March 2003, Volume: 6, Issue: e/3, ISBN 1527-5175

~~~Attend "The Physics of Marketing: an Uncommon Combination of Marketing and Sales for the Serious Economic Development Professional," April 28-30, Chicago. "After today's discussion of mid-game marketing it is clear we have prospects falling through the crack between our marketing and our recruitment team." Participant from SC http://www.blanecanada.com/BCL_marketing.html

~~~"Dead Squirrel Walking"..." A squirrel that plans and executes a course straight across the road will usually live.  One that is indecisive or changes direction maximizes his chance of going to that great acorn tree in the sky... are you a squirrel, changing directions, not knowing where you've been or exactly where you're going? Look out for trucks." Provided by Ron Kitchens (TX). Source: REALWIRED! NEWS: March 12, 2003 (Volume 4-Number 10) by Mark Sandler Sales Institute, Tampa, Florida 

~~~Speed test... Ever think your Internet connection is really dragging? Curious about your line speed? The DSL line we tested clocked at 279 kbs, followed by a blistering high speed of 759kbs less than one hour later. Go to http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/ or contact your ISP to see if they offer a bandwidth test site. Try the bandwidth test at different times and on different days. You might be surprised at how wide the range is.

~~~Calendar of Events... What ED professional events are scheduled in 2003 that you should know about? Write us with the details, and we'll post it to our site. Check out some major conferences at: http://www.blanecanada.com/newsletters/NL_2003/NL_2002_Events.html Click on "calendar".

~~~MUST READ!!! If you are serious about economic development, this book is a MUST READ! The book highlights the vital (and largely forgotten) role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy. Authors strike a warning bell on competitiveness. "... the United States could lose its status as the world's preeminent innovator nation in the next decade if current national policy and investment choices continue unchanged...the moment of greatest apparent success can be a nation's moment of greatest vulnerability. A concerted effort is needed now to renew the foundation for long-term U.S. competitiveness and prosperity." ^^^^ Manufacturing Works, by Fred Zimmerman and Dave Beal, Dearborn Trade Publication, (c) 2002

~~~Many states and utilities... have lost significant numbers of ED staff and talent. Early retirement, closing of field offices, and regional re-assignments have all been causes in this tight economic period. How has your state been affected?  We’ll share the information with readers next month. Write us at: info@blanecanada.com

~Idea 1. Buy 20 copies and share them with key state and local leaders (along with your personalized 2-page synopsis!).

~Idea 2. Push your state ED association to contact the manufacturing association in your state and find ways to collaborate on increasing awareness on the importance of manufacturing.

~Idea 3. Ask economic development association board members to approach various manufacturers' associations and develop a legislative agenda for economic development.

~~~Polling leadership/politicians... Jim Devine (MO) said they did this "under the guise of strategic planning and seeking direction on community product improvement issues." The local Community Roundtable wanted dialogue about issues, not personalities. A survey was financed by a neutral coalition of businesses and individuals. Efforts were made to hold "neighborhood" focus groups so that neighborhood issues were incorporated into the dialogue. The identified growth and development issues and the local newspaper advocacy of them, required that the candidates raise the level of campaign dialogue. Major issues (airport, infrastructure financing, traffic) elevated the campaign by causing the candidates to address the issues. The survey was used by a "Citizens for Excellence" group as the basis for their questions and endorsements of candidates.

~~~Poll your elected officials... economic development-type questions. What questions do you ask related to E.D.?

~~~You've heard it before... Knowledge builds wealth

~~~Neanderthal marketing... says it all. Out of date, out of touch, out of sync and probably running out of money.

~~~Disaster averted... "Whew, I don't know what I would have done without your tech support. John helped me rebuild my entire existing business dataset. All of last year's calls would have been lost. Thank you, John!" Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference. Happy Synchronist User - Ohio

~~~Weakest link... Your computer system's security is only as strong as the weakest link, often the password. Don't use common English or foreign words, names, patterns, phone numbers, addresses, or a single case (upper/lower case letters). If you want great passwords, use license-plate shorthand to bring a phrase or word down to 6-8 characters, e.g. 'Init4Tm!' (In it for the money!), or 'H8PepZ' (Hate Pepsi), or 'heBGBz' (Heebie-jeebies). Record a few "plate" ideas as you drive. Or try http://www-chaos.umd.edu/misc/origplates.html#h Source: "e-Synchronist Operators' Guide"

~~~Leadership... Blane, Canada Ltd.'s leadership in business retention is unparalleled. The published body of work cuts a new path through the thicket of tradition to show new ways to dramatically increase the value of the R&E progress with no additional investment of time or energy. Skeptical? Good. Don't take our word for it. Decide for yourself. http://www.blanecanada.com/frameset_free.html http://www.blanecanada.com/BCL_retention.html http://www.synchronist.com

