Community & Economic Development Matters

Bank of I.D.E.A.S. Newsletter (March 2005)

‘There is nothing so powerful in all the world as an idea whose time has come’ (Victor Hugo)

 

 

Greetings

Welcome to the March 2005 edition of our newsletter.

If you prefer, you can click on the links below to go direct to that topic.

·          Quote of the month
·          Peter Kenyon’s new book and seminar - Good Enough Never Is
·          Humour
·          Key Note & Workshop Presentations
·          Business Retention + Expansion
·          Study Tour
·          Terrific Trading – highly recommend business consultancy firm
·          Recent Projects
·          On-line Bookshop
 

 

Quote of the Month                                                        

 

 

"Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope" (John F Kennedy)

Click here to go to our Quote Archive

 
‘Good Enough Never Is: lessons from inspirational businesses in rural Australia’

 

Peter Kenyon’s latest book ‘Good Enough Never Is’, a follow up to his very popular “A Kit for Small  Town Renewal”, has now been released.

‘Good Enough Never Is’ delivers the stories of ordinary rural people who dared to be different and have become out-of-the-ordinary rural entrepreneurs. Rather than being endowed with unique and mysterious qualities, these people have discovered and developed attitudes, behaviours and skills that set them apart from most business operators in rural and remote Australia.

‘Good Enough Never Is’ is available for purchase through our on-line bookshop

A unique opportunity also exists for Peter to speak to your organisation about the findings from his latest research. Peter is a much sought after motivating and inspiring story teller. During his presentation he will cover the ‘Ten Common Themes’ or ‘Success Factors’ which were shared by the 20 rural businesses from all over Australia whose inspirational stories appear in ‘Good Enough Never Is’.

If you would like Peter to present to your community or organisation, please contact Peter Palmer on Ph: (08) 9451 6173 Mob: 040 777 9428 or email: pp@bankofideas.com.au.

People in Western Australia can also attend an open Breakfast Meeting being held on Thursday 24th March. Click here for more details.

 

‘Good Enough Never Is: lessons from inspirational businesses in rural Australia’ is a report by Peter Kenyon for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

 

Humour                                                                        

 

A good friend of ours in Bahrain sent us the following Q & A’s. The questions below about Australia are from potential visitors. They were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humour.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)

A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)

A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water. 

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia? (USA)

 

A:  A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the      middle of the Pacific which does not... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.

 

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)

 

A:  Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna   Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Australia? (USA)

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of        the directions.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)

A: Only at Christmas.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)

A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first

 

Key Note & Workshop Presentations                                 

 

Peter Kenyon has worked in all states of Australia and many countries through out the world and is great demand by those communities and organisations looking for a motivating & inspirational public speaker.

 

Some of Peter’s current presentations are based on the following themes:

 

·          ‘Stop seeing young people as the leaders of tomorrow. Enable them to become active citizens today’ (targeting workers with youth, service providers, educators)

·          ‘Building Healthy, Sustainable and Enterprising Communities’ (targeting civic leaders and  community builders)

·          ‘Getting the Tills Ringing in Rural Australia’ (targeting chambers of commerce, local businesses etc)

 

If you go to our Testimonials page on our website you can read what others have had to say.

 

Contact Peter Palmer on Ph: 08 6293 1848 M: 040 777 9428 or E: pp@bankofideas.com.au if you would like Peter Kenyon to address you community or organisation.

 

Business Retention + Expansion Program (BR+E)             

 

BR+E is a structured program that enhances community initiatives in support of local business and job creation.

Bank of I.D.E.A.S. provides technical support, training and practical resources to local communities eager to keep businesses in town, supporting their expansion and the growth of new job opportunities.

The rationale of BR+E is that one characteristic of a vibrant local community is the visible appreciation, understanding and support for its existing business base. Existing local businesses represent the engine for continuing economic activity and new jobs in any local economy. Evidence shows that they are responsible for:

  • creating between 60 to 80 percent of new jobs
  • providing most of the investment for new community economic initiatives and infrastructure
  • generating ideas about possible new businesses
  • often acting as an attraction for outside businesses to relocate or establish within the community.

It is vital to have community initiatives that focus on listening to, and helping existing businesses to do better. The Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) Program is one such initiative. Created in the USA over 25 years ago, the BR+E Program now operates in most states of the USA, as well as Canada, several European countries, South Africa and in most states of Australia.

Peter Kenyon is a Master Consultant of the Business Retention and Expansion Program.

 

Click here for more details for more information about our BR+E program.

