them can be clueless. Not to say that we can all learn everything. Our conscious brains can’t hold that much information. So we learn what is important to us.

The Skills We Need

Lots of times what we learn has to do with the job that we do. A mechanic is always going to be better at fixing cars than a lawyer, even if that lawyer is pretty handy with a wrench. Why is a mechanic an expert? Simply because she works at it every day. Sure, there is aptitude involved, but most of us are more adept than we give ourselves credit for.

Helping Others

Does what you know do you any good? Sure it does. It helps you do your job, live your life. But I wonder if your knowledge could somehow help someone else. I mean, does anyone ever ask you for advice on a anything? No one asks me for advice on fixing cars, but plenty of people are interested in my opinions on computers, blogging, and business. Why? Because this is the realm in which I operate.

You can be helpful in the realm that you operate. Beyond that, you can probably make money (or more money) by being helpful. This is a way of introduction for me, to explain what I do. I help you be helpful to more people, and to make money doing it.

If you are wondering what planet I am from, don’t worry. Everything will get clearer. My job is to help you sort out your knowledge and find new ways to share it.

Repackage Your Content

Here’s a quick example. I recently met someone who put out a very nice video on a topic he knows something about. It is a wonderful resource, and he is using it to attract business. The topic of the video is actually brilliant, in my opinion. So, while I’m watching this video, I’m thinking, how can this be shared more widely. Something like a video can be turned into multiple useful things, such as an e-book, a webinar, a book, or even an educational course.

If you are already creating content, I can show you how to maximize the content, and perhaps how to monetize it.

But I Sell Real Things

And what if you aren’t really creating content? What if you are trying to make money the old-fashioned way, by selling a product and not ideas. Well, first of all, you are my hero. What you do, creating and selling something, is hard work. Here is how I would help you. I would first of all see if there are any supplemental knowledge products you could create and sell in complement to what you are already doing. Secondly, I would work with you to take the vast knowledge you have about your product and customers and to turn that into content, in the form of a blog, a newsletter, an e-book, a webinar, etc. Those things would not be for sale themselves. Instead, they would become marketing tools. I can teach you how to sell more by using an educational approach.

If you are ready to learn more, give me a call at 1-866-923-5608 or email me at bradford@broadrivercreative.com. If you aren’t ready yet, bookmark this blog for future reference. I’ll be waiting for you.

So here it is. From now on my namesake blog will be home to my personal brand. More to come.