Economic Development Solutions
There is no magic button to economic development. It is hard work. Successful economic development organizations have developed a mission and a process of continuous improvement. It begins courageously with self-assessment, determining where the strengths and weaknesses are, and then developing an action plan.
Our strength at BBA is asking the right questions. Our mission is to deliver objective insight and answers so that our clients can act.
Planning Brings Action
Having a plan is like a roadmap to the future -- it tells you where you are going and what your organization is about. It establishes a mission-setting agenda.
But an organization can get bogged down in too much planning. All too often planning becomes a safe and comfortable exercise, which can obstruct and inhibit decision-making and taking meaningful action.
Said T. Boone Pickens: "A plan without action is just a speech."
Another insightful Booneism: “Don’t fall victim to what I call the ‘ready-aim-aim-aim-aim’ syndrome.' You must be willing to fire.”
Foundational to strategic planning is a SWOT analysis, which determines a community's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Our SWOT analysis entails a combination of onsite and virtual online interviews with community stakeholders, all of which are off-the-record and not-for-attribution. No one will be quoted.
During this initial phase of discovery, we gather and analyze information about major employers, transportation and access to markets, buildings and sites, infrastructure, education, workforce development, business climate and quality of life.
And all of our findings -- minus the names of those interviewed -- are being shared with our economic development client in weekly online meetings in which we seek input and pushback. Indeed, the client stays informed of our progress from start to finish and becomes an intimate member of our project team.
Other Ways We Can Help
EconDev 101: Educating Stakeholders
Economic development is made no easier by the fact that local policymakers often have only a cursory understanding of economic development. We give a one-day, crash-course to educate them how economic development works in the real world.
Site Readiness: Transforming land into a site
Transforming a property into a viable commercial/industrial site gives a community a significant competitive advantage. We help you document that a site is controlled and available, can be fully served by utilities, and can be developed on a fast-track basis.
Marketing Makeover: Build your brand
A primary function of an economic development organization is marketing. Effective marketing develops trust and loyalty, essentially a fan base through distinctive content that is consistent and that resonates. Includes website review.
Kaizen Retainer: Pushing for continuous improvement
We bring the philosophy of kaizen to economic development organizations, serving as a guide, coach, and ally to them over an extended period in which we develop a continuous improvement process to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.
