by Phil Hardwick Published: June 26,2011
Tags: Phil Hardwick, winery
Winston County, Miss., is on a roll. Sales tax collections are up, there are no vacancies on Main Street, Chamber of Commerce membership is growing, there is a great new restaurant downtown and there is even a new winery in town. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet, which [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: May 29,2011
Tags: MBJ column, nonprofit, Phil Hardwick
If you have been asked to serve on a nonprofit board of directors it is now more important than ever that you understand what such service involves and that you treat seriously your responsibilities. First, did you know that most nonprofit organizations are now required to file a Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: May 1,2011
Tags: civic engagement, MBJ column, Phil Hardwick
When it comes to civic engagement — voting, participation in town meetings, political involvement and the like — apathy is often cited as the primary reason that most people do not get involved. Dave Meslin, a community activist and self-described “rabble-rouser” in Toronto, Canada, says that we need to redefine apathy not as some internal [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: April 17,2011
Tags: advertising, MBJ column, Phil Hardwick
Advertising is now so ubiquitous that no one in any place is spared from messaging by commercial interests. It is estimated that the typical person will be exposed to 300 to 700 messages per day. And that is for people who do not surf the Internet. Will city hall be the next hallowed ground to [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: March 20,2011
Tags: MBJ Columns, Phil Hardwick
Communities are constantly changing. Some change relatively slowly, as the decennial census data is revealing. Others change rather rapidly as exemplified by the civil uprisings in the Middle East. Still others change almost instantly because of natural disasters, as evidenced by recent earthquakes and floods. As census data comes out it is apparent that the [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: March 3,2011
Tags: MBJ Columns, Phil Hardwick
(1) What is migration, and what is the difference between in-migration and out-migration? The 2010 census data are resulting in a plethora of local news articles about population growth and decline. Many community leaders are cheering because their communities had a population increase. As sports commentator Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast my friend.” [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: February 20,2011
Tags: newspapers, online strategy, Phil Hardwick
For a news junkie like me these are the best of times. For newspapers, especially small town ones, these are times filled with apprehension and opportunity. And it is all because of technology and the Internet. Today, people in rural communities and smaller towns, especially those that lack affordable high-speed Internet access, will most likely [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: February 6,2011
Tags: MBJ Columns, Phil Hardwick
The U.S. Postal Service is in chaos. That is not necessarily a bad thing because it must change. And for fundamental change to occur in an organization there must be chaos, which is defined as a state of disorder or confusion. Let us look at some examples of the chaos and the ways that the [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: January 23,2011
Tags: MBJ column, Phil Hardwick
Community leaders seem to love the idea of capturing the essence of their city, town or village with a motto, slogan or moniker. Sometimes these words of description bring pride and enthusiasm. Sometimes they outlive their usefulness and become the brunt of jokes. Whatever the case, it is a fascinating exercise to attempt to connect [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: January 9,2011
Tags: MBJ column, Phil Hardwick
The other day I was talking with a CEO who had moved his rather large business (over 200 employees) from downtown to the suburbs. There were many factors involved, he said, but the thing that made the decision easy was that, “I was offered a deal that I could not refuse.” Conversely, a real estate [...] [...]
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