Sunshine Coast Community Forest Business Recuitment Plan June 2011

It takes a Village1
Market Position Statement 2
Identify Business Wish List 3
Create a Supportive Business Environment 4
Make the Environment Appealing 5
Overcome Barriers to Business Investment 6
Offer Incentives, not the kind you think 7
Assemble the Creative 8
Deliver the Story 9
Assemble the Package 10
Being Site Specific 11
Generate Leads 12
Prospecting 13
Personal Visits 14
The Familiarization Tour 15
Make the Pitch 16
Close the Deal 17
The Move 18
The Start 19
What to expect when you’re expecting 20
Repeat the Process 21

Operating Plan

Business Recruitment | Sunshine Coast Community Forest
Focusing on Wood and Forest Value

Presented By

Patrick Nelson Marshall
Capital EDC Economic Development Company
www.capitaledc.com

May 4th 2011
Sechelt, British Columbia, Pacific Region, CANADA

CAPITAL EDC Economic Development Company
analysis, strategies, business, economic ecology and results

patrick.marshall@capitaledc.com

The following is a proscribed strategy that is based on six months of investigative work
completed by Capital EDC Economic Development through site visits, interviews and attendance
at public meetings on the Sunshine Coast. This document is not a study or a report, but rather, a
strategic needs assessment for the Sechelt Community Projects Inc. economic development
committee to move forward on an integrated economic diversification program designed to
cause planned results identified in their Forest Management Plan.
There are two main recommendations:
A. Conduct a series of Focus Groups with business owners and operators in two groups:
The Wood Focus Group comprised of resource extraction and harvest business,
manufacturing and processing business, retail and service commercial businesses supply
chain to the wood business and non-government organizations.

Outcomes from the Wood Focus Group process will include joint marketing for the sale of
Sunshine Coast Wood Products, collaboration on establishing the Away Recruitment team
and how the region establishes the Home Team to respond to expression of interest in
investment resulting in new construction and jobs.
The Forest Focus Group comprised of Outdoor retail and service commercial businesses and
non-government organizations representing social, economic and environmental interests in
the community.

14 August 2011 | cellphone: +1 250 507-4500 | mobile: www.patrickmarshall.tel | Page 2 of 12


Outcomes from the Forest Focus Group process will include joint marketing and use of the
Sunshine Coast Forests, collaboration on establishing the use of the Forest for non-timber
values like organized recreation, free access recreation, another product for destination
marketing for the travel industry, event management and collaboration for botanical
interests and use of non-wood related products from the Forest and to respond to
expressions of interest in investment resulting in new construction and jobs associated with
the Retail and Service Commercial activities associated with the Forest.
B. Pick Teams
From the participants in the Focus Groups, establish an Away Team to present the Wood
and Forest opportunities and a Home Team to build on business retention, expansion and to
host prospects on familiarization tours, events and eventual relocation.
Home Team – Is responsible for coordinating activities inside the region with respect to
facilitating new activities designed to raise the profile of the Wood and Forest Values
associated with the community forest. This means developing the narrative, tools, products
and opportunities to host people interested in using the Forest and celebrating the value of
Wood.
Away Team – is responsible for coordinating activities with respect to presenting offers to
buy unique wood products created on the Sunshine Coast and to communicate the value of
Forest access for recreational and outdoor adventures. This will ultimately address
deficiencies in hospitality and accommodation services associated with larger groups of
people and feathering activities on the shoulders of the traditional 90 day summer season.
C. Establish Metrics
In order to report progress to the community every 90 days, the Focus Groups and Teams
need to establish a simple set of measures to demonstrate tangible and intangible results of
this effort.
1 It Takes a Village
Establish Your Business Recruitment Team. But what you really want is every taxpayer and every
citizen telling the same story to their extended family and associates so that you get the full six
degrees of separation working for you.
To begin the recruitment process, a proactive business recruitment team needs to be
assembled. This team should bring a clear and realistic understanding of the market analysis,
have skills in economic development and real estate, and have an ability to sell and follow
through. Training for the team may be necessary. A team of five to seven participants could
include:
 Established (and retired) business owners;
 Local real estate professionals;
 Current building owners who are interested in exploring various uses for their property;
 Bankers;
 Local development organization representatives;
 The Mayor, Regional Chair, Chief Councillor, Elected officials, CAO’s ; and
 Chamber of commerce and visitor bureau directors.
The team will help serve as a management entity for recruitment efforts, focusing on those
properties and areas that are critical for the economic success of the area. Through the process,
the team will coordinate efforts with local real estate professionals.
On the southern Sunshine Coast, there are two processes at work:


