"You can't paint over the sign," they said. "When you go out of business, we want to go back to the old sign." Well thanks.
This was actual feedback I got from one of the members of our local historical community when I applied for new signage for my very first coworking space.
No better way to make a new business owner feel welcome in the community than predicting their demise and letting them know the signage of a business that left years ago would be better to see than yours.
This was shortly after the local newspaper wrote "local business owner to offer hourly stalls to transient workers".
This was shortly before the neighbor came out and spray painted the property line onto the side walk and watched as we planted a new garden to ensure none of the plants crossed over onto her property.
Sometimes it's hard to know if what you are trying to do will be welcome, is needed, is what is right. Starting something new is putting yourself out there for everyone to see, to comment on, and to critique. And as we know, often the most negative voices are the loudest.
I do think however, that it's important to be able to look at things from all sides - if you can't onjectively look at all aspects of your business, handle some constructive criticism, and aren't willing to overcome a few obstacles then are you really that commited to your vision?
This blog is a rambling attempt to take you through the musings, wondering, and doubts that I sometimes worry about when starting a new project.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, similar experiences, or anything really. And if you or someone you know is thinking about starting a coworking space in a small town feel free to reach out - we can worry about it together :)
Being a part of bringing entrepreneurial ecosystems to life in new places brings with it a level of responsibility. And part of respecting that responsibility is taking a little time to reflect on the mission and whether or not it's really serving people and making a true positive impact on the world - because we really do want to be a part of positively changing the world!
https://lnkd.in/g-ABRZRF
3X Founder, Public Speaker & Content Creator (2K+) | Ambassador @ YPUK, OuterCircle, INVESTATE & YFA | Community Coordinator @ OuterCircle | Final Year GCSE Student @ UTC Reading
10moInteresting