Good Business or Bad Business?

Have you wondered lately just what the state of business is in Morrison?

Consider these items: During the past few months we have witnessed the loss of Vern's Home Furnishings, one of the Morrison Sesquicentennial's "Golden Businesses" (a 50 year old business), gone is Country Lane Floral, also a longtime Morrison business, The Cake Shop in downtown, The Popcorn Bowl (also downtown), Maria's Pizza (about 2 years old), Elwyn Nice Trucking, The Coffee Garden (14 years old), Mike Britt Electric (16 years), Hillendale Bed & Breakfast and now we see For Sale signs at restaurants Casa Gomez and Isle of Rhodes.Does this mean anything or nothing?

Business in Morrison certainly does not limit itself to simply downtown. In fact most of the businesses are outside of the Main Street location and according to the Morrison Chamber of Commerce records Morrison has over 200 separate businesses with wide diversity of products and services.The downtown locations however are the "frontline" of business as we know it in Morrison and therefore we all tend to think of the downtown area as a "business barometer".When we see closings or for sale signs in such proliferation we might tend to make quick opinions prior to all the facts being known.

Business in the year 2006 is not the way business was as recently as just a few years ago.A restaurant in Morrison now has competition not only with chain and specialty shops in Sterling and Clinton, but within 40 minutes on I88, a hungry Morrisonite can arrive for an evening meal in Moline and still have time to shop at Southpark Mall and be home for the 10:00 News.A gift shop in Morrison has competition from shops using that very same highway but also to the East to the suburbs of Chicago. Additionally, new competitors arrive by the minute via the Internet with thousands of products and competitive pricing, all can be ordered and guess what?....UPS will deliver those products to your very door in just a few days time!Within the last few years new television selling channels have emerged with names like QVC and HSN selling everything from steaks, chicken, lobster to candles and clothing.Seems like the availibilty of products is bulging and this doesn't even factor in the largest of all product and services company...Walmart and their Super Stores.

So the question:Is there Good Business opportunity in Morrison or should business owners just quit now and not try to compete with all those outside competitors?Not any easy answers is there?What if you had invested the last 15 years of your life as a Morrison business owner, had a mortgage on a building, inventory sitting idle, dwindling customers, kids in college, car payments?With aggressive outside competition with lots of money the answer to some might be get out before you are forced out. Better to leave on your own terms.

This writer has had the unique opportunity over the past 4 years to have participated in several business related experiences including the Chamber of Commerce and Morrison Sesquicentennial.Many ribbon cuttings were attended as new Morrison businesses eagerly opened their doors for the first time, some of which are now closed.Watching and listening to new business owners has always brought me new ideas of how to help me in my own business, including how not to run a business. I will always remember the wonderful lady who opened a downtown business just a few years ago who will remain anonymous and the business unnamed. I went to the ribbon cutting ceremony and she was in her mid 60's, which is a wonderful time of your life to open a new business!She was opening the business because she and her recently deceased husband had for over 30 years wanted to do this.She was fulfilling their dream and she was so happy she could just yell out loud and she wanted all of Morrison to hear her! What wonderful energy and enthusiasm she had!Within 3 months she closed her doors. Upon hearing the news I went to find out why and she was quite sincere and unapologetic in her quick response:"Morrison is not supportive of my business, the cost of heating is going up, it costs too much to advertise and I am going broke trying to run my business!".

Good business or bad business?Maybe, just maybe she just simply never ever imagined a more clearly defined business plan would have been the best option prior to opening the door on the ribbon cutting day.Or possibly, a dream of 30 years was simply that, an outdated business dream.

This column will end with just a few more words and really have no real ending with wisdom or clear answers to the state of business in Morrison. What I will say clearly is that Competition for Morrison businesses should not be seen as coming from our neighbors or the city or fellow business owners but rather begin to use other "C" words. Collaboration and Cooperation.This can happen and it needs to happen.But Morrison businesses need the help of others within the community.

The Morrison Chamber of Commerce, Morrison Economic Development Corporation and the city need to develop a comprehensive business plan for Morrison business. Currently, these three entities meet separately and have no collaboration between themselves.How can businesses grow or thrive in an environment that is supportive indvidually but not collectively?Morrison business has no unifying business voice, has no central leading economic voice and therefore is destined to remain lethargic and we say that is bad for business.There is a saying "If you wish to go somewhere you have never been before, you will have to do things you have never done before".When Morrison business leaders and business groups decide how to cooperate and communicate with each other can we label it Good Business.

(by Bob Vaughn, Guest Columnist)