The Public Sector – Recently the District of Sechelt, Sunshine Coast Regional District Sechelt
Indian Band and the Village of Gibson’s met to establish a Task Force of Chief Administrative
Officers to determine the best Regional delivery model for economic development. In addition
the Mayor of Sechelt has established “Mayors Task Force on Economic Development.
The Private Sector – The Coast Community-Association of Builders, The Sechelt Chamber of
Commerce, Tsain-Ko Forestry Development Corporation, The Gibson’s and District Chamber of
Commerce, The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver all have elements of the formula and
resources required to engage in business recruitment.
In order for the Sechelt Community Forest Corporation to assess the interest in a community
approach to business recruitment, the Corporation, with assistance from these business groups
in identifying likely participants, needs to go back to the community and follow on from the
“Community Forest Forum” held in 2008. Another study was completed by Dan Gilles that
should be revisited as a starting point. Add to that the Inbound Investment Strategy and the
Lionsgate Strategy from 2002 and the area is well served by studies.
2 Market Position Statement
For a recruitment program to be successful, the team must be ready to articulate a clear market
position statement for the area.
A market position statement should characterize the type of retail mix, the shopping
environment, and the target customer market. The statement distinguishes your area from
surrounding areas. Often, a community’s market position statement will serve as background for
identifying the types of businesses that could be recruited.
The position statement for Wood and Forest Values on the Sunshine Coast must be derived
from the discussion at the Focus Groups if it is to have any authenticity. An example of a
statement might say:

“The people of the Sunshine Coast value people who live for, work and play with wood”.

Once established, the Focus Group would determine what the achievement of this End
Statement or position statement would look like when accomplished. From that, metrics are
established to measure the stapes towards achievement of this statement.

3 Identify Business Wish List
A wish list of potential businesses should be developed by the focus group. These potential
businesses should complement and strengthen the existing businesses and reflect the market
position and vision statements. Realistic annual recruitment goals (number of businesses on the
wish list) should be set.
To identify appropriate business candidates (micro sawmills, custom specialty wood, veneer
mill) for your community, first analyze your business deficits (or opportunities) by specific
category. Those categories that make market sense are then analyzed to make sure they fit into
the niche, space utilization (specifically clustering) and marketing (specifically target market).
Use the following criteria in finalizing your wish list:
 Is there appropriate space in the area for this type of business?
Yes, there is. SCPI requires property profiles from each of the four local jurisdiction’s so that the
prospects are clearly identified.
 Will it complement existing businesses?



