What are the needs, expectations, motivations, backgrounds, demographics, and experiences of community members?

What is your chosen topic? (For example: a profile of Barb Collins, a volunteer at the local homeless shelter; a profile of Shipwreck Days, a citywide flea

market and festival; or a profile of Burdick’s Grocery, the oldest family-owned business in town.)
A profile of Joelle Smart, a hairdresser with a new salon location in the basement of her home .
2.    What personal angle can you present on this topic? (Consider what is new about the topic or what unique perspective can be shared about this topic.)
Smart opened a salon on Main Street in the Westside neighborhood of Springfield in 1986. Recently, due to a boom in the real estate market by young professionals, the

landlord of the salon has nearly doubled Smart’s rent. Many new chain stores, restaurants, and coffee shops are lining up to pay the increased rent, but Smart can no

longer afford to stay in business on Main Street. In an attempt to keep her business running and continue to provide services for her clients, she is now operating out

of the basement of her home .
3.    What is your purpose for writing? (What do you hope to accomplish? Why are you writing?)
The purpose is to describe Smart’s struggle to stay in business due to rent increases on Main Street as a larger indication of the negative results that have come from

the neighborhood’s growth .
Analyzing Your Readers
You will be writing your Profile essay to your local community. Imagine you might submit the Profile to your local newspaper or have it shared in a community

newsletter; the readers of those publications make up your target audience. In two to three paragraphs, define your local community and describe what makes it unique.

What are the needs, expectations, motivations, backgrounds, demographics, and experiences of community members? How will those influences impact your word choice,

level of formality, and overall message?
The Westside community is unique in that it’s an old neighborhood with a great deal of history. As many of the older, longtime residents are dying, moving into nursing

homes, or downsizing in other areas of the city, young professionals have started moving in. When these college-educated men and women started to buy real estate in

the area, the commercial district also boomed. Over the last 5 years as the real estate boom has only continued to rise, many longtime retailers can’t afford the rent

increases and are being forced out in exchange for new businesses.
Springfield’s older residents have built a relationship with the older retailers in town and are committed to giving them their business.