So you didn't want to take the risk and left, which is the business decision you made. Someone else makes a business decision to invest and take the risk. Why do you care, you have no stake in it anymore.
I simply pointed out that the risk factors are widely varied due to the equally varied demographics between regions. It's like one terminal manager said to me..."Cat, this model doesn't work very well around here". I said, " Of course it doesn't . It's a business model that was designed for a metropolitan area in a warmer climate, with flatter terrain , a modern highway system, much higher population density, much higher per capita consumption, much higher incomes and naturally much higher discretionary spending. You have none of that around here. So when you go to your next assignment make sure you're going someplace where these conditions exist".
Sure guys like IWBF can pass judgement on the success or failure of others but it's based on his experiences operating in the Boston Metro area that has nearly all of the advantages needed to operate successfully. Take away those advantages and compatibility with the business model the going would no doubt have been much tougher.
Here's an example . One small part of my work area consisted of a 300 square mile rural school district. When I started there were 8 elementary schools scattered across that 300 square mile school district. Guess how many there were when I left?....0 !. The enrollment had fallen to the point where they were easily able to take a section of the junior high school and make that their elementary school operation.
So what does that leave you with? An ageing and declining in number population more thinly spread across the area with a growing number of people on fixed incomes. It's like a manager told we contractors. " I don't know how you guys do it. The demographics of this are terrible but never the less we are a nationwide carrier and the bad areas going right along with the rest".