Each property must be identified for its highest and best use, including what is considered to be
complimentary. Each of the four jurisdictions must be requested to provide the GIS material on
one page area profiles with an overview location map, fit to the Letter sized stationery in a pdf
format.
 Will it serve targeted market segments?
There will be distinct business uses derived from the wood discussion that relate to harvesting,
manufacturing and more retail, commercial, non-government uses related to Forest values.
Target markets will be identified at the focus group sessions. Economic Developers can
proscribe the target markets; however, this top down approach often alienates and disconnects
the focus group participants when the Corporation requires their ownership of the outcome.
 Does it fill an important gap in the business mix?
Today, there are few, if any business clusters that have been assembled or pursued on the south
Sunshine Coast. Many have been identified, but few have been actually developed around an
implementation plan as if processed in this document.
 Will the business strengthen an existing cluster of businesses?
The dominant sector in this economic region is the effect of transfer payments in terms of old
age security, retirement and social service payments pegged at 60%. Introducing the Wood
cluster will have a direct impact in terms of sustaining high paying production, design and
development jobs in the region. The Forest value discussion is bound to influence users of
outdoor recreational, cultural and sport activities which helps build the destination tourism
component of the economy. Although it is noted that there is a lack of large accommodation
and hospitality properties located in the region at this time.
 Was this business category identified as important in local consumer research?
Both the Wood and Forest sectors of the economy have long been identified as targets for
development.
 Does market demand and supply data support the need for this types of business?
In the case of Wood Harvest, 996% of the wood harvested is shipped away from the region,
lacking the required breakdown and utilization businesses. For the Forest side, there are no
indicators of supply and demand at this time, in order to make an informed decision.
 Does the business fit it with the market position and vision statements?
This question will be answered having hosted the focus groups. And can only be answered then
Informed sources from industry suggest that the region will support the following investments:
- Seeding Entrepreneurs: Offer a bursary sufficient to attend UBC Centre for Advanced Wood
Processing (6 months), followed by a grant of $10,000 for starting a wood related business
employing two or more people. The Community Forest Corporation would then monitor and
provide mentorship to the new businesses as a support group.
- Sales Support: Encourage more businesses to pursue the specialized wood furniture and
cabinetry plants with appropriate design and marketing expertise. This would take
advantage of the concentration of wood artisans in the region and enable the extension of
invitations to specialty marketers to come into the region to source product quarterly.
- Forest Guides: Assist in the development on a Region Specific Outdoor Recreation
curriculum with Capilano University using the Community Forest Office as the field
classroom.
- Fat Tire Haven: Working wth the Outdoor Adventure Destination Marketers and off-road
cycling community, develop the short and long term plan that results in the Sunshine Coast
Trail network being sanctioned by World Class organizations as a Bike and Hike destination.
This may involve collaborating with Whistler.
- Artisan Boundaries – Encourage the establishment of a Fence Plant using red and yellow
cedar in the same spirit as the Tsain-Ko operation. [$1 million]



- Red Roof Plant – Encourage the investment in a Truss Plant that would produce 1 to 2 home
roof systems a day using Spruce, Pine and Fir [SPF].
- Primary Breakdown – Using the Powell River model, recruit an operator to establish a small
flexible sawmill for all sizes and grades of logs, with a small dry kiln that may have extra
capacity to supply kiln services to others.
- Dry Space – Collocate a custom dry kiln operation for all species and grades of wood. This
investment ranges from $400,000 to $2 million.
- Hew Saw – The Corporation will approach the new owners of Howe Sound Pulp and Paper,
as well as the other operators, to determine who best to invite into the region to construct
and operate a small sawmill specializing in small logs. [~$5 million]
- Thin Veneer – The Corporation will approach Coastland Wood Industries to determine the
feasibility of a Veneer Mill [$30 million].
Additional Investments can be pursued once the Focus Groups have been started on a regular
basis so that existing businesses can identify what they need in terms of support to be retained
and expand in the existing market. In order to engage in recruitment of new investment, the
existing business community needs to commit to the process of identifying priorities and
participating in the offer.

4 Create a Supportive Business Environment
Before actual recruitment can begin, the people that step forward from the Focus Groups to
work on these files need to make sure that the area presents itself as an inviting place to do
business. The region must present a quality business environment in order to attract viable
businesses and ensure the successful operation of businesses within the Wood and Forest
Clusters. It must appeal to the rational investor who is seeking to minimize risk and maximize
financial return. Often, this supportive business environment will include incentives to help
“level the playing field” with other centers including those developed on the edge of town.
In this regions case, there are four distinct jurisdictions with separate rules of engagement.
These are to be clearly illustrated in a simple package that forms a part of “The Offer”. This
means more than generic printed matter covering the community’s vision of itself, but rather, a
third-party validation of those values as discerned by the Focus Groups.
As of this date, Capital EDC Economic Development Company could not locate a valid
recruitment package or Offer package for Sechelt. It needs to be constructed and coordinated
with existing reception offices that include the Visitor Centre, Volunteer Centre, Taxi Companies,
Real Estate Offices and Local Government and First Nation offices.
The Focus Groups will identify the issues and opportunities associated with business retention,
expansion and recruitment.
5 Make the Environment Appealing
To grow existing business and recruit new businesses, a community must first make its business
area visibly active, attractive, convenient and safe. This is often more difficult for non-shopping
center locations including downtowns as they typically do not operate under a central
management. Before the recruitment process begins, work with existing business operators and
city officials to ensure:
 An aesthetically pleasing commercial and industrial environment;
 Safe, Secure and accessible industrial and commercial properties are available ;
 Adequate and conveniently located parking and transportation services; and
 High business operational standards and service which project a quality, unified and
consistent image for the area.


