At Creative EDC, our strategic plans have no shelf life. They are meant for action, not gathering dust on a shelf. We believe in the value of planning your work and working your plan. The Economic Development Authority of Amherst County, VA is a great example of working a strategic plan. The EDA methodically worked …
There is no topic more discussed these days than the current difficulties companies have filling jobs. This labor shortage is usually associated with the pandemic and is being analyzed in small businesses and corporate boardrooms, and especially at economic development organizations! We wanted to dig deeper into this topic, so we invited Dr. Laura Ullrich, …
Downtown Wake Forest, NC is historic and charming featuring many shops and restaurants. One thing it does not yet have is a major employer. When Jason Cannon, President of Wake Forest’s Business and Industry Partnership (BIP), learned that a local operator of co-working spaces had plans to convert a downtown warehouse into co-working and event …
One of the more interesting projects Creative EDC worked on this year was an update to the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) strategic plan. Interesting, in part, because of the timing. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) have been, and continue to be, at the forefront of the economic recovery effort. During …
It’s not just a tagline – “SBTDC: Your Business. Better.” Read More »
Creative EDC Intern Rylee Govoreau explores economic development with three professionals at different stages in their careers. Pass this along to a young person you know who may be interested in a career in economic development. As with every other industry, economic development is facing the silver tsunami. We should all be proactive in recruiting bright young people to our field. ~ …
By Lisa Finaldi Lisa is the Community Engagement Leader at the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation. The COVID-19 crisis has made crystal clear the vital role that child care and other parent supports play in getting our economy back on track. Even before the pandemic, 99 of 100 counties in NC were already child care deserts …
Why Child Care Should Be Part of Your COVID-19 Recovery Strategy Read More »
A Case Study of Abbeville County’s College Promise Scholarship Program Abbeville County not only has big ideas, they make them happen. The rural county of approximately 25,000 people raised funds that allow every high school graduate to earn a degree at Piedmont Technical College. This has impacted education, workforce development, business development, and opened many …
A Small, Rural County Making a Big Difference in Workforce Development Read More »
With nearly 100% of companies reporting being impacted by COVID-19, EDOs are reshaping the BRE program to meet unprecedented needs. Virtual BRE visits, increased information sharing, financing programs, and revisiting incentive compliance are just a few changes being made to BRE programs. By examining business impact, precautions being taken, and assistance needed, EDOs can gain …
BRE Amidst COVID-19: Business Impact & How to Reshape Your BRE Program Read More »
Due to the economic cliff most businesses fell off of in March, some will not meet the performance milestones set out in incentive agreements negotiated years before. Are communities being flexible on incentive compliance, and if so, how? We asked Azad Khan with Parker Poe Consulting this burning question and others related to incentive compliance. …
“What skills should I be learning right now?” is a question we have been asked by several economic developers. We have all been thrown into a new work environment that requires a new set of skills. We believe virtual meetings, collaboration, and site visits are here to stay to some degree. Companies and organizations have …
Top 10 Skills Economic Developers Should be Honing Right Now Read More »
Housing is one of the hottest, most talked about topics in economic development. The reason? In order to attract new businesses to your community you need to have a talented workforce to draw from to fill those jobs, and that workforce needs a place to live. Attracting talent and recruiting new employees is just part …
Using Housing Data to Attract Business and Talent Read More »
Dr. Bonny McClain will present on ‘Data Visualization and Data Literacy’ at the 2020 WEDN Conference. She is a sought-after collaborator as a data analyst, data literacy and fluency coach and consultant as well as a healthcare journalist and advocate. Bonny is a member of the National Press Club, 500 Women Scientists, Association of Healthcare …
One of the biggest assets in Waynesboro is East Main Street/Hwy 250, which connects downtown Waynesboro with the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, and Appalachian Trail, three nationally-known and visited outdoor destinations. Waynesboro was selected as the 2019 Creative Give Back winner because connecting downtown to these assets, via what we called the Gateway …
Transforming Waynesboro’s Gateway – 2019 Creative Give Back Project Read More »
There are many trends changing the way economic developers practice. They are changing the way we market a community, develop product, create policy, and measure results. We’ve been talking about trends with our clients, EDOs, and local governments. We summarize some of the trends here, what they are leading us to think about, and how …
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 …
