Develop This: Economic and Community Development

Economic and community development groups are catalysts.  They take an idea, put a game plan together, raise the money, launch a project, and then hand it off.  That is the way it is supposed to work, right?

What happens when there is no one to take the ball from here?

What if those that are supposed to run with it drop the ball instead?

In this episode, Dennis shares anecdotes from a recent case study and offers tips for picking the ball back up when someone drops it.

Do you want a successful career in economic development?  If so, then this series is for you: The Indisputable Rules for a Successful Career in Economic Development.

Yes- it is a bold claim, but listen before you judge.

Rule #1: Know your purpose.  Know your role.  Know your unique ability to contribute.

This goes beyond just being good at your job and fulfilling the job description as designed.  To maximize your impact, add value in ways that only you can.  Once you have clarity of purpose, it will allow you to inject your unique style in all of the work that you do.

Tune in for some great examples.

There are 45 million student loan borrowers in the United States.  Employers (and therefore communities) that do not act soon to provide assistance with paydown programs have the potential to be less competitive in the marketplace for talent.

Early adopters to a student loan paydown program can use this window of opportunity to differentiate themselves from others in this war for talent.  As these programs quickly gain in popularity, however, communities and employers that fail to act will be left behind.

In this episode, podcast guru Andy Sokolovich launches his very first episode as co-host of Develop This!  He brings on David Aronson, CEO of Peanut Butter Student Loan Assistance, to discuss the reasons why student loan assistance is the #1 benefit desired by millennials.

Reach out to Andy via email at [email protected]

Helpful Links

More About David Aronson

Peanut Butter's Student Loan Resources

David Aronson Video: Bootstrapping in America

Millennial Benefit Preferences

Build the Case

1871

Hawaii’s Best Place to Work Offers Student Loan Assistance 

1871 Promo Video

How does your salary compare to your peers in the industry?  We are in a war for talent, and it is in the interest of economic and community development groups to attract strong talent to the organization.

In this episode, Dennis argues that you should know where you and your organization stand when it comes to salary and benefits.  Dennis offers some suggestions for gathering and sharing data.

You will also hear and into from Andy Sokolovich as our newest podcast co-host.

International Economic Development Council Salary Survey

Guidestar

Your favorite podcast co-hosts are on vacation this week, so some of the best content from the past is up for a repeat presentation.

Jay Garner's site selection firm, Garner Economics, has lead more than 165 business location projects since its founding.  It is safe to say he knows a thing or two about the site selection business.

In this episode, Dennis interviews Jay to get tips on the site selection process and covers topics such as Amazon HQ2, workforce, quality of place, and mitigating challenges in your community.

Show highlights:

-Approximately 80% of projects start with an existing building, so if your community has no product, it is not likely to have a project. 

-Relationships are also important.  His advice? Return calls, return emails, follow instructions, and nurture relationships.

-His best quote of the show: Your work is your signature.

More about Jay Garner

Garner Economics

Your favorite podcast co-hosts are on vacation this week, so some of the best content from the past is up for a repeat presentation.  

How can your community best prepare for an economic development attraction project?  Who better to ask than Didi Caldwell, chair of the Site Selectors Guild and a leader in the business of foreign direct investment.

In addition to chairing the professional association for site selectors, Didi is also the founding principal of Global Location Strategies.

In this episode, you will gain insight on: -trends in foreign direct investment -the impact of tariffs -immigration -three factors in site selection -the balance between high costs of doing business and talent availability

Didi also names communities leading the way in workforce programming.  You will not want to miss this episode.

Learn more about: Didi Caldwell Global Location Strategies Site Selectors Guild

There is a limit to how much we can accomplish on our own.  The most effective leaders and organizations of the future will convene, plan, inspire, and then then engage others to create a multiplier effect.

In continuing our recent theme of leading effective meetings, Dennis and Jason offer tips for effectively pulling people together and leading them to do great work.

Annexation could be a major component of your community's growth plan, but few things could become more contentious within a neighborhood.

In this episode, Jason brings David Toyer with Toyer Strategic Consulting back on the show to discuss the merits of annexation and the process of getting buy-in from those affected.

Toyer Strategic Consulting

More About David Toyer

As is customary, the month of July concludes with your favorite podcast co-hosts sharing their updates from the month, providing some podcast news, and discussing some key takeaways from the interview shows.  In this episode, they also tease a big upcoming announcement.

How often should a non-profit organization's financial statements be audited?

If you serve on the managment team or on the board of directors for a non-profit organization, this should be a topic of discussion at least annually.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason discuss the merits of a financial audit inclduing the recommended frequency, costs, and other things to consider.