Trolling local print and electronic media to get a sense of how local business is doing these days, it is easy to come across oddities.
Some are as simple as tripping across a "company" that isn't listed with the State (as an LLC or having a local business license), making one wonder how long they've been around or how long they will be around. Reputations for making good on a sale are hard to determine when there's no history and often only a cell phone listed as a contact. Although complaints can still be made to the BBB, details beyond whether these have occurred are not generally accessible, while easy access to publishing software can create a facade of creditability and mislead both consumers and job seekers.
Not all Christiansburg businesses have a current license, but anyone can print a business card or advertise. One recent ad proclaimed "Great food ... hot off the grill?" It was the question mark that gave pause. Another enticing ad said you could find the business "behind XXX, in the strip mall" -- the equivalent to yesterday's narrow, dingy city alleyways?
Another local business ad proclaimed they were "proudly supporting the Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce." Did they mean the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (which just launched its own new blogspot), or the Blacksburg Partnership which was formed by "town, business and university communities" after the two town chambers merged years ago? Been long enough to get over any identify crisis, it seems, especially if the business is actually a booster of either organization.
Instead of just relying on the volume of advertising to determine how Christiansburg business is doing these days, job data from the state and business license information from the town may be seen as better indicators. Summaries of this data will publish soon and perhaps serve as a better bellwether of the health of business than "job fairs" predominated by those employed by some government entity with job placement firms as event sponsors, or the number of attendees at "job search seminars" giving coaching for resume tips on near non-existent, living wage new jobs.
Or do retail cashiers, restaurant and entry level positions really require these pieces of flare in today's job market?