We’ve done it again. Duluth has asked the wrong question. But, thankfully, it stumbled upon the right answer. Last night, the city council approved our first JOBZ program, essentially granting a local skateboard company tax free status as the result of business expansion for several years. And thank goodness it did.

Unfortunately, we always ask those willing to risk their own time, money and reputations the wrong question. For the most part, the question is: What is in it for us? Perhaps the Public Employees Union has been so successful at conveying its message of “plentiful but pitiful jobs” in our community that our elected officials think it is their role to ensure all employers pay “living wages.” Their message transcends into the community and automatically assumes the entrepreneur will take advantage of the unsuspecting employee. Essentially, we scare away those willing to start a business even before they hire their first employee by asking, “How much will you pay?”

Perhaps the right question ought to be: “How can we make the Northland entrepreneur friendly?” When we ask this question, the dynamic within our community will change from one of confrontation and blame to one wherein we embrace risk and failure. This paradigm shift is important because without risk, nothing will happen; and without failure, we never learn. Risk always drives innovation, and failure allows us the opportunity to risk again. When we crucify those who risk and fail, we infuse rigidity and cast an aspersion of doubt over the whole idea of creating versus importing jobs into our region. And we cannot possibly win the find and bring companies to our region game. Therefore, it is imperative that we build our own economy through entrepreneurship. We need to ask: How can we help?

Back to TrueRide. Tony Ciardelli and the Benson brothers should be complimented for choosing to build their business in our area. Further, we should not only ask how we can help them succeed, we should help tell their story to as many potential customers as possible. Not only did they start a business from an idea, they have expanded that business into other areas. They, given time, will be an economic market force with which to be reckoned.

If it was up to me, I would not ask: How much will you pay? I would ask: How I could help you succeed? I only hope TrueRide and their future employees make millions here in the Northland. We’ll all be better off if they do.