Quality of Life (participants only)

Wednesday, April 6th

Want to learn more about LJC? Call the Chamber at (601) 649-3031

Death of An Unpopular Poet

Jimmy Buffett: Death of an Unpopular Poet

As some of you know, I am a music lover. I don't claim to be some great connoisseur of music and most would say I can't carry a tune in a bucket. But like most people, music fills my life. From the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed, there are very few moments of my day when music isn't playing in the background or a song whirling in my head.

Nowadays it's mostly toddler tunes, but I enjoy everything from the 60's & 70's to 80's, 90's, Country, Rock n' Roll, Blues, and everything in between. The only thing I can't get into, although I have at times, is rap (and Opera).

A few days ago when it was pretty outdoors and I was itching to fire up the grill and be outside, like most days, I turned on some tunes and went to work. I was cleaning the grill and just piddling but I was listening to one of Jimmy Buffett's latest albums. (It's hard to be from Mississippi and have lived on the MS Gulf Coast and not be a Parrot Head in training.) Buffett's encores album is a collection of "last songs" he has done at the end of live concerts that are reflections, old songs, tributes or just favorite songs of Jimmy's he's done over the years.

One of these songs particularly caught me and got me to thinking (as many songs do). The song is titled "Death of An Unpopular Poet". The song is a reflection of a man's life that lived before his time and his greatness was not recognized or celebrated until after he had passed.  

What struck me about this song was how well it relates to our current economic environment.  How many great businesses have we had in our community that have fallen victim to the down economy? How many great entrepreneurial minds have we turned off because their first venture out of the gate was a failure? In our business, one way we gauge the health of our local economy is something called the birth/death rate of businesses. This is not a very accurate read of how "strong" the local economy is because by best estimation it's a guess, but you can imagine that if the "death rate", that is businesses that are no longer doing businesses, exceeds that of the "birth rate", new businesses, it is not a very healthy economy.

Fortunately for us in Jones County, given all the recent ground breakings, ribbon cuttings and grand re-openings, I would say we are doing a lot better than we were ten or twelve months ago. By my estimation, consumer confidence is growing and things are getting better, if only a little. What I hope you take away from this is that in a fluid economy such as ours, businesses come and go. Let's not be like the crowd Buffett speaks about. Let's recognize and encourage our local business owners and proprietors, especially the first time entrepreneurs. Let's spend our dollars with the businesses we have and show them we recognize their talents. Let's not remember them after the fact and say, "oh I remember when so and so was open. That was a great little store". Let's celebrate them now, while they're still open!

Spring is in the air. It's getting warmer outside and sunny days are ahead for both our communities and economy. So get out there and spend some dollars with our Jones County businesses! I also encourage you to spend some time at several of the outdoor music venues we have popping up with the warmer weather. FINS UP PARROT HEADS!

"In bad luck hold out; in good luck, hold on."

~ German Proverb 

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships."

~ Henry Winkler

"Set Your Goals High Enough To Inspire You And Low Enough To Encourage You."

~ Anonymous 

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions"

~ Albert Einstein

"Where hope grows, miracles blossom."

~ Elna Rae

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

~ Bruce Lee

We are holding a membership drive and we would like you to be involved!

On behalf of all the members of our chamber, I want to truly thank each of you for your commitment to growing our business community in Jones County and bettering our quality of life for all Jones County citizens.

Many of you, over the past year, have given me much guidance and advice on things you would like to see our chamber accomplish. Several of the programs we have in place have been strengthened by direct comments from concerned readers like you and there are new programs and opportunities on the horizon.

I want to continue to give you chances to give back.

The EDA and Chamber of Commerce are holding a membership drive the week of March 28^th - 31^st. We will have six sessions where volunteers have agreed to make phone calls to new and previous membership prospects. Your Board of Directors believes that each and every business that makes money in our service area should belong to the chamber and benefit from the collective knowledge of our membership. We need your help. Please help us by getting out your  Blackberries, Vendor Lists, Rolodex, etc. and help us identify those individuals and businesses in our community who would better their own business and community from being a part of the chamber. 

If you would like to be involved with the membership drive, give me a call and I can put you on a team. Each member will receive door prizes as well as a chance at several "top prizes". One of which is a nights stay at the Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood, MS and seats in the Viking Range Cooking School and there is much much more!

Kick off Luncheon:
Mon., March 28, 12 noon

EDA Offices/ Airport Board Conference Room

Sessions:

Mon., March 28, 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Tues., March 29, 9:30am - 12noon, 1:30pm - 4:30pm 
Wed., March 30, 9:30am - 12noon, 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Thurs., March 31, 9:30am - 12noon 

Again, thank you for your commitment to bettering our community for all our businesses and citizens. I look forward to having you help us make this the best and most successful membership drive we have ever had!

Larkin Simpson

(601) 649-3031

larkins@edajones.com 

Millitary
(participants only)
Wednesday, April 13th

Want to learn more about FLJC? Call the Chamber at (601) 649-3031