In a previous post I brought up the topic of how failed business transfers can have a negative impact on local economies. I was surprised to see that it ignited several comments containing the term “creative destruction” — the concept that external forces like competition, globalization or technological advances force businesses to either adapt or fall by the wayside. Kodak would be a recent example. But the point I was trying to make about the failure of some small businesses to sell, or otherwise thrive after the owner decides to leave, is not about creative destruction. It’s about something much simpler: waste.