August 2004, Volume: 7, Issue: e/8, ISBN 1527-5175

~~~Economic development without a plan... is like a fizzled balloon.

~~~Our R&E article moves opinions and builds credibility... "Yes, your article did help us receive significant coverage on R&E. You have also helped add a level of creditability to programs that we provide in our organization that our City Council was impressed with! We've had a couple that thought we should just be involved in recruitment. They now see it differently!" Source: Synchronist User in Oklahoma. Editor's Note: If you would like a copy of this article to submit to your newspaper, contact Andrew alaidlaw@blanecanada.com

~~~"Advanced Business Retention: Beyond the Basics"... If you are interested in how to value your economic portfolio of local businesses, this is a MUST! Blane, Canada Ltd.'s next seminar is scheduled for Oct. 18-19 in Chicago. The class is limited to 25, so sign up now if you're interested. Don't miss an opportunity to feel mentally nourished from this program which continues to get rave reviews. All details are provided at: www.blanecanada.com/BCL_retention.html

~~~"If you ever sit down at a poker table... and in 15 minutes you haven't figured out who the pigeon is, you are the pigeon." Warren Buffett, Investor

~~~Great idea... A tech tip alternative to PowerPoint. Using flip charts frequently results in "talking to the paper" and/or difficult audience reading. To make your points, Robert Jordon suggests preparing one- and two-word phrases in PowerPoint, using huge font sizes (96 points). Print these black on white on good quality paper. Then, using a can of 3M Spray Mount, stick each phrase onto the chart in its place, with only a momentary loss of eye contact with the audience. Word of warning: pencil the order number on the back of the sheets, so you can quickly get them in the right order if you drop them! Source: SpeakerNet News, 2/20/04, Robert Jordan

~~~Help yourself... Put your contact information on the home page as well as on the "contact us" page. More and more web sites are being used as a phone book/address book. If your web designer makes finding your phone number and address a guessing game, some will elect not to play. And no, an e-mail form is not sufficient nor is a PO BOX. If I am in town looking you up on my cell phone's web link, I want it NOW! Tell your web designer to ADD YOUR STREET ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER to the home page!

~~~Leadership training anyone?... No, absolutely no. Bright, sophisticated, engaged adults should not be put in a training workshop! Too many of the leadership training sessions in economic development focus on how to do economic development. We do not in our new workshop, "Leadership Orienteering." The purpose of the seminar is to show how execs fit into economic development and the critical role they can/must play if the community is to succeed. Contact Eric: ecanada@blanecanada.com

~~~Benchmarks... Whether your focus is business attraction or retention, you should have specific goals.

~~~Some examples... of how economic developers unwittingly increase a prospect's actual or perceived risk: Lack of due diligence, bad information from research, slow or inadequate response, lack of tracking follow-through after passing client on to another contact, leak the story, or over sell. Source: "Physics of Marketing" presented by Blane, Canada Ltd.

~~~Terrific read... "Boomtown USA" by Jack Schultz is a great read. He addresses success in small towns, but does not limit the content to rural issues. Contact National Assoc. of Industrial and Office Properties: www.naiop.org

~~~Experiencing jargon overload?... Technology has introduced an incredible range of new vocabulary. How do you keep up? Don't rely solely on the publications you read regularly. We recommend you review various magazines on business, finance, software, target industries, etc. Each is loaded with new terminology which will boost your knowledge. Don't let the technology pass you by!

~~~Mental floss... Jumping from trend to trend is common in economic development. Must-have studies, predictable targets, and must-do marketing activities. It's a pressure business. The stakes are high - your job is on the line. Conformity reigns over innovation. Does it boil down to stimulation? Ron Kitchens, Corpus Christi, TX refers to it as mental floss. Those little and big things, most often when we are not looking for them, poke through the clutter slapping you in the forehead. A fresh perspective or an unbalancing question often results from such moments. What is your mental floss? Send a note editor@blanecanada.com

~~~9 hours in a helicopter... That's what Jack Brophy, site selection consultant, will do to assess properties prior to narrowing the field. If he flies over your community, your opportunity to influence him in advance was probably limited to web site information or data provided by a regional partner. Were you prepared?

~~~Good topic... "Developing Non-Traditional Funding Strategies for Your Economic Development Programs" is a one-day course offered by Georgia Tech, Sept. 8. Check it out at: www.pe.gatech.edu

~~~"It's the old gag... people who pay for things never complain. It's the guy you give something to that you can't please." Quote: Will Rogers

~~~What is channel development? Marketer's think about channels. At the most basic level, it's identifying the different means by which you can be exposed to prospective clients, e.g. through a utility or regional partner, and then developing customized treatments based on the complexities and unique needs of each segment. Many economic development professionals take partners and other channels for granted. First, identify your channels.  Second, craft a marketing strategy to improve the production of each channel. Source: The Physics of Marketing, Blane, Canada Ltd.'s advanced marketing course.

~~~Editor's gift... Maury Forman is an economic developer in Washington State and has edited/written a number of books which are available at a discounted price to our readers. The publications are:  "Community Wisdom 2," "Journey to Jobs," " Keeping Business Healthy, Happy and Local," "Learning to Lead," "Ten Commandments of Economic Development," and " 25 Immutable Rules for Successful Tourism." Mention reading about them in Blane, Canada Ltd.'s e-newsletter for $5 off. Order from LindaA@cted.wa.gov

~~~Stats or Stories... Neither statistics nor stories alone will get attention, movement, or action. Put them together and flat communications take on the power to move people - remember "stats and stories." Chris Gibbons, Littleton (CO) Economic Development, 2004 Economic Gardening Conference, Santa Fe, NM

~~~Northern Iowa... is well represented by Corn Belt Power Cooperative's new booklet of industrial parks. Twenty-six properties are promoted in a compact format with aerial shots and specs on each property.

~~~"When you change... the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Anon.

~~~"My main job was developing talent... I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too." Source: Jack Welch

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

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