Creating content on a budget can be challenging! In this episode, Andy reveals several FREE resources designed to step your game up and deliver top-notch content that captures the attention of your audience.

Graphic Design

Canva.com – Free or Pro for $9.95/mo

Picmonkey.com – Basic $7.99 or pro for $12.99/mo

Fiverr.com  - The quality of content has come a LONG way!

Upwork.com – Post a job and receive offers

Adobe Creative Cloud – Visit techsoup.org for discounts for non-profits – $19.99/mo for entire creative suite

Take classes on LinkedIn Learning (https://www.linkedin.com/learning) – $19.99/mo or start a free trial

Email Marketing

Mailchimp.com – Free option includes up to 2,000 contacts w/a single audience, $9.99/mo includes up to 50,000 contacts w/3 audiences

URL Shortener w/Click Tracker

Bit.ly Ow.ly Twitter URL shortener TinyURL

Managing Teams and Projects

Slack.com Trello.com Monday.com

Mobile Video Creation Apps

iMovie – iOS Quik – iOS and Android Video Shop – iOS Android

In the economic development business, you just have to be ready.

In this episode, Dennis shares his personal story of working with a major project and shares tips for you to consider in your own organization.

-Build your knowledge base

-Make connections

-Have a product and know your product

In this short episode, Jason goes on a bit of a rant regarding the importance of keeping local control over incentives.

It is political silly season, and if your state legislature is trying to take too much of your local decision making ability away from you, fight back.

Of course, having local control and discretion over incentives also requires discipline to walk away from the negotiation table.  Great economic developers help guide a community through delivering appropriate financial assistance without giving away the farm.

Economic and community development is a team sport, and the team can make or break an organization.

How do you get everyone on the same page?  The team retreat.

In this episode, Jason continues in this series discussing the value of inviting others to the team retreat.  There is incredible power in having everyone on the team listen to a small business owner share their story.

What is it like to agonize over payroll?  Where do they get inspiration?  How did it feel when the last economic development deal brought a competitor to town?

At your next team retreat, invite a small business owner to come share their story.  It will most definitely be worth it.

Sometimes you have to work with people that have differing opinions.  You may even be called upon to lead a team of disparate individuals.

There is both an art and a science to recruiting rivals.

In this episode, Dennis offers suggestions for building and leading a team of rivals including:

-Check your ego at the door -Open and honest communication -Everyone must be part of the process

Economic and community development is a team sport, and the team can make or break an organization.

How do you get everyone on the same page?  The team retreat.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason continue in this series discussing the value of others leading a portion of the team retreat.  Being 'on' all day can be exhausting.  Turning a portion of the retreat over to another member of the team can provide you with a mental break and allow you to reflect on the day's discussion.

It will likely happen to your community at some point.  A major employer will announce their intention to close the local operation.  TV reporters want you on camera.

What do you do?

In this episode, Dennis and Jason offer tips for managing the immediate crisis and planning for such an event.

We all have been there.  It is decision time.  Kill a program or give it new life?

In this episode, Dennis and Jason offer suggestions for giving a program new life.  You will also gain insight into the five main reasons why initiatives run out of steam:

• Poor leadership
• Not clearly articulating goals, expectations, and roles
• Ineffective communication
• Lack of focus
• Poorly run meetings that don’t value peoples time

Economic and community development is a team sport, and the team can make or break an organization.

How do you get everyone on the same page?  The team retreat.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason continue in this series discussing the value of effective discussion.  In order for this day to be successful, everyone needs to contribute.  As the leader of the group, how do you encourage discussion, explore new concepts, and yet avoid the rabbit trails?

Tune in for tips and tricks on leading effective discussion.

With all of the demands of the job, it is more important than ever to be efficient with your time.

How should you identify and resolve time sucks?

In this episode, Dennis and Jason discuss strategies to pack more efficiencies into your day.