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Bizually Stimulating and YP Friendly. Dayton. That. Is.

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This is the first in a series of articles geared towards promoting that young people start thinking out of the “help me” box.  Help yourself by believing in your ideas and moving forward with your venture.  I’m not flipping the bird on your desire to keep existing businesses here in Dayton as well as young professionals in the area, but waiting on some big government push is not the answer. Take a realistic approach and social responsibility for what’s happening in YOUR region. Be the force that drives attention our way and a catalyst for growth our innovative city.

In the midst of being involved with several organizations that are trying to either keep or bring businesses (or both) to the Dayton region, it dawned on me that with all this talent in this region how about a young professional push to START more businesses in Dayton?  Event after event, committee meeting after committee meeting a common gripe I hear is often related to what the government is doing to help rebuild Dayton. My point is, why are we waiting on big gov to save the day and is there a slight possibility that with a little belief in our own ideas and concepts along with a little entrepreneurial spirit, resources and creative funding, can we (we the people) make Dayton even more bizually stimulating to the eyes, mind and wallet. Organizations are working aggressively to bring and keep, who’s starting?

Before I continue with the reason on why starting a business in Dayton is great idea, I will first address some of the reservations a younger generation of entrepreneurial minds may have.  What are some of the most difficult challenges faced in entrepreneurship? Let’s go with the obvious.

“How in the world will I fund this?” It’s a valid question, guess what? Funds are available.

If you want to ask the government for anything; How about taking advantage of some of what they’re already offering to help with? Funding programs for business startup are becoming more readily available in an effort by the government to boost job creation. Grants aside, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a variety of loan programs designed for different tiers of entrepreneurship. In Dayton specifically there are several programs available to assist new business ventures. Our region is on the brink of becoming one of the nation’s leaders in technology and if your idea or concept is “techlike” right here in Dayton, The Entrepreneur Center or TEC Dayton has been helping technology based concepts at all levels of development. In fact, 38 out of 51 businesses fostered by this  initiative are still in existence today. That’s positive news, eh?  Also here in Dayton, The Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helping people start, sustain and grow their businesses right here in our region. The SBDC, with more than 40 partnerships that contribute over $10 million in cash to small business initiatives obviously has your financial back.

Questionable Concept. Why does Dayton need your idea?

One of the most common things people face is lack of confidence in their concept, product or service. There is no guarantee that anything we create will be a huge success, but does that mean we shouldn’t give it a shot? I would never suggest going in blind. Believe in your idea but also do the research required prior to unveiling. What do I mean when I say research? Well, ask the important questions:

Is there a need for what I’m cooking up? Always remember that your strategy should be market driven. Do your homework and don’t be unrealistic. You’ll have a better chance at success if your idea provides a solution or serves some need.

What’s my differentiator? You should identify early on “who you are” in the marketplace and focus on the key differentiators especially when your idea or concept is not overly unique. Don’t let the fact that you are doing something that has been done stop you however, there are no new ideas only ideas done better…can you do it better?

So you have a great idea and money, now what? Listen, nothing in life happens over night and while I am encouraging that you take a chance and do something remarkable, you have to be ready to put your all in. Taking advantage of all the groups and associations that will allow you to network and grow your business is imperative. There is no neutral in entrepreneurship, only drive.


Get Involved.

Young professional groups  like Generation Dayton are a great place to start. Not only will you have a chance to meet new people but you also open the door to what every YP needs on occasion needs and that is support. I know there are great companies in the region but when faced with a lack of new job opportunities within them, sometimes taking the road less traveled proves to be more fruitful…why wait for an opportunity when you can create one? Within YP groups you will meet others who have started their own businesses and have been successful in doing so.

If you still want to search for that dream job, more power to you, because I fully support such ambitions. This article is merely to point out that there are other options, there are people doing it, successfully; and if you wanted to, you could do it to.  As young professionals in the region, I believe that part of the region’s initiative to keep business alive in Dayton relies on us. Those looking afar will find us more bizually stimulating with a growth in startups, and successful ones at that. With affordable living and a slew of other key factors, this city is prime for attaining that “American Dream”. Redesign your thinking and take control of your future. Hey and if you’re looking for a location for your venture, start with downtown.

A complicated love affair with Dayton – Then and Now

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Dear Dayton,

OK ― I admit it. You win.

Not that I didn’t put up a valiant battle. I’ve fought with you most of my 40 years. Oh, the hours I spent dreaming about the day I would leave you! The images of myself ― happy, carefree ― in a place bursting with hipness and cool! My life would be evocative and weighty once I left you in my dust.

Humph.

So this fall, when the time finally came for this long-awaited breakup ― the kid graduated from high school, my career at a crossroads ― what gives? I made a decision. A bona fide choice. I will stay with you. I realize I’ve come to genuinely love the way you smell and how comfortable you make me feel. Besides, the thought of packing boxes makes me twitch, and the idea of leaving my friends makes me hollow and still.

