PROGRAMMING AREAS
Balanced Use of Natural Resources
The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
The Pennsylvania State University
7 Armsby Building, University Park PA 16802-5602
814/863-4656(phone); 814/863-0586(fax)
Please send questions and comments to:
nercrd@psu.edu
BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION VISITATION PROGRAM
CONTENTS (Part 5)
What
Assistance is Provided by Universities, State Agencies, and
Others?
How Can
I Learn More About This Program Before I Decide?
Visit Other Towns
Speaker Phone
Contact a Certified BR&E Master Consultant
WHAT ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED BY UNIVERSITIES, STATE AGENCIES, AND OTHERS?
One hundred percent of the most successful BR&E Visitation Programs have written reports (13). The written research report is important because it summarizes the data from your surveys and presents it in a strategic problem-solving framework. In addition, the report (or a written summary) should show which projects your group considered and which were adopted as priorities. The report should list the problems (as reported by firms visited), the solutions (as developed by the Task Force and others), and commitments to act (i.e., the names of persons on your Task Force who agree to help with specific projects).
Is it better to have an outside researcher write the report or to have a local person do it? It is not necessary to have an outside researcher write the report, but there are several advantages if you do:
- Objectivity on causes of local problems.
- New perspectives on potential solutions.
- Access to a range of expert opinions and resources.
- Professionalism in the content and presentation of the report.
Many states have a state level organization that analyzes the data and prepares the research reports. In some states this is done by faculty at a University, often those working with the Cooperative Extension Service. In other states, the Department of Development or a utility company handles this. Check with your state development agency, your local development professionals, or your county extension office for information on who does this in your state. Alternatively, you can obtain a list of researchers from the Business Retention and Expansion International Web Page (http://www.brei.org).
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM BEFORE I DECIDE?
Your best bet is to talk with local leaders in a community that has done the program. If you have the time and funds available, travel to one of these communities to visit with their Leadership Team and members of their Task Force.
If you don’t have either time or funds available, however, an excellent alternative is to watch the video that comes with these materials and then interview one or more local leaders from another program by using a speaker phone. (Note: We’ve had excellent results with this method of contacting leaders in other towns. There are tips on how to make this work in the booklet: Using the Video to Introduce the Program and Train Volunteers.) For names and phone numbers of persons to call, contact your state BR&E sponsor or check the BREI web page: (http://www.brei.org).
Contact a Certified BR&E Master Consultant
Other excellent sources of information are Certified BR&E Master Consultants. These individuals have received specialized training on the process of organizing a BR&E Visitation by Business Retention and Expansion International. They not only have received specialized training but are also backed by a national mentoring system. These consultants provide assistance to local groups wishing to start BR&E Visitation programs and often do this at no charge as part of their current employment.
 |