Develop This: Economic and Community Development

Health care costs continue to escalate, and the behaviors and lifestyles of a local population are critical to a community's economic vitality.  What can community organizations do to improve the health of its citizenry?

In this episode, Jason shares some facts and figures related to population health and outlines some potential strategies for healthier living.

Check out your county health ranking

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

Disruption is everywhere- including within the economic development industry.  Sometimes disruption can eliminate entire professions, but that doesn't have to be the case with the economic development professional.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason discuss technology and change in the business attraction industry and offer commentary on the role of  economic development teams in the future.

Eric Canada, known for business retention and expansion strategies, is back to talk about the goals of a successful BRE interview.

In this episode, Jason and Eric break down the interview to to ensure you have a solid strategy in place before you show up on site.

In short, the top five goals are:

1. Demonstrate Interest in Company

2. Engage in Conversation

3. Cause Them to Think About Issues They Otherwise May Not Consider

4. Position Ourselves as Value-Added Experts

5. Relationship

More About Eric

More About Blane Canada

There are many tools in the toolbox when it comes to financial assistance for economic development projects.  Some programs are statutory and others are discretionary.  It can be confusing to a potential prospect, and nearly everything needs regulatory approval.

A good comfort letter outlines applicable programs along with their terms and conditions.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason detail the elements of a comfort letter which can be used to outline everything from regulatory approvals to financial assistance packages.

Economic development organizations tend to have multiple stakeholder groups - each with their own priorities.  How do you balance the work plan of your organization to satisfy the needs of many?

In this episode, Dennis and Jason discuss the art of balancing priorities.

Ron Kitchens is back one more time to give a behind-the-scenes look at the Always Forward leadership podcast and Catalyst University.

In this episode, Dennis interviews Ron with Southwest Michigan First to learn more about his innovative approach to cultivating leadership.

More About Ron Kitchens

Always Forward Podcast

Catalyst University

Uniquely You: Transform Your Organization by Becoming the Leader Only You Can Be

Sometimes a community project or initiative needs to change direction, but doing so could be an admission of failure, add months to the project, or potentially harm the credibility of the steering committee.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason share a story of a community project that has taken nearly 9 years to complete with several major changes along the way.  Learn about the pros and cons of switching gears and take note of things to consider in the future.

January was a great month for the podcast with terrific guests and a ton of social media promotion.

In this episode, Dennis and Jason summarize the month that was including big takeaways from show guests and the most popular topics from January 2019.

Links:

US Chamber Institute for Organizational Management

When was the last time you updated your website, refreshed your logo, or added new colors to your digital newsletter?

In this episode, Dennis and Jason debate the merits of refreshing your your organization's brand and offer quick tips for ensuring your look is keeping up with the times.