My epiphany came in a rather mundane moment: I was walking from a boxing class at Drake’s Downtown Gym through RiverScape MetroPark. It was an early fall day, and the plants were still blooming in the park. The sun was setting over the Great Miami River, and one of my favorite songs was playing on my iPod. I was on my way to meet good friends ― fun, interesting, dynamic people ― for a $2 glass at The Wine Gallery.

I realize, Dayton, it is not you who isn’t cool enough. It isn’t you who is lacking.

Dayton: 1. Kristen: 0.

XOXOXO

Your gal

Reprinted from the Feb. 14-20, 2002, issue of Impact Weekly newspaper:

Hometown Crush

A complicated love affair with Dayton

By Kristen Wicker

Tuesday nights are one reason I’ve come to love Dayton.

They go like this: I pick up my 10-year-old son, Kier, from the bustling Five Oaks house of my neighbor and after-school babysitter, a stay-at-home dad with five kids. There are always some quick jokes and, if I’m lucky, a chocolate chip cookie. Kier and I swing by Flying Pizza downtown and grab a couple slices of cheese before hitting Hauer Music on Patterson for Kier’s clarinet lesson. Sometimes, we swing by the downtown library to grab some books and CDs.

For me, those evenings embody all that is worthy about this often-ridiculed city: Cool and interesting neighbors, big-city urban kicks in a friendly, small-town package.

Don’t get me wrong: My relationship with the Miami Valley hasn’t always been so great. The day I moved to Arizona in 1990, I rolled down the window of my red Chevette, stuck out my arm and flipped this town the bird as I drove south ― fast ― on I-75. Moving back here in ’94, I felt trapped in a dank, hopeless swamp. I sent my friends in the vast and sunny West a mixed tape I’d labeled, “FROM THE ARMPIT OF THE UNIVERSE!!!”

Even today, Dayton is a town I love to hate. The city is, after all, an easy target: The summers can be too muggy and the winters bitingly cold. Hip and unusual enterprises ― art hops in the Santa Clara Arts District, the Serendipity theater ensemble performing original plays in a grubby warehouse ― are often short-lived in the Gem City. Other cultural innovations ― loft apartments, urban farmers’ markets ― prosper in bigger cities for eons before breaking into this corner of the Midwest.

So it was with an immense amount of reluctance that I finally admitted it is possible to find, of all things, happiness in this town. It was a realization that came about slowly, like a rising tide ― during a walk along the Great Miami River, eating burgers at a neighborhood block party, dancing at the Reggae and Cityfolk festivals, watching my son finish a painting at K12 Gallery for Young People, hanging out with friends and a pitcher of brew at Tank’s.

One moment, I remember in particular. It was a late summer evening, and I packed my son and four of my neighbors’ kids into my car for a trip to RiverScape. The Dayton Jazz Orchestra played in the background as I read a book and the kids ran through the fountain, putting on what they called a “cute show” for the grown-ups. Then came the sunset: A flaming, widespread affair in an intense band of oranges. “This,” I thought, “isn’t so bad.”

There are, of course, less esoteric and more practical reasons to dig this town. My family lives nearby, along with a crew of friends, some of whom I’ve known since high school. Despite what anyone thinks about Dayton Public Schools, my son and I have been downright delighted with Franklin Montessori and Stivers School for the Arts. Plus, I can actually afford, on a pretty limited income, an expansive house with original wood floors and crown molding, antique lighting fixtures, and four stained-glass windows. If you want to live amongst people who are not like you, diverse Dayton easily fits the bill. And from Dragons games to independent films at The Neon, from homegrown rock bands taking the stage at Canal Street Tavern to Broadway shows at Victoria Theatre, it’s a rare occasion when I cannot find anything to do.

Indeed, my life is full here ― but still relatively quiet. I think, sometimes, of moving to a bigger, more “exciting” city, but I wonder if I would be able to pry open any more cracks of time to fit in all that additional bustle.

I think of a recent trip I made with my mom and sister to New York City. I’d never really been to the Big Apple and, just as I’d been warned, something was going on at all times and in every direction. We spent the bulk of our time waiting in line or worming our way through crowds. There was no such thing as cheap.

Take my sister’s haircut at a fancy, celebrity-infused salon at the Park Plaza Hotel. It cost $130. However, while the hotshot stylist was snipping her hair, he looked at me: “Your sister has a good haircut,” he said.

“Thank you,” I replied, puffing myself up. “$30. Dayton, Ohio.”

I liked New York, but I surprised myself by breathing a sigh of relief when our plane hit ground in good ol’ Vandalia. I don’t think I could live in the gigantic NYC. I’ll live here, in this little city ― although I can only do it begrudgingly, if only for old time’s sake.

I have just unearthed this article from a stack of old newspapers stashed in my attic. Truth is, I doubt this is the last time I will write two love letters to my hometown with eerily similar thoughts ― even the same flash of clarity down by the river. Dayton is a city that needs to be constantly reassured of your love.

