"Loan Eagles" Affect the Rural Knowledge-Based Economy

It is the individuals that are creating business in today's knowledge-based rural economy, says Mr. Paul Blais of Millier Dickinson Blais, and a former municipal economic development manager in Napanee, reports Brian Shypula with the Stratford Beacon Herald, especially in a rural, knowledge-based economy such as Perth County, Ontario. Blais' report is part of a provincial grant with support from the Perth Community Futures Corporation.

"Loan Eagles" are small businesses that are typically run by individuals, often fall under the media radar and grow by one, two or three people at a time. Their impact, however, can be considerable. They would often fall under the category of highly skilled, highly educated, and/or highly paid. The long-term migration of 'loan eagles' (as illustrated by Richard Florida, the George Mason University professor and author of "The Rise of the Creative Class") can, however, be contrary to rural development interests.
The arts/culture/tourism challenge for southern Ontario's Perth, Stratford and St Mary's region is to attract the Loan Eagles. Perhaps they can be lured with opportunities such as Blais' "green tech" businesses and University of Waterloo's Stratford "new digital media" campus.