Using the Focus Group process: Help the region understand how it is viewed by outsiders. Also,
refer to findings from local consumer attitudes research. Capital EDC Economic Development
Company has blind shopped the region for the required resources, but will defer to the
conversation within the Wood and Forest focus groups.
6 Overcome Barriers to Business Investment in the Area
Many retail and service businesses choose "edge" locations on the outside of town because such
locations have proven successful and expansions are easy to replicate. Downtown and other in-
town commercial areas need to recognize and overcome barriers to business investment in their
areas. Barriers often include:
 Higher land costs;
 More title problems (because of their history, properties often present complex title issues);
 Permitting that is more complex and time-consuming;
 Zoning that may be more restrictive;
 Site preparation (for new construction) that is more complex;
 Construction and renovations that are more complex;
 Building footprints that are typically smaller; and
 Parking that is more restrictive.
These factors need to be assessed as part of the Focus Group process. The Corporation needs to
ask its existing businesses and peers to identify barriers and develop a coordinated response to
issues and weaknesses.
The Corporation and the leadership group should understand these barriers, both perceived and
real, and work with business and community leaders to minimize them. Sometimes creative
incentives can be developed to make the area more competitive from a business investment
perspective.
7 Offer Incentives, not the kind you think
It is also important that the Corporation fully understand what the community can to offer the
prospective business. Incentives might include:
 Technical assistance including market and feasibility analysis, business plan development,
governmental regulations, advertising and physical design.
These resources are available from institutions and volunteers in the community. The
Corporation needs a Task Group arising from the Forums to provide lists of people prepared
to provide support in these areas.
 Negotiation and leasing of space if the prospect is not working with a broker or not familiar
with the area;
There needs to be an orientation to the ICI Real Estate Offerings so that both practitioners
and the public understand what is on offer and what uses are best suited to the available
land. Again, another task suited to a group coming out of the Focus Group sessions.
 Financing of building improvements, facades, displays, fixtures, inventory and start-up costs
including a low-interest loan pool;
This is an area that should be discussed with the lending community and Coast Community-
Builders Association to determine if this approach is feasible.
 Counseling with local financial institutions and assistance in completing loan applications;
Another subject for which a team of volunteers need to be recruited or at least a referral
process to the people best suited to put packages together.
 Financing options and incentives appealing to developers such as low-interest loan;
The only option here is if Local Government and First Nations own land with which they can
engage in non-conventional property acquisition processes or staged sale closing.


