When a board member sees your goal of two (2) BRE visits a week, do they ask if that’s all you have time for? They don’t understand the time it takes to set up and prepare for the meeting (often rescheduling a few times) and how much time it takes for follow up and information …
When we first blogged about podcasts in 2016, the Pew Research Center had documented explosive growth in both the number of podcasts available and the number of downloads each year. This trend has not slowed down. You can check out some stats from PodcastInsights here: including that 44% of the U.S. population has listened to a …
Since the warm weather greeted us early this year, we have been plowing through some summer reading and are ready to share recommendations with our colleagues. Preferences for reading material are as varied as vacation spots, so our list is lengthy and diverse! If you are reading to expand your potential at work and in …
Earlier this year, I was in a CTE (Career and Technical Education) meeting. We were talking about WorkKeys. Like many of you, I’ve talked about WorkKeys since WorkKeys came out. For the first time, however, I thought about whether I really understood WorkKeys. That day, I decided to test my perceptions. Two months, six tests, …
Pete Drucker said that “people are effective because they say no.” If that is true, why is saying no so hard? Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, says that it is hard because 1) we lack clarity about what is essential in our lives, and 2) saying no is awkward. We want to get along with …
Small business is big business to most communities, but how do you know if it is a worthwhile economic development strategy for your community? The Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce answered the question by evaluating the small business and entrepreneur (SB/E) ecosystem. They assessed whether there is an opportunity to increase start-ups and help …
What Is Your Entrepreneurship Strategy? Alamance County Knows Read More »
Economic developers take on so many roles, chauffer, travel guide, tour leader, and often spending considerable time with strangers. Working with visiting prospects at short notice is actually the goal of many local and regional economic development programs. Combined with what are often small staffs and long distances, safety protocols is a topic that warrants …
More than 100 economic development professionals participated in this year’s Women’s Economic Development Network forum making it a huge success. We reinforced the tagline of WEDN – Learn and Lead – with programming on leadership, career pathways, and forward-thinking presentations on talent, placemaking, and entrepreneurship. This may have been our best year of …
Amherst County’s vision is to create a community culture that serves as a magnet and a support system for people starting and growing businesses. Amherst County launched into the Certified Entrepreneurial Community® (CEC®) Program in October 2016 with a community entrepreneurship retreat at Sweet Briar College. Over the next 14 months, the CEC® Leadership Team, …
Amherst County, VA is the First Certified Entrepreneurial Community® in Virginia Read More »
The enthusiasm behind the City of Graham’s application is what made them the 2017 Creative Give Back winner. Graham asked for our help in developing a framework for the implementation and operation of a Community Development/Revolving Loan Fund and programs to support entrepreneurship initiatives. One goal of our Creative Give Back program is to work …
Town leaders gathered Monday, October 23rd at Bass Lake Park in Holly Springs to celebrate the accomplishments of their entrepreneurial leadership team over the past year. Creative EDC officially certified the Town as entrepreneur-ready. The team’s vision for Holly Springs is to create a town culture that attracts and supports people starting and growing businesses. …
Holly Springs, NC is now a Certified Entrepreneurial Community®! Read More »
When I hear talent recruitment campaign, I picture Dallas, Chattanooga, and other big cities. That’s why I was eager to learn about Cleveland County, NC’s (pop. 97,000) new talent campaign. How did a small, rural county convince its leadership that talent is where it’s at – and how did they find the resources for a …
Creative EDC and Fayetteville State University evaluated the economic impact of potential decreases (or increases) in personnel at Fort Bragg. It was a significant research project that resulted in volumes of data and information. However, the project steering committee wanted the 200-page report boiled down to one critical piece of information – what is the …
Getting to the Bottom Line: Value of One Soldier to a Local Economy Read More »
We are all guilty of huddling in the same groups, talking to the same people at meetings and conferences. It is nice to catch up with old friends, but meeting new people opens new doors of opportunity. A few tips for your next conference or meeting: Ice breakers do just that, break the ice. Ever …
Economic Developers Love To Network, But Are They Really Good At It? Read More »
The launch of the new NCEDA Book Club got us to thinking about our reading list. We love to talk books here at Creative and with all of our colleagues. We have gathered a list of great reads for economic developers. Let us know what you think about our list. Enjoy! If you love thinking, then …
