Ray Hagerman, MHCEDC President |
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William Faulkner once said, “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Likewise, Clint Eastwood said, “Keep your eyes on the horizon and your nose to the wind.”
Stated differently by an author and an actor, they both imply the same thing. You must be looking ahead. It does not mean you neglect what’s in front of you, but you have to be able to know when to leave things behind and be prepared for the future.
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The events of this past year have, according to several sources sped up the advent of technology, delivery systems, and the nature of work itself by at least 5-10 years. One year ago, I knew absolutely nothing about Zoom and how to manage a remote meeting. Now in February 2021, I feel like I could teach a class on how to use the platform. I know you have had similar experiences. With that in mind, keeping our eyes on the horizon means thinking about some critical topics over the next year and moving forward.
The first is technology infrastructure, such as broadband coverage and communications equipment. I saw a study this morning that 46% of millennials that currently live in major cities are now willing to move to small towns in order to buy their own homes. Many of them are now working remotely anyway, and are going to be hyper-focused on locations that have good community quality of life assets. These people bring good paying jobs with them along with specialized expertise in many areas. They are willing to jump in and help with community development and not just sit around and complain about what’s lacking.
The second is cyber security. Hacking is real and it’s prevalent. There are people watching and analyzing everything you do, and hacking into not just important sophisticated systems that run our defense systems and power grids, but into something as mundane as your email and server accounts. Many of us have already had to deal with ransomware or identity theft and it’s only going to get worse. So get educated about it and exercise prudent practices in your ordinary life, including social media.
Last, but not least is block chain technology. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have now heard of Bitcoin, and you know its value has tripled in the last year, but you may not be aware of its underlying technology. Because of block chain technology, industrial machines now can communicate with each other, and have a way of transacting those communications. Banks have a way of settling things faster, deed recorders have a way of digitally fraud-proofing records, to name just a few. Read up on it, tap into some of the resources we are providing on the subject and recognize the trends as they arise.
So keep your eyes on the horizon – and wear your mask and coat. COVID-19 is still with us, and it’s still cold outside.
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP, RUTHANN PADGETT |
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SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM |
The Small Business Loan Program is designed to help small businesses acquire funding needed to start or grow their small business. A small business must be engaged in manufacturing, agribusiness, or service and technology. Loan funds may be used to acquire land and buildings, purchase and install equipment, or for working capital. The minimum loan amount is $15,000 and the maximum is $100,000. The approved company must create one new full-time job within one year of the loan closing. KEDFA can fund up to 100 percent of the project costs and the loan can be used in conjunction with other lenders. The term of the loan can range from 3-10 years.
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KENTUCKY MOVERS AND MAKERS |
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INTERESTED IN TEACHING A CLASS OR WORKSHOP? |
If you are excited about making something, we would love for you to share your passion.
We are looking for teachers who are interested in teaching the following types of classes:
Arts/Crafts, Sewing, Embroidery, 3D printing, Wood Working, and Metal Working.
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Hopkins County employers, are you utilizing the free job posting website that we have created? As an employer, you can submit a job online and choose which category(s) you would like the position to be posted. Our goal is to help provide an opportunity for qualified applicants to find your job listing, fast! These listings are kept on the website, posted on Facebook, and emailed weekly to hundreds of job seekers.
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Job Seekers, We invite you to take a moment to check out our new and improved Hopkins County, KY Jobs website. You are now able to search for a job by category, which enables you to search for jobs of your interest and/or experience. Check often, as jobs are updated every week!
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LEARNING SERIES & EVENT NEWS |
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#shoplocal at the Maker Saturday Pop-Up Shop at Kentucky Movers and Makers! |
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Cyber Security Tips for Ten Minutes @ 10 Every Friday |
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Madisonville-Hopkins County
Economic Development Corporation| Website
Contact Us:
(270) 821-1939
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