How To Beat The Recession Part I: Move To Cape Cod

by John R. SedivycloseAuthor: John R. Sedivy Name: John R. Sedivy
Email: john@capecodbranding.com
Site: http://www.capecodbranding.com
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Introduction

Recently I had stumbled upon an article from a tweet from Cape Cod based Saltline Studio. The New York Times article was titled Upbeat on Cape Cod, Despite a Recession and basically discussed that although the national perception of the economy is down, Cape Cod maintains a high spirit – and there are examples to prove this. You may ask, how can this be? Having just moved to Cape Cod this past September I am going to offer you an insider’s perspective of Cape Cod, the local economy, and my opinion of this article.

Pick A Path

Summer was coming to an end and autumn was beginning to show itself and my lease in the Boston North End was nearing an end. With few ties I had nearly unlimited options as to where to relocate but I hadn’t a clue as to what to pursue. Should I stay in the city? It was certainly fun with the nice restaurants, active nightlife and nearly unlimited accessible events, however for some reason it just didn’t feel right – I felt as if it was time to move on to something different. How about a move back to my hometown in Cleveland, Ohio? This was a viable option – it was inexpensive, as compared to the Northeast and the familiar was certainly a comforting thought, and it would be nice to be near family, but yet again this option did not feel right – been there done that for the first eighteen years of my life.

Another option was to take an engineering or management position of increasing responsibility as I had in the past. Develop a new system or product, move to a new location, and experience something new, while receiving a healthy bump in salary and something new to put on my resume. Again, this was a comfortable option with enough change to make it interesting however a part of me was bored with the whole high technology scene. Although the products under development changed, the badge worn changed, it somehow all felt the same.

Yet another option was to pursue a consulting position in Boston or some other big city. I was closing in on the completion of my MBA from the The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and this seemed like a logical step for career progression. A new career which would make use of my soon to be acquired education and a potential change of scene. Still didn’t feel right. So what’s a boy to do?

Drawn To Cape Cod
Just prior to the Fall, in May 2008 I had resigned from my position with a biotechnology startup which was experiencing explosive growth. I had left behind the whole enchilada – solid benefits, a nice salary, and stock options, to essentially change my life and pursue an entrepreneurial path. At that time the logical assumption was that I would change from a full time employee and become an independent consultant all while performing a similar role for multiple companies. What led me to this conclusion was really a converging of my MBA training, books I had read such as The 4-Hour Workweek, The Magic of Thinking Big, and Re-imagine (each of which I highly recommend), and the need for change.

Just before the expiration of my lease in Boston I had met my current business partner Amy. Amy was at least a step ahead of me and had started a wedding cake business called The Occasional Cake which was profitable and allowed her to gain recognition from clients and magazine interviews. Interestingly enough Amy had gone through the very same experience that I was going through about three years prior. She knew what to expect and how to navigate the choppy waters of an entrepreneurial environment. Even more interesting is that as time passed I had heard this crossing over was a similar experience for most entrepreneurs.

Coincidentally, Amy was going through significant life change herself at that point and was considering a relocation as well as evolving The Occasional Cake to a new business which would better serve to showcase her design eye, which she called asa | boston. When we first met we did not envision working together, or even see synergy in our businesses, however our friendship was based on the both of us having been entrepreneurs and the need for change in our lives which we were each individually structuring. As we got to know one another better it became obvious that we worked well together and possessed complimentary talents – our combined productivity and talent was much greater than each of our individual capabilities.

During one of our conversations we had discussed relocation. What was the next step? Similar to me Amy had considered many options which she was cycling through her mind with an attempt to come to a resolution. One such consideration was Cape Cod. Cape Cod seemed like a strange choice to me at the time as I would be moving to Cape Cod when everyone else was leaving. Wasn’t Cape Cod abandoned during the so-called, off season? What remained after the tourists left the area?

Considering Cape Cod
Although I did not realize it at the time there are many advantages to being on Cape Cod during the off season. First and foremost is that expenses are very low. A person or family can occupy an off-season rental between September and May for under $1,000 a month. On average the off-season rental is of average home size – 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, approximately 1,200 square feet with a decent yard. As an entrepreneur what does this buy you? Time. The lower your expenses the more time and money you have to put into the business.

The second advantage to being on the Cape in the off season is that the population significantly drops but not to the point of isolation. You may ask what quantifies significant? Well I am not sure really, it is just really noticeable. Businesses board up, traffic drops off, homes are unoccupied. Again, not to the point of isolation but there is a noticeable decline. Fewer people equates to less traffic and noise which allows one to reflect and relax. Also, fewer people allows one to get to know people better and form stronger bonds, fewer people equals stronger relationships.

The third advantage to being on Cape Cod is the unique environment – there is simply no place like it, especially in the off season. There are many sites to see here from natural wonders such as the sandy beaches (there is nothing quite like the beach in the Winter) to man-made wonders such as the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown. The quiet, non-congested environment and unique settings allow one to place oneself in a truly unique environment. One of the most important lessons I had learned since moving here is that new and unique environments generally translate to new and unique ideas. As one combines education, experience, and relationships – the ideas generated as a result of this mix are nearly unlimited.

There is apparently a fourth advantage to being on Cape Cod, although I did not realize it at the time. This advantage is that it is the home to many an entrepreneur, ranging from independent do-it-all contractors to small boutiques specializing in unique products or services. I had half noticed this with the native residents I had come into contact with, but the recent Times article on the subject really opened my eyes to it.

To Be Continued…
In the next article I will discuss the five characteristics that the surveyed entrepreneurs attribute to their success here on Cape Cod in the economic downturn.

Cape Cod is a truly unique environment which is perfect for entrepreneurs!

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

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