Will it play in Peoria? This well-known gauge has been the long-standing median for determining entrepreneurial success since vaudevillian days when performers judged their potential for future success by the initial responses received by the public in Peoria.

What is it about Peoria, Illinois that causes it to remain such a well-branded name in the minds of entrepreneurs today?

Peoria is an average mid-American city, noted for its friendly atmosphere. Located in the heart of the Midwest, in the heart of the nation, Peoria represents the entire spectrum of cultural diversity of the all-American way of life from its sophisticated, fun-loving, professional and intellectual communities to those situated on the more rustic side of the cultural scale. Such diversity and normalcy continues to be evident in Peorias characteristically unbiased, down-to-earth and easy-going society.

Peoria today is considered to be an average town with the kindness and friendliness of its citizens being a historically noted attribute. This friendliness extends to its citizens willingness to accept strangers and give them the benefit of the doubt, which has traditionally offered endless opportunities to countless entrepreneurs since the days of vaudeville. With its widely reputed honest public appraisal, if a product was purposeful, of high quality and was met with acceptance and approval by the people of Peoria, the success of an individual or product generally followed.

People have an emotional need to bond and connect to each other. Each city and town in the nation has its long-gone, sentimental favorite sites and attractions that continue to bring pleasant memories to its local citizens and Peoria is no exception.

It remains a thrill today to meet others who remember the teepee on the hill across the river in East Peoria. The structure is a now-extinct sentimental memory of days gone by, but it remains an emotional connection, a sentimental bond to the timeless memories held by the residents of the area. Such cherished memories connect people emotionally, sentimentally and psychologically, binding those with similar values, standards and sentiments. A need to share such treasured memories with others is what creates lasting friendships and never-ending devotion.

These are the lessons of success that can be derived from understanding the attributes of a typical and well-diversified city such as Peoria because the basic, every-day fundamentals found in its average all-American citizens are the same human elements of appreciation that speak for the hearts of most citizens in every city of the nation.

THE IDEA, SERVICE OR PRODUCT HAS TO BE OF GOOD QUALITY
THE MORE SIMPLIFIED AND BASIC THE PRODUCT, THE MORE VALUE IT HOLDS
IT MUST EMOTIONALLY CONNECT TO THE PEOPLE
IT MUST SERVE A USEFUL PURPOSE
IT MUST HAVE A LASTING BENEFIT

These are the basic guidelines of what will cause virtually any entrepreneurial act to Play in Peoria.