Part 4 of ???
And speaking of accessibility, that is key as it relates to transportation. Just like everything else, more is better. In my small community, we have active rail running through our community. We have a city airport along with a regional airport twenty minutes away. Two major airports are about three hours away. We are at the crossroads of both north/south and east/west four-lane highways. We are just short of three hours away from a Great Lakes port. Where does your community stand? This, of course, is the toughest of all to impact locally, but it can be a deal breaker.
Transportation is key to supply chain and market availability specifically. Can the supply chain, which is already a huge challenge, get to you? One of our businesses has about two hundred semi-trucks/trailers come in and out daily. That’s a good thing. They’ve expanded four times recently. Because of whom they are and what they do, transportation works for them.
The talent and labor challenge has shifted tremendously. Both retaining and attracting talent is an enormous challenge. But if nothing changes, then nothing changes. Again, gimmicks for attracting and hiring come and go. As I go out and speak, coach, train, and teach with businesses, it is clear talent in the workforce wants engagement and purpose. Talent needs to understand basic business skills and leadership.
And site selectors and businesses need talent to be in your community. The community must again collaborate. The mindset needs to be that if we can retain one employee, we retain those around them. If we attract one person to our community, that person may very well bring others, or at least speak highly of the community. Too many businesses are myopic in this arena…to be continued…