April 2007, Volume: 10, Issue: e/3, ISBN 1527-5175

~~~ Success secret... Find a small space where you can make a big difference! Frank Gehry, architect

~~~ Presentation Rule #16... If you are planning a Power Point presentation, use 3 minutes per slide to estimate presentation time. Too often a speaker will arrive with 20 slides for a 20 minute presentation. It just doesn't work. If you have 20 minutes, plan on 6-7 substantive slides. If your slides are really dense - lots of copy - cut back even more. You will be more relaxed and the audience will be less frustrated.

~~~ How Key Performance Indicators Changed the Business Retention Game... Free Webinar
Compared to what? An age old business retention question. Knowing 36% of companies are planning to expand is great information. But, is 36% good? Without a context, 36% is just a nice number. Not good, not bad. Now, for the first time in economic development, the "Key Performance Indicators" provides substantive comparative information (regional and national) to help build a context around what is happening in the community. That context provides a backdrop for meaningful economic development policy, program, and resource decisions. Without a context, it is just an educated guess!

April 23, 1-2 p.m. Central Time
April 24, 10-11 a.m. Central Time

Free Webinar space is limited. Register by sending Name, Title, Organization, Phone, and organizational e-Mail address to info@blanecanada.com

~~~Six things to do NOW!

1) Get out of the rut. Buy a handful of magazines you have never read before. Look at your world from their perspective. Hang at Starbucks in your jeans, skim the magazines while observing and reflecting.

2) Pick up the phone. Pull a name from your roll-a-dex at random and invite that person to breakfast, lunch, or coffee. Focus on what the other person is doing, challenges they are facing, trends they see (good and bad). What are the implications for you?

3) Read the book, "Seeing What is Next, Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change" (Christensen, et. al., 2004). The things that make the competitor strong, make them weak.

4) Lead a parade. There are many boomer business owners that do not have a succession plan in place. They do not know how they will convert their hard work into equity. Who can play a leading roll in helping these business owners prepare for the transition and capture a return on their sweat equity while retaining a business in the community? (Hint: Don't sponsor a seminar on succession planning... few will admit they don't have a plan.)

5) Revisit the members of your kitchen cabinet. What are they thinking about? Don't have a kitchen cabinet. Form one with two or three key advisors.

6) Read, "The Brand You 50 by Tom Peters. Lots of ideas and tips like those above on marketing at the personal level.

~~~Sure sign of trouble... when we expect a computer or software to solve our problem. They are tools, not solutions. The root of most business problems is not software. In fact, 95% of the problems are caused by flawed processes. The same holds true for economic development organizations.

~~~Want to increase your productivity... while at your desk? Turn off the e-mail auto receive or stretch the retrieval period to at least 1 hr. It is amazing how much of a distraction the drip-drip-drip delivery of e-mail to your in-box can be.

~~~ Have something to say... Share your economic development expertise... Wikipedia needs help developing the history and purpose of economic development. Current entries are sketchy at best. Wikipedia is a universal encyclopedia written by those who choose to contribute. It is a public information project. If you are not familiar with it, you might want to check it out beyond the economic development section. Contribute to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development

~~~Synchronist Users... Synchronist Users Forum, October 4 & 5, Chicago, IL. Share experiences and best practices with some of the best professionals in business retention. Preliminary agenda and registration http://www.blanecanada.com/usersforum.html

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

info@blanecanada.com