In our last post, Mr. Jeff Finkle, CEO of the International Economic Development Council, shared some insights on economic development mistakes to avoid. In this post we will share the rest of our Q&A session with him, which includes discussion about incentives, investment, and marketing venues for small to mid-sized communities:

What types of incentives seem to be sparking the most activity right now, and what should a community be offering to stay competitive?

It is worth noting that no two communities are created equal. Each community faces diverse factors that impact the types of incentive programs they can and should offer and the actual effectiveness of those programs. (more…)

Community Marketing, Economic Development, Economic Incentives, International Economic Development Council

The economic downturn of the last few years has left communities around the country fighting to recoup lost jobs and tax revenue after major employers in their areas either downsized or shut down completely. As a result, economic development has been the hot topic for community leaders everywhere, particularly small to mid-sized communities. But just trying isn’t enough in such a competitive environment; to win you need to plan correctly and execute that plan without mistakes.

We recently approached the folks at the International Economic Development Council with some questions concerning economic development efforts in small and mid-sized communities, and they were kind enough to fill us in on some of the trends they are seeing. In this first of a two-part series of posts where we share their insights, IEDC President and CEO Jeff Finkle addresses the most common and damaging mistakes that these communities can make when preparing an economic development game plan: (more…)

Common Economic Development Mistakes, Economic Development, International Economic Development Council