As we have discussed in prior blogs, our home base of Keene, NH is, quite simply, a great place to be. We have fun in the summertime, sponsor and participate in some great community events, have historic running races, international film festivals, and, of course, Pumpkin Festivals including new family oriented events, the Monadnock Fall Fest and the Monadnock Pumpkin Festival. In fact, for those of you who have never visited our fair city, we have even assembled a little relocation guide just for you!
It thus came as a bit of a surprise to read in our local paper, the Keene Sentinel, that a visiting economist mentioned that Keene might have a bit of a public reputation problem. Ok, problem might be a strong word – but apparently, we have been keeping our little slice of heaven a well-kept secret, perhaps even a too well-kept secret, and not getting the word out that Keene is a great place to live, start a business and hire great people. It seems our external reputation should be better focused toward attracting new companies and workers.
And, he may be right.
With talent and skilled professionals at a premium, it is a well-known fact that younger people are leaving New Hampshire for early career positions elsewhere. We need to get the word out that we love where we live (and work) and offer the best of both worlds – country living, economic opportunity, and enough city amenities to stay connected. It is a fine balance of economy, industry, and natural beauty, or to coin a phrase, the best of both worlds – city life and country life, and a great place to raise a family. The fact is, attracting and sustaining new ventures while expanding existing businesses, is critical to keep our economy strong and to grow and attract the human capital necessary to keep businesses anchored to the area.
It is therefore in our best interest to be vocal about where we work and why we love where we live, to attract new talent and business leaders to the area. As we have written about before, Reputation Matters, and in 2016 we have more means of building a reputation than ever: advertising, social media, news outlets, word of mouth – there are just so many ways to spread positive messages about our community. So let’s make a dedicated effort to tell the world that Keene and the Monadnock Region is a terrific place to work, raise a family and start new businesses so that we may continue to attract the best and brightest people to live, work and recreate in this area. We have a solid economic base, excellent public resources, a beautiful landscape and a solid employment base. By encouraging others to take a chance and start their businesses here, locally, we can continue to build upon our existing economy which ultimately will benefit us all. And when you notice an uptick in business, and see your orders grow, you will be looking to hire new skilled workers, which is precisely where Masiello Employment can assist.
As you can see, it is win-win for everyone!