1. Engaging the Business Community in Economic Development Planning
Lauren Millier, Vie-President
February 6, 2018

2. MDB Insight Inc. Full-service economic development consulting firm
Engaging Your Business Community
MDB Insight Inc.
Full-service economic development consulting firm
Economic Development Strategy
Target Sector + Cluster-Based Analysis
Market Research + Analysis
Corporate Support Services + Site Selection Expertise
We facilitate investment, investment attraction and business development opportunities
Assist municipalities create productive partnerships between communities, stakeholders and investors.
Provides a strong understanding of the issues facing sustained economic growth across a broad range of industry sectors.

3. Purpose of a Strategic Plan
Engaging Your Business Community
Purpose of a Strategic Plan
Identify opportunities to advance a local economy and leverage the ongoing efforts of a municipality and its partners
Improve the underlying conditions for economic development throughout a community or region
Generate a series of strategic actions that enable the creation of jobs, wealth and investment across the region
Essential that recommendations resonate with regional stakeholder community – government, business, delivery organizations

4. Opportunities to Engage
Engaging Your Business Community
Opportunities to Engage
Economic Development Strategies drive the development of or inform:
Business Retention and Expansion Programming
Business Development Services
Foreign Direct Investment
Target Sector Strategies
Marketing and Promotion
Lead Generation Activity

5. Why this engagement so important?
Engaging Your Business Community
Why this engagement so important?
BECAUSE WE CAN GET IT WRONG!
Need to understand perceptions of the strength of the local economy
Optimism for their sectors, their businesses
How would they promote a community/region
Issues with workforce recruitment,
Business support services
Infrastructure needs

6. So how do we do this? Municipalities have tools Advisory Committees
Engaging Your Business Community
So how do we do this?
Municipalities have tools
Advisory Committees
Focus groups/workshops
Face to face interviews
Online surveys – e.g. Survey Monkey
Telephone survey
Sector Committees
Cross departmental teams

7. Engaging Your Business Community
So how do we do this?
Agencies and organizations that regular engage business community have access
Chambers of Commerce
Provincial Ministries
Industry Associations
Workforce Planning Boards
Real Estate Networks

8. Key outcomes Stronger level of buy-in for implementation efforts
Engaging Your Business Community
Key outcomes
Stronger level of buy-in for implementation efforts
Improves competitive intelligence
Establishes a baseline of information to follow trends
Ensures better programming and service delivery
Assists with mentoring efforts
Enhances marketing efforts

9. Thank you
Q+A
Lauren Millier, Vice President MDB Insight Inc.