 Area wide image and marketing programs and advertising and promotion assistance for
individual firms;
There are at least five separate marketing programs being discussed currently. Clearly, the
Woof and Forest Focus Group strategies will require an independent labeling program as a
sub of an overarching regional positioning strategy. The Corporation and its peer group
operating in the region are best suited to advise on what that positioning narrative is
comprised of.
 An effective business to business networking system;
The Focus Groups bring together like minded individuals from the private sector to
collaborate on short bursts of activity designed to benefit the community.
 Private development partnerships made up of local investors who might develop, own and
operate a needed business;
The Coast Community-Builders Association is one of the more advanced organizations
Capital EDC has come across. It already has a program policy identified in this regard and the
Corporation should seek ways of supporting and endorsing its approach; and;
 Business incubator(s) to help establish new businesses at a reasonable cost and provide
them with space and common services.
 This is always a challenge in smaller communities as no one wants to compete with private
property owners. However, the Focus Groups may identify orphaned public property that is
surplus to public needs. The Kitimat Valley Institute and Campbell River’s Enterprise Centre
are great examples of old infrastructure put to new uses.
Using the Focus Group process: Identify locally valued business incentives.
8 Assemble the Creative
Attractive recruitment and marketing materials should be developed to convey the market
potential of the business area. Business recruitment materials must help convince a business
operator that this region is unique and that it offers a competitive edge over other locations.
Recent efforts to communicate unique values in the region are of a high quality. As the Focus
Group conducts its conversation, creative opportunities unique to conveying the Wood and
Forest opportunities are expected to come out of the Focus Group process.
9 Deliver your story
There is no evidence of market analysis data available to help business operators evaluate the
potential for their venture. When developing marketing materials, provide only relevant
information to avoid information overload. Consider the following in the Wood and Forest
packages:
 Letter of introduction including compelling reasons why the area makes economic sense for
them;
 General information and photos of the community highlighting its assets;
 Market position and vision statements;
 Wish list of new businesses supported by market demand and supply data;
 New developments demonstrating investment downtown;
 Information on past openings and closings of businesses;
 Trade area geographic definition and demographic and lifestyle data;
 Trade area economic data including actual and potential sales data if available;
 Nonresident consumer data (including daytime population and tourism visitation);
 Descriptions of target market segments served;
 Major employers and institutions;
 Vehicle and pedestrian traffic volume;


 Mix of existing retail, service, dining, housing, office and lodging in the area ;
 Press coverage and testimonials highlighting success stories;
 Promotional calendar; and
 Summary of incentives and other business assistance available in the business area.
Using the Focus Group process: Summarize applicable data and recommendations from
assembled.
10 Assemble the Package
Graphs and maps are particularly effective ways to describe the region, the local area, retail
competition, and development trends. For the business area and trade area, include:
 Property schedules from the RD, the two urban municipalities and the Sechelt Indian Band;
 Current area vacancy map;
 Business mix and clustering map displaying information on all area buildings;
 Major employers, institutions and points of interest map of area;
 Traffic volume map;
 Trade area maps defined by customer origin and drive-times; and
 Consumer spending demand and supply maps.
When targeting prospects, remember that not all businesses have the same requirements. A
portable saw mill typically requires a different market than an Outdoor Guide. Communities
should customize information to fit the needs of the particular prospect and collaborate on
what the common package for the Sunshine Coast looks like. The “look and feel’ should not
reflect government design standards, but should be customized to suit the industry targeted for
sicussion.
11 Being Site Specific
In addition to market data, information on specific buildings is required. This information
includes:
 Maps and photos describing the location, building and it history;
 Complementary businesses and business clusters nearby;
 Sales and rent per square foot (with comparison market data);
 Available commercial and residential space and floor plan;
 Operating expenses including utility rates and taxes;
 Current tenants and how the building could be optimally reused; and
 Property owner or other contact for more information.
 When completed, recruitment and marketing materials should be assembled in an attractive
packet and offered online. Quality content, graphics and formatting are required.
 Using the Market Analysis: To help summarize building specific data.
The Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board advises that this information is limited for the region,
however, the community of realtors should be approached by the Corporation to advise on the
contents of this package. The Board has already expressed an interest in working with the
Corporation at its April Luncheon.
12 Generate Leads
The Corporations next responsibility is to find appropriate businesses that might be interested in
a site in the market area or need new space to expand. Leads can be broken town into four
general categories:
 Existing Businesses within or near the business area – Often the best leads are found near
home. Leads might include existing businesses seeking more space or a better location in



the business region. The Focus Groups outcomes and ongoing conversations and personal
contacts of the recruitment team, chamber of commerce and other economic development
professionals can help identify these leads. The Corporation should offer a non-disclosure to
provide certainty in these private discussions. It is in a unique position to bridge the initial
dialogue between the private operator and government institutions.

