My friend Sara Dunnigan just announced that she is leaving the world of consulting to become the Executive Director of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, a job that perfectly fits the most enthusiastic Make Our Existing Businesses More Successful professional in the economic development profession. Thankfully, before she moved on, she wrote up her research …
Continue reading Do Business Recruitment and Retention Right: a guide from Sara Dunnigan
OK. I wouldn't know the person who wrote this if they bit me, but I think I am in love... both because of the valuable insight this person brings to a crucial issue, and because... well, anyone who names their blog "Nonprofit With Balls" is my kinda people. Anyone who touches communities that aren't completely …
What-you-do-will-have-impacts-you-didn't-expect is probably one of the strongest themes in the Local Economy Revolution Book. As I describe in there, one of my earliest encounters with the profession of planning resulted from being hip-deep in the aftereffects of a massive urban renewal project in Green Bay, Wisconsin. No matter what I did, where I was, which building I …
This article from the 99u business blog makes a point that you who work in nonprofits and governments might be inclined to take for granted - the need for a business to listen to its potential customers to learn what they need and what they want. After all, we do that listening all the time, …
Continue reading The most underrated skill is empathy — for businesses and for you
Dan Gilmartin, of EconomicsofPlace.com, usually pops up on my feeds as a good source talking about the emerging and vibrant new economies developing in Michigan cities and towns. But when this "rant" hit today (thank God someone other than me rants), I knew many of you would also find it interesting. I don't have any …
Continue reading Hey…1954 Called and it Wants its Economic Development Back
At one point during South by Southwest, [talk show host Jimmy] Kimmel’s crew approached a poised young woman with brown hair. “What have you heard about Tonya and the Hardings?” the interviewer asked. “Have you heard they’re kind of hard-hitting?” Failing to pick up on this verbal wink, the woman launched into an elaborate response …
There are very few people that I will Tweet or post sight unseen (which apparently gives me another piece of weirdness cred). Ellen Harpel of SmartIncentives.org is about the only one for which I will do that consistently. Her understanding of the potential and failures of economic development incentives (a topic that I gave a …
Continue reading A Must-Read: Ellen Harpel’s 6 steps to smart incentives use
I've written plenty before -- in the book and at the main blog -- about how one-shot solutions, like throwing up a small business incubator, often don't help, and may hurt. This article summarizing the recent Kauffman Foundation’s Mayors Conference on Entrepreneurship shed some additional light on this topic, including this: One common error by local lawmakers is …
Continue reading How can cities meaningfully impact entrepreneurship? Help from mayors and Kauffman
It's kind of shocking (at least to me) but it's been four (four!) years since I launched the Wise Economy Revolution! In that time I've gained thousands of readers, yammered at thousands of not-entirely-helpless audience members, gained the friendship of some amazing people and had the privilege of working on some kick-ass projects. Also, I finally managed …
Continue reading Wise Economy Workshop Birthday Promotion! 30%-50% off Wise Fool Books!
As most readers know, I am an avid tech startup junkie with a strong interest in how tech companies are both reacting to and themselves remaking economies, both through their works and products and through the fundamentally different approach that people trained in the tech world bring to decision-making, innovation and problem-solving -- issues that …
The Local Economy Revolution Has Arrived 