We were fortunate to have our lives touched by Bob in many ways. He was a long-time mentor and friend to Crystal Morphis and instrumental in the founding of the firm. His positive attitude, generosity, and kind spirit brought out the best in everyone around him. From Navy Captain to Government Manager to Economic Developer …
Bob Comer will be deeply missed by the Creative EDC family. Read More »
In times of competing priorities for limited public investment dollars it is more important than ever to articulate a project’s value. When economic developers want to communicate value clearly and objectively, economic impact analysis is a way to convert the potential for positive economic outcomes to precise dollar figures and employment numbers. It can illustrate …
There is a vacant storefront up Main Street from our office in downtown Elkin. The retail store was a staple on Main Street for many years. It closed when the owner retired. We’re hearing this same scenario played out in communities across our market area whether a Main Street business or locally owned manufacturing company. …
We have not had a chance to vacation yet, but evenings on the porch are a nice setting for a good book, too. If you are planning a get-away, or just reading to relax at the end of the day, check out these recommendations for summer reading! We featured “Give and Take” by Adam Grant …
We first published the Safety Guide for Economic Development Professionals in 2018.It was, and still is, the only safety guide for our profession. Since safety isn’t a one-time discussion, this blog revisits the topic in hopes that you will make safety a regular part of your office protocols. Economic developers take on so many roles, …
By Rick Kiernan Convergent Nonprofit Solutions www.linkedin.com/in/rickkiernan/ I’ve been raising money for chambers and economic development organizations for nearly a quarter of a century. For the first 15 years of my fundraising career, those capital campaigns primarily funded new business attraction strategies. Recruit a company to town, and new jobs and capital investment follow. Everyone …
The Hottest Trend in Economic Development Fundraising Read More »
Salaries and bonuses are up and more people got raises, according to the recently released 2019 North Carolina Economic Development Salary Survey. Ensuring your organization has a competitive pay and benefits structure is critical to recruiting and retaining talented people. With the new survey results and comparisons to national data, you can be confident you …
The winner of the 2019 Creative Give Back is the City of Waynesboro, VA. Their proposal is to creatively link the city’s cultural and economic offerings with the natural splendor of Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The four-mile connecting corridor faces numerous redevelopment challenges such as vacant properties, blight, and lack of coherent development …
We have heard of people who strive for ‘Zero Inbox’, that mythical status where all emails are filed, replied to, sorted and resolved. It reminds us of Neverland, more than a goal – since we tend to share our email address(es) with all sorts of trade associations, think tanks and clients, not to mention retail …
One of our New Year goals for 2019 is to be more strategic in how we spend our time. The books Essentialism by Greg McKeown and When by Daniel Pink influenced us. Like many of you, we are confronted with new opportunities each day which take us away from our originally-intended To Do list. Some …
Be Strategic In How You Spend Your Time – Back Office Solutions for Economic Developers Read More »
We love studying millennials. Their economic and leisure preferences are interesting and how they are shaping the workforce is fascinating. So, when the Blacksburg’s Creative Give Back application to re-energize the Young Professionals Program was selected as the 2018 winner, we were totally stoked! It offered us an opportunity to take a deep dive into …
Making Blacksburg Sticky for Young Professionals Read More »
Since product is the #2 challenge in economic development (#1 being workforce), we want to know what the product landscape is in our core market area of NC, SC, and VA. Who has more buildings, certified sites, and rail sites? Your community can be the best at other things, but if you don’t have product, …
Comparing Product in NC, SC, & VA – Who Stands Out? Read More »
New ways of work need new standards for communication and feedback. Instead of the (dreaded) annual review, progressive workplaces embrace more frequent – if not continuous – feedback in order to drive employee satisfaction, management leadership, and ultimately company goals. Old-style annual performance reviews can bring a feeling of dread for both participants. It may …
Shell buildings are an economic development marketing tool intended to attract prospects. Wilson County, NC lands 1-2 companies for every shell building PLUS the company that buys the shell. So, if your EDO leadership is on the fence about investing in product development, show them the success Wilson County has had and the ROI may …
Turn Your 1 Shell Building into 3 Company Locations Read More »
If placemaking is the current theme for tourism, talent, and economic development, then wayfinding – or even wayshowing – is the language of expression for visitors and residents alike. From its roots in ‘Welcome to Pleasantville’ monument signage at the town limits , wayfinding has blossomed to an important tool for creating impressions and expressing …