~~~"It's hard... to teach old dogs new tricks. But, I am learning a lot with our Synchronist (software) System calls. This is very good!" Don, Ontario, Canada

~~~Try www.placeware.com ... Interface with clients and contacts across the country. This allows numerous parties to teleconference. Stu Bailenson (IL) tells us more than 20 were connected for a presentation he participated in.

~~~Listening... Share your thoughts, ideas, and comments for future editions of ED Marketing Letter. We don't have a corner on the "insight" market. What are you seeing, learning, doing? We look forward to hearing from you. nblane@blanecanada.com

~~~Are you on the cusp?... Many write us asking for "the best web sites" to emulate. We don't attempt to answer this directly. Instead, we suggest you select a list of towns/cities/states. Conduct a search. Is it easy to locate? Does it download quickly? Is the menu easy to understand and navigate? Is most of the data you want for comparison readily available? Is the information current? Select ideas you want to employ, and refer your web designer to the specific sites.

~~~Shadow space... "In the era of corporate restructuring, shadow space will be more of a factor in the commercial real estate industry," wrote Jim Fink of the Buffalo Business Journal. "Shadow space is a term that defines the subleasing of excess office space." It made the deal when National Fuel Gas Co. moved its headquarters from Buffalo to Amherst. Appeared in print version 2/24/03 under "Business First", "National Fuel HQ Relocation 'Shadows' New Economic Era". Thanks to Ron Kitchens for the info.

~~~WorkforceChicago2.0... is a collaborative initiative of the World Business Chicago along with the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). They have issued a call for nominations from companies exhibiting exemplary employee learning and development practices. Consider how this approach could help your economic development efforts.

~~~Incentives... Bill Browning (FL) states that he has observed the better ED organizations conducting an economic analysis to determine the pay back, prior to negotiating incentives.

~~~"The Personal Branding Phenomenon"... Jim Anderson (MI) told us of an interview with Paul Montoya, the author. "In the marketing-saturated age, an honest Personal brand may be the last route to credibility". Montoya states that the most successful brands have one thing in common, "that the customer is relevant".

~~~Spyware... AKA scumware, is advertising-supported software (Adware) that gathers information on a person without their knowledge. Personal info is passed on to advertisers or other special interests. Spyware is delivered via new software or as a virus. Ad-Aware can clean your PC of any spyware, we understand. It must be run every few weeks to be effective. Known spyware programs are: Comet Cursor, Crescendo, and Gator. If a web site offers one of these, click No. http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10121984.html?tag=1st-0-1

~~~NAICS... In response to last month's reference to NAICS, Michael West (TX) provided a short tutorial on the subject. Also at this site is access to press releases issued by each state's economic development agency. http://www.bidc.state.tx.us/researchcorner/Archives/Issue1/Issue1.html

~~~"As you can imagine, people in my position are inundated by missives, notes, exhortations, results, and just plain old garden-variety messages via the Internet hour by the hour. The finger trained to push the "delete" button is therefore very well developed. In the case of your letter (ED Marketing Letter), however, I should note that a small restraint arises whenever that finger moves toward that button.  You are to be commended for the breezy topicality and interest that infuse your commentary." THANK YOU, Zoltan Szigethy, WA

~~~Aging leadership in E.D... Jim Allen of Waterloo, IA shares a means of introducing young, new blood into the importance of supporting local economic development. The Waterloo Chamber has a permanent seat on its Board of Directors for the sitting president of the Waterloo Jaycees. Additionally, Jaycee members are encouraged to serve on the local Economic Development Committee. Clever strategy!

~~~Lots of good info... in our past e-newsletters. If you're researching some ED topic, test out the "search" capability of our web site which will provide you with all the snippets of information on that topic. http://www.blanecanada.com/newsletters/frameset_search.html

Blane, Canada Ltd.
1506 Cadet, Suite 100
Wheaton, IL 60187-7380
ph 630.462.9222
fax 630.462.9210

info@blanecanada.com