Exploring Strategies for Enhancing the Regional Economy

Module Six

Reflecting on the Previous Session

• What did you find most useful or valuable?• What progress have you made since then?• Any questions or clarification needed?

Overview of Module Six• Identify the economic leaks in the region• Explore basic avenues for strengthening

clusters• Provide an overview of some specific

strategies within each avenue• Select some potential directions for the

region to explore

The Leaky BucketThe Regional

Economy

Goods or Services Purchased outside of the Region$

Plugging the Leaks

Regional Demand

Regional Supplier

Outside Supplier

Strengthening Clusters through Import Substitution

Identify:• Industries that support the cluster• Goods and services being purchased

from outside the region• Capacity for supplying these inputs

regionally• Resources needed to help promote the

creation, expansion, retention or attraction of businesses to supply inputs

Labels

Identify Potential Leakages and Opportunities for New Businesses

Wine

Zero inputs available regionally

Small % of inputs available regionally

Large % of inputs available regionally

100% of inputs available regionally

Grapes

Research

IIrrig

ation

System

Fertilizer

Advertising

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages

Securities Brokerage

Investment Advice

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings

Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses)

Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services

Residential Property Managers

Engineering Services

Other Activities Related to Real Estate

$0 $50,000,000 $100,000,000 $150,000,000 $200,000,000

In RegionOut of Region

Looking at Regional Leakages in [Fill in Your Region’s Industry]

Substitute your region’s chart for this example.

Examining Your Region’s Cluster

Identify where:• Leakages are occurring• The regional may

already have capacity to respond

• Potential growth opportunities exist

C.A.R.E for the Cluster

Cluster

Strengthening

Creation

Attraction Retention

Expansion

Source: Barta, et al (2010) CARE Model

Creation

Growing new enterprises locally to fill the gaps of goods and services purchased from outside the region

Creation: Sample Strategies

• Regional training

• Business coaching

• Entrepreneur networking

• Business incubators

Creation: Providing Regional Support

Community Support

New Business &EntrepreneurDevelopment

Intellectual Stimulation

Access to Capital

Education

Information

Connections & Networks

Infrastructure

Services & Amenities

Source: Based on Reynolds, et. al., Small Business Economics 23: 263–284, 2004.

Creation: Our Region• What has the region done to

support or encourage new business or entrepreneur development in the past?

• What are some potential strategies to consider for the future?

Attraction

Attraction seeks to reduce leakages by recruiting into the region firms that can supply missing goods or services that support the cluster.

Attraction: Targeting Effectively

• Past:

Blindly attracting industry

• Now:

Targeting cluster related businesses that are likely to be successful in the region

Attraction: Location Models

• Analyzes the probability of an industry moving to the region

• Evaluates the region’s ability to respond to industry needs

• Selects industries with the highest likelihood of success

Attraction:Community Business Matching Model

Compatibility Desirability

Community

Business

Assets

Needs Profile

Goals

The Ideal

Source: Cox et al., 2009

Attraction: Our Region

• Past successes

• Past challenges

• Potential attraction strategies related to regional clusters

Retention & Expansion

Supporting existing businesses within a cluster so that they can survive and thrive is another avenue for stopping or preventing cluster leakages.

Retention & Expansion Strategies

• Business Retention and Expansion Study

• Business Network Development

Retention & Expansion Study

• Lets businesses know they are valued• Helps solve regional business issues• Connects businesses to regional resources• Creates connections among regional

organizations• Fosters job retention & growth

Cluster Retention & Expansion Study

• Planning Phase• Action Phase

Recruit volunteer visitors Visit local businesses

• Follow-up Respond to concerns Plan for future

Business Network Development

A formal or informal collaboration among

firms that are part of a cluster

for the purpose of

creating a net benefit for all involved

Retention & Expansion: Our Region

• What has the region done to support:– Retention of cluster-related firms?– Expansion of cluster-related firms?

• What are some potential future strategies to support cluster retention and expansion?

Connecting Competitive Advantage to C.A.R.E.

Competitive Advantage

Demand Conditions

Firm Strategy, Structure, Rivalry

Factor Conditions

Related & Supporting Industries

C.A.R.E. Strategies

Creation

Attraction

Retention

Expansion

What’s Next?• Consider other potential strategies that

could be successful in the region

• Further examine the regional data

Final Reflections

What topics did you find most helpful?

What did you find confusing?

What other data do you need?

Other items you want to mention?

Looking Ahead: Module Seven

We will: Examine regional assets Explore the region’s seven

capitals Take an honest look at potential

barriers Take steps to link assets to

your potential regional goals