BREI is the peak body for BR+E internationally. Click here to go to the BREI website

The BREI International Conference is being held in Nashville, Tennessee USA on June 2-4 2005.        Click here for details. Also see below for details of a proposed Study Tour.

Study Tour                                                                   

 

Peter Kenyon is once again attending the annual Business Retention + Expansion International (BREI) Conference. This year the conference is being held in Nashville, Tennessee USA on 2 – 4 June.

If you would like to accompany Peter, the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. is proposing to conduct a study tour around the BREI Conference as well as to a range of community and economic development initiatives in nearby Oklahoma. 

If you like country music you will enjoy Nashville which is America’s home of country music. Click here to enlarge image.

 

BREI is a non-profit professional association of economic development professionals who are working for the advancement of business retention and expansion as an economic development strategy for communities. Conference participants represent various private and public organisations, universities, private consulting business, utilities, and local, provincial and state governments. Click here for conference details.

Proposed dates are 31st May to 11th June 2005. Cost will be approx. $4000.00 AUD + airfares/taxes*.

Tour will be led by Peter Kenyon & will depend upon a minimum number of people registering.

Click here to register your interest or contact Peter Palmer on 08 6293 1848 or 040 777 9428.

*cost of airfare will depend upon seat availability etc at the time booking is made.

 

Terrific Trading – highly recommend business support consultancy firm

 

Jurek Leon and Jan Collins are the key members of the Terrific Trading team and are good friends of the Bank of I.D.E.A.S.

Terrific Trading offers a range of specialised services and can tailor these to suit the needs of every client. If they don’t have a solution for you they will endeavour to put you in touch with someone who does.

Amongst many other things, Jurek and Jan can help you with:

·          develop and conduct practical day time or evening training sessions on all aspects of selling, service, and interacting with customers

·          improve your sales performance

·          develop inexpensive on-site and in-store merchandising and selling solutions

·          presentations at seminars & conferences

Click here to go to the Terrific Trading website

 

Recent Projects                                                             

 

February & March have proved to be as busy and diverse as usual and below are some of the projects that Bank of I.D.E.A.S. have been involved with:

 

·          Derby WA – Finalising the Derby Revitalisation Project & looking at potential funding sources to implement the Action Plan, in particular the Indigenous Cultural Tourism Strategy

·          Claremont WA – Helping to develop a marketing plan for the Claremont Museum

·          Perth WA – Presentation at the National Crime Prevention Conference

·          Shire of Wellington Vic - Presentation on the concept of a ‘Healthy, Sustainable and Enterprising Community’

·          Toodyay WA – Presentation to the Chamber of Commerce

·          Bahrain – Follow up on the formulation and implementation of the Bahrain National Youth Policy, including the creation of the Bahrain Youth Parliament

·          Middle East: Compilation of a Handbook on the ‘formulation and implementation of National Youth Strategies’

·          Oklahoma – Presentation at the state conference of the Oklahoma Community Institute and consultancy with Oklahoma small towns.

 

If you would like more information about any of these projects, or would like a copy of any of Peter’s presentations (PowerPoint) please send an email to pp@bankofideas.com.au.

 

On-line Bookshop                                                          

A range of community and economic development resources are available through our on-line bookshop.

‘The Thin Book of Appreciative of Enquiry’ is a 'thin' but very useful book which provides an introductory outline to appreciative inquiry - "for those who want to find out what it is all about before they invest the time to really learn it". It outlines the basic assumptions of appreciative inquiry and provides a handy reference section.

Author: Sue Annis Hammond

Cost: $26.95 AUD (including GST, postage & handling)

 

‘Banking on Community Spirit: 22 Australian Communities using common cents for local benefit’ consists of short stories written by the young people in 22 communities around Australia which tell the tales of how their own (Bendigo) community banks changed their way of life forever.  Businesses were dying, banks were closing, family owned shops and properties were lying in ruins, until someone in each of these communities stood up and said ‘no more’. These inspiring stories are a living testament to what is possible when people come together, dream big, and believe in one another, no matter what.

Author: Edited by Lucy Tucker (Forward by Ray Martin)

 Cost: $24.95 AUD (including GST, postage & handling)

The above resources are available for purchase through our on-line bookshop

 

                                                                                   

 

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Bank of I.D.E.A.S

 (Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising Actions & Strategies

14 Bird Rd, Kalamunda WA 6076

Ph: 08 6293 1848 Fax: 08 6293 1137 E: enquiries@bankofideas.com.au