 Emerging Entrepreneurs - Downtowns and business area s are often attractive to
independent businesses. Accordingly, leads might include home-based or garage-based
businesses seeking more space and a convenient location for their customers. These leads
might include managers of existing businesses wishing to go into business on their own.
Commercial lenders, business schools, Community Futures counselors, Downtown BIA’s,
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), Rotary Club International (PROBUS), Chamber
of Commerce and other public or private small business professionals should be asked to
help identify these leads and to engage in a common protocol agreement for being
accountable for fulfilling the needs of existing and prospective businesses.

 Existing Local or Regional Businesses - Local or regional businesses, particularly those that
have multiple locations and are ready to expand, are often excellent prospects. These
business operators typically have a good knowledge of the market area, and may already
have multiple stores. They are often interested in expansion as a way to improve their
penetration of the market. These leads can be identified through the Focus Group process
knowledge of the business mix in other communities in the region and information collected
from local sources. In addition, realtors, commercial brokers, sales representatives and
suppliers that work within the region must be enlisted in the cause.

 National Chains and Corporate Operations - National chains and public|private
corporations must be canvassed. It is important to be realistic about the kinds of chains that
might be interested in a small community as their market, operations size and site
requirements may preclude them from considering the type of land governments and the
market have available. The best source of Leads in this category is derived from personal
contacts. The Corporation has one of the best volunteer Boards for these activities as their
networks are extensive. In addition, leads will also come from commercial brokers, trade
shows, “deal making forums,” and conferences such as those already identified in the
Lionsgate Strategy and the Warner Investment Attraction Strategy.
Once leads have been identified, an industrial and commercial assessment checklist needs to be
developed by the Corporation to ensure quality standards for prospects and to make sure the
business would fit the market. The checklist could be completed by a Corporation volunteer
member on a reconnaissance visit to the business. It might include:
 Business category (type);
 Target markets;
 Businesses’ location requirements;
 Image;
 Inventory and selection;
 Pricing;
 Presentation;
 Exterior appearance;
 Interior décor, lighting and fixtures;
 Service; and
 Traffic generated.


The Corporation needs to establish a “Home Team” and an “Away Team”. The Focus Groups
should be assessed for appropriate volunteers to make up the Home Team whose sole purpose
is to receive people into the community. Clearly, in Sechelt’s case, the Volunteer Centre,
Community Foundation and the Visitor Centre have the right combination of talents, with some
training, to accomplish this function.
The Away Team has a different sales oriented skill set. This experience is about low key, high
quality people that can tell the regions story using simple tools and personal professional
candour to communicate the opportunities.
The Corporation will coordinate the Home and Away Teams such that offers are coordinated to
match the resources available. Person to Person communications are far and away more
productive than ad or advertising placement. These structured marketing efforts are high cost
producing low results. A Themed web site combined with a simple narrative and coordinated
volunteers often produces the biggest results.
13 Prospecting
The Corporation must now focus on a personalized sales effort that conveys a message that the
area is a good location for expansion or new business development. Efforts to personally
communicate and then follow up with potential business are essential to the success of a
recruitment effort. Presented below is a sequence of steps to reach potential business owners
or developers.
Once the communications program has been set, including coordinated social media using a vast
network of citizens as correspondents, the Corporation can commence the task of following up
leads and challenges derived from the Focus Group, enlisting Focus Group participants as team
members, and start the process of following the step-by-step process of ground trothing
challenges to business retention and expansion, while communicating opportunities associated
with both the Wood and Forest clusters of businesses and Non-government organizations. This
will then inform government process related to business interface operations like building
inspection, planning and development processes, while at the same time provide the elected
people with a team of coordinated people to work with.
14 Personal Visits
After the initial contacts are made a letter of introduction should follow to set up an
appointment for a personal visit by someone from the Corporation or its volunteer Away Team.
The purpose of the appointment is to explain why your community is interested in their
business. Explain why their business would be profitable and what incentives might be available.
Provide recruitment and marketing materials and any other information to demonstrate the
pro-investment Wood and Forest character of Region. Offer an invitation to the business
operator to visit your community.
Each quarter, there are community events around which business expansion and recruitment
candidates can be hosted in small, one-to-one and group environments. Consider buying two or
three tables at the next Botanical or Community Foundation fund raiser as the means for
establishing the personal relationships required to move files forward.
Coordination between the Away Team and the Home Team is critical. Here is where Mayors,
Electoral Area Directors, Chairs and Chief Councilors combine forces with Chamber and Rotary
Presidents, to put the best and united face of the region forward. There is no room for local
rivalry and continued seemingly harmless rumors or innuendo are not appropriate.
15 The FAM-iliarization Tour or the “Quad Cab”



