Thursday, February 06, 2003
Here's the situation: you're an EDPro in a small town (population 10,000) in Southeast Indiana. How do you boost economic prospects in your economy?
The answer is not "Launch a marketing campaign". But that's exactly what Greensburg, IN is doing.Why? Because a consultant appears to be pushing them in this direction. Read more
A word to the wise: glossy brochures are expensive, and they don't build an economy.
The mayor would be better off investing scarce economic development funds in entrepreneurial development at the high school, a business plan competition, internships with local companies, or a drop-out prevention program. About 30 kids a year drop out of the town's high school.
With marketing, follow two strategies: beef up your web site (the Greensburg Chamber's site is not working when I checked) and develop a regional approach to marketing. As a small economy, it's just too expensive to go it alone.
posted by Ed Morrison |
links
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Glossy brochures don't build an economy
