Looking beyond witch craft

It appears that this week my thunder has been stolen by Tuesday's headline story in the Chronicle highlighting the excellent Ambrosia Delicatessen and a story on locals spending their festive dollars in the Wanganui economy. I wrote about this topic last year and I have to say that, with the recession chugging along, this sentiment is well-timed and extremely relevant to local businesses.

So, I have to go for another topic. Witch craft. No, I am not a practicing wizard. However, on a trip out of town (instead of, this time, being bombarded with questions about gangs and recently relocated offenders) the latest 'questions du jour' were about natural healing and the role of the local magical community.

I'm done with asking 'why us??' We seem to be a media lightning rod. With the stories emerging about Wanganui recently, I'm surprised that extra terrestrials aren't landing here - if ET wanted to 'phone home', according to media probability, the odds are he'll be sighted on Somme Parade.

I come from a family who practise traditional medicine techniques, but I remember taking homeopathic pills as a kid when, in the 80s, there was an upsurge in popularity of alternative medicines. It did me no harm and, I have to say that if I am in Wanganui Hospital for any kind of treatment I would be happy in the knowledge that the practitioner dealing with me had recently had a reiki massage and was centred and relaxed. Having been poorly treated by a stressed-out senior doctor in the late 80 s, the more relaxed the better, I say.

Yet the national media ran stories on Wanganui's latest "sensation" - positioning us poorly. And those community members who raise our profile had to, once again, return the forward steps they had taken in exchange for backward ones.

And you know what? If the rest of New Zealand saw us in a better light, the businesses waiting here to serve them are, in many cases, outstanding.

I have written about the Thistle Sweet Shop, an outstanding local business which made an impact on the CEO of a multimillion dollar wholesaler. An expat, I met him for the first time in Auckland last week. He had not been to Wanganui many times but he thought it was 'pretty' and had real potential.

Then the conversation turned to the Thistle Sweet Shop. He labelled the service as 'amazing' and 'excellent' and that if he was ever back in Wanganui he would certainly go back there. Evidence that we have a truly special business in our community and one which we should support when it comes to buying gifts this festive season (or a cheeky bag of bon bons - sensational). In this person's mind, this one business outweighs contrary messages swirling in the media.

When I am out of town I spend much of my spare time promoting Wanganui to colleagues, clients and anyone else who will listen. In the case of attracting people and businesses to this city, reputations are like the baseball field in the movie Field of Dreams - "if you build it, they will come".

Zenith Solutions is a Wanganui-based management consulting practice. It specialises in providing strategic planning, business process improvement and financial management services. Contact russell@manageable.co.nz or phone 021-244-2421.