It is the Home Team’s job to persuade the prospective business or developer that your region
has a distinct advantage over other locations. The site visit is a critical opportunity to persuade
the business owner to invest in your area. Prospects should be personally invited to tour the
community. The tour (previewed and rehearsed time and again ahead of time) should include
stops at possible business sites, competitive business areas, residential neighborhoods,
employment centers and Government Offices.
Set up visits with key local merchants. Lunch or dinner should be included with selected
business operators and public officials.
In Campbell River, the “Quad Cab” tour was pioneered. The economic development
receptionist, would pick up a brand new demonstration Dodge Quad Cab with a hemi and give
the tour, dropping the prospect off at the Mayor’s office for a visit.
Throughout the prospect’s visit, the Home Team must be prepared to answer questions such as
why similar businesses have closed, the history of adjoining businesses next to prospective sites,
and how to contact local landlords. Local property owners, lenders, government officials, and
other businesses can be part of this welcoming and persuasive effort.
After the visit, it is important that thank you letters be sent from various community leaders
including the government leaders and selected business representatives. Mail or fax articles and
publicity about community events and businesses during the following weeks. Deliver a basket
of merchandise unique to your region. Finally, make sure the Away Team is prepared to
promptly answer follow up information requests in a prompt and professional manner.
16 Make the Pitch
A leader on the Away Team should close the deal by selling the merits of locating in the business
area. Remind the prospect that your area is looking for a business with their characteristics.
Practice effective sales presentation skills and focus on key selling points of interest to the
prospect:
 Key market data (such as a population density surrounding the area );
 Findings from the analysis of demand and supply in the particular business category;
 Expected sales per square foot and reasons why they would be successful there;
 Examples of comparable businesses in the area that have prospered; and
 Why the area is a better place to do business.
17 Close the Deal
The Away Team continues to stay in contact with the prospect. If the prospect is interested, the
Corporation will follow-up immediately with an action plan and necessary assistance (however,
will not attempt to broker the property, but rather, engage in an informed referral). If only
marginally interested, the designated rep from the Away Team will call the prospect again in six
weeks. If not interested at this time, include the prospect on your mailing list of correspondent
businesses.
18 The Move
There will be some bumps and setbacks. Don’t forget, moving is one of those traumatic times in
people’s lives. The Home Team will need to script all elements required for those prospects that
have been converted into suspects and finally new business into the community.
It is the sole responsibility of the Home Team to develop the steps, coordinate resources and
ensure that the business expansion or entry into the region is well managed and appropriate.
This process does not end with a ribbon cutting. The Corporation must check in with its



businesses a minimum of twice annually. Business GPS [growth, planning and succession] must
be included in this process.
19 The Start
Once the decision to expand or locate in the region has been made, they must be welcomed and
supported as are existing businesses. Marketing the new business and helping the owners
network with others in the area is especially important in its early months of operation. Ongoing
advocacy and follow-up will be essential. Again, this is another task for the Home Team.
20 What to expect when you’re expecting
There is no Handbook or Guide to what you need to do to keep your business recruited. In fact,
there will be no warnings other than if the Founder or Owner has a less than perfect experience,
you will be the last to know, so stay on top of the move and check in with them at exceedingly
longer terms.
21 Repeat the Process

Patrick Nelson Marshall
Economic Developer
Capital EDC Economic Development Company


Sunshine Coast Community Forest Business Recuitment Plan June 2011

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Sunshine Coast Community Forest Business Recuitment Plan June 2011

Similar to Sunshine Coast Community Forest Business Recuitment Plan June 2011 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Sunshine Coast Community Forest Business Recuitment Plan June 2011