Retention Roulette:They Love Me, They Love Me

Not

David LymanCity of Bakersfield

Today we will explore . . .

Why BR&E gets little, if any, respect. Should you have a BR&E program? Some tools used in successful BR&E

pgms. How to develop a survey and what to

do with the information you get.

What is Business Retention and Expansion?

Why Business Retention is Unique

You can’t pass on a business.

You may have to work through others.

S E X Y

Should YOUR community have a BR&E program?

Statistically, it’s a no brainer. Need the backing of elected officials. Elected officials need to be convinced. All jobs are not created equal. More entrepreneurs are starting firms.

► They seldom move to start a new business.

Remember your existing businesses.

Should YOUR community have a BR&E program?

Look at your team. Know your weaknesses. Can you deliver? Incentives: protect your

investment. Every large business started

small. Companies want to be wanted.

Rules for Working with Businesses

Explain your role up front. Don’t nickel and dime them with

Q&As. Get them invested in the project. Don’t waste time on a dog.

Maintain confidentiality. Give them a chance to tell their story. Stay in communication.

Source: Mark Barbash, Columbus (Ohio) Countywide Development Corp.

Permit streamlining Rapid response Buyer supply system Visitation program Newsletter Appreciation event Telephone or e-mail hotline Survey

What Should Your BR&E Program Offer? Hmmm, how

‘bout . . .

What is a survey and how do I write one?

The first thing you do . . . Noitca fo nalp ruoy poleved. Borrow other surveys. Who will be completing the

survey? Every question has a purpose.

What is a survey and how do I write one?

Two types of questions. How many questions will you

ask? Group questions into logical

components. Get the results out. Have your team ready.

? ? ? ? ?

David’s Book Club Recommends . . .

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell

Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States, Albert O. Hirschman

City Limits, Paul E. Peterson

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell

David’s Book Club Recommends (cont’d)… The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida

Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

Summary

BR&E gets little respect. Is a BR&E effort right for you? Existing successful tools make it easy. Meet the needs of businesses, not you. Survey: backward mapping. Every survey question needs a purpose. Survey: Who will be completing it? Existing firms are already in your

community.