The announcement of several store closures in Goulburn recently has sparked discussions on how to fill up vacant shops on the main street.
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Local resident Darrell Weekes from Purple Thread Marketing refers to the "broken window" theory implemented by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani which changed perceptions of the city.
"If there is a broken window and no one fixes it, the perception is that no one cares. Once they started fixing the broken windows, it showed the people that someone cares and the perception of the population then changed. A small thing like fixing the broken window changed the perception about the entire city," Mr Weekes said.
"When a visitor comes to town for the first time and sees vacant shops and the appearances of some of them, they feel that no one cares here. We need to have the shop, the face of the street, looking attractive.
"It's a good idea to dress up the shops with free advertising and the vacant shops will look neither empty or run down and will have a positive impact on the perception of people when they look at them too.
"Pop up shops are a great idea too. Let's encourage pop ups. Whenever something is going on in Goulburn, we can advertise that on these shops."
Mr Weekes lives with his family in Goulburn. He has travelled extensively and lived in different cities, including Canberra and Melbourne.
A marketing consultant to the Small Businesses Association Australia (SPAA) he feels that compared to around three decades back, the town has potential for growth and a good scope for new businesses.
"We do not have enough entrepreneurs. We just have to provide them with a positive environment to nurture their skills so they are able to set up their business here," he said.
He believes that setting up a tech hub in Goulburn will be beneficial for the town.
"It will help generate jobs and connect us to people from Canberra and those residing in other parts as well," he said.
Mr Weekes feels the town has a lot of potential for growth but the perception of people is very different.
"Goulburn is an important regional centre that needs to be recognised for that and there is a need to change the perception of the people so that they can see it too," he said.
"Let's start thinking about how Goulburn should be 20 to 30 years from now. What are the changes that need to be made? We need to create a perception about the town that will make people want to live and start their businesses here."
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