True, the Santa Clara is now a drug-addled hot mess. Serendipity theater ensemble? I barely remember ye. But like shark’s teeth, when one thing falls another equally creative, inspiring endeavor rises to take its place. Dayton, with its grungy patina of self-loathing, is the One. True. DIY. Town. And I have been One. Lucky. Girl. to call this city home base during a life full of adventures that have taken me across the country and, indeed, the globe.

Which brings me to right here, right now. It is my intention in this column to tell the stories of those adventures ― some taking place in Dayton, others in faraway places ― but all of them written in my cluttered little office here in this, my home town, by me, a Dayton native. I look forward to sharing them with you and to hearing your stories in turn.

Photo Credit: “Dayton Sunset” by listentilithz, on Flickr

Hello, I’m Shana Douglas and I USED to Live in New Jersey.

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Who is Shana Douglas and Why Should We Care?

I’m a random mouthy kid from the great state of New Jersey and if you’re a fan of all things Dayton but still question the appeal this city has to young professionals (nationally) who are looking for permanent residence, you care what I have to say.

Who in the World Moves to Ohio?

If I had a nickel for every time this was said to me just 4 years ago before leaving New Jersey, I wouldn’t be rich but I’d have a change purse full.  Well, I am here now. I won’t go into all of the specifics or divulge the entire saga of what has lead me to Ohio. The important part is that I am planted firmly in the Dayton region.  It is however my inaugural article here at Daytonmostmetro.com , so I will give you a bit of my background before my first official feature in February.

Long before “Jersey Shore” and “Jerseylicious” was a girl who thought she’d never venture out of the Garden State.  If you enjoy those shows, I apologize. To each is own, but I can assure you that not all of the people who reside in New Jersey are like the fictional characters you watch on TV. I hope you don’t really believe it’s Reality TV?  Still it made me squirm to think of building a life there, I knew I wanted something more for my life and more of an opportunity to succeed.

Why Ohio?

I heard that “Ohio Was For Lovers” in a song by Hawthorne Heights. Right, well when love failed I decided my stay here had to become about something a bit more.  I decided to take my years of experience in my field and look for an opportunity to grow further, you know, focus on my career instead. The first city I researched oddly enough was Dayton. I can’t really tell you my reasoning then, but I can tell you now, that almost two years later I am confident in my decision.

Why Dayton?

My question is why the hell not? I think if people put down the sour news they’re reading that possesses this region and actually spent some time here, they would understand why. I grew up minutes away from THE “Big City” and I would never argue that’s its one of the most remarkable cities I’ve been to. The art, the culture, the people – it definitely has a unique and almost magical allure to it. However, so does Dayton.  Let’s start with the people.

When I decided to stick around I considered my life a blank slate. It didn’t take long however, before an overwhelming amount of color was in my life.  I’ve always been very passionate about volunteer work and one of the first things I sought out was opportunities in the region to get involved. Back on the East Coast I never found it easy to locate groups of people with the same passion, here in Dayton that is certainly not the case. Within weeks I had identified amazing groups doing wildly impactful things for the region. It was inspiring to see such a grassroots effort by several groups and organizations with essentially the same mission, to rebuild the reputation of such a great city. I say “reputation” because opportunity never really ceased, it just needs to be uncovered.

On Arts and Culture

The creative energy in this city far surpasses anything I have ever witnessed and when coupled with the amazing talent that resides in the region, I haven’t once felt in a rut in terms of my own need for being stimulated creatively.  Art centers and galleries, museums, performing arts, music festivals and events..there’s always something going on, and affordable to attend. The city of Dayton makes it easy for young professionals to really feel like they are “socially” fulfilled.  Here, life can be enjoyed without emptying your bank account and I think that factor alone is lot of the reason why I stay. If you live an active lifestyle you want to be out meeting people, learning new things and living life as if it were an adventure. Dayton has much potential for adventure. If you doubt me, you can certainly peruse DaytonMostMetro.com further for what’s happening around town.

Professional Growth

I don’t believe I would have had the same opportunities on the East Coast that I have had here, in fact I know it. The openness to listen and value the ideas of a younger generation of professionals who are up and coming was something I never really experienced before moving here.  I think that’s why many like myself do stay, because we’re being heard and are given the opportunity to work collaboratively with professionals in all career stages. You can’t beat that learning experience.

So There it is, My Grand Entrance

Consider this a teaser, because what I plan on covering for Daytonmostmetro.com is everything a Young Professional faces in a time within our lives when self discovery is so important. Choosing a path to pursue is a shaky period in one’s life and there are so many things we face that lead us to the decisions we make.  I have some advice based on my experiences and hopefully together we can get some definitive answers on how to deal with all the gems and duds life presents us with. I’ll be covering topics that may be considered taboo and offering my opinions on a great many things, which I apologize for in advance but welcome rigorous debate. I’ll try to keep the Jersey attitude to a minimum, but make no promises.

Thanks to Daytonmostmetro.com for having me and look for my first feature in my column “From Jersey, to Dayton With Love” coming this February!