Question 1: What are the top three advantages of having a business or organization in Point Place/Shoreland?
- Neighbors are our customers
- Small town atmosphere
- Best place any place
- Safe
- Water access
- Traffic not too heavy
- Active business organizations
- Small town community and atmosphere - close-knit
- Natural resources
- Able to identify problems and solutions
- Community support
Question 2: What are the three biggest problems facing the Point Place business community?
- Residents shopping outside the Point
- Competition with chain stores
- Not enough variety of shops
- Vacant stores and buildings
- Jobs
- Secluded location
- Water quality
- Marketing and promoting ourselves
- Civic projects
- Not enough traffic
- Patron awareness
- Big Box competition
- Trains stopping traffic
- Small businesses are struggling
Question 3: What are three ways we as business professionals can help each other?
- Shop the Point
- Belong to and participate in the PPBA
- Advertisement
- Networking
- Buy local
- Promote each others' businesses
- Expand our organizations
- Don't insult other businesses
- Don't borrow each others' business prospects
- Communication
- Mutual support
- Shop each others' businesses
- Word of mouth - promote each other
- Events to bring in outside people
In addition, we had some discussion where the following points were made:
- We have a hard time attracting businesses (especially name brands) to the Point because our "circle of coverage" is only 180 degrees, instead of 360 degrees, due to Lake Erie being to the east.
- We should target the kind of businesses that we would like to see in the Point. We should decide what type of business would complement what we have.
- We are at a disadvantage because other areas in Toledo offer new businesses tax incentives to build/start a business.
