1. Business Retention and Expansion
An Economic Development Strategy to Work With Your Existing Businesses

2. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
What Is a BR&E Program?
Technical training
Management seminars
Identify local sources of inputs
Improve labor/management relations
Reduce cost and improve quality of local services
Improve school/work relationships
Retaining youth in the community
BR&E includes all efforts to encourage the retention and growth of a community’s existing businesses
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

3. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
Why Implement a
BR&E Visitation Program?
Communities can’t do it all
Identifies a planning process for setting priorities for other BR&E programs
Prioritizes existing firm-related projects subject to the following types of criteria:
The types of firms in the community
The pressures they face
Other local factors
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

4. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
What is a BR&E Visitation Program?
“…is an action-oriented process for learning about the concerns of local businesses and setting priorities for BR&E projects to address these needs.”
By George Morse, UMN
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

5. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
BR&E Visitation Programs Are Good Community Development Tools
Locally Based Program
The community plans and organizes the program
Volunteers visit the firms
The program builds linkages and networks
People learn more about the economy of their community
Follow-Up is Planned
BR&E Programs plan for something to happen
The program responds to the needs identified in the survey
Implementation of projects or local initiatives
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

6. This type of activity can move the local development office up the innovation pyramid
Knowledge
Information
Data
Source: Steve Deller, University of Wisconsin. NACDEP presentation, 2010.

7. Objectives of the BR&E Visitation Program
Demonstrate to local businesses that the community appreciates their contribution to the economy
Help existing businesses solve problems
Assist businesses in using programs aimed at helping them become more competitive
Develop strategic plans for long-range BR&E activities
Build community capacity to sustain growth and development

8. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
From BR&E Visits to Jobs
Pro-business Attitude/Appreciation
New
Jobs
&
Income
BR&E Programs on:
New Technology
New Skills
New Products
New Markets
Taxes
Public Services
Infrastructure
BR&E
Visits
Profits
Quality of
Life
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

9. NDSU Extension Service
BR&E Visitation Process
April 21, l998
There are Four Stages
Stage 1: Firm Visits
Stage 2: Immediate Follow-up
Stage 3: Data Analysis and Recommendations
Stage 4: Implementation
Immediate
Follow-up
Firm Visits
Data Analysis
Implementation
Essentially there are four models being used to do BRE Visitation programs. (describe models here in some detail but also explain that the models that we focus on in this certification program are the developer and volunteer led visitation programs because they involve a broad base of people. We’ll explain why we feel that is important as we go through the program.
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

10. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
BR&E Visitation Process
Firm Visits
Stage 1: Firm Visits
Organize Local Task Force
Recruit Firm Visitors
Train Firm Visitors
Visit Firms
Immediate
Follow-up
Let’s briefly review the volunteer and developer led visitation models
Data Analysis
Implementation
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

11. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
BR&E Visitation Process
Immediate
Follow-up
Firm Visits
Data Analysis
Implementation
Stage 2: Immediate Follow-Up
Review surveys
Assist Firms
BREI
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

12. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
BR&E Visitation Process
Immediate
Follow-up
Firm Visits
Data Analysis
Implementation
Stage 3: Data Analysis and Recommendations
Computerize survey results
Analyze data
Suggest issues for action
Adopt projects to implement
Review outside sources of assistance
BREI
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

13. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
BR&E Visitation Process
Immediate
Follow-up
Firm Visits
Data Analysis
Implementation
Stage 4: Commencement Meeting and Implementation
Share results at community meeting
Implement projects
BREI
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

14. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
Who’s Involved in a Visitation Program?
LOCAL PLAYERS
Overall Champion
Task Force -Leadership Team
Firm Visitors
Firms
RESOURCES
BREI – BREP
Universities
Utilities
State or Regional Economic Development
Other
Overall champion – you, local developer, volunteer – whoever is willing to take the overall responsibility to chair the program.
The leadership team is four to five individuals within the task force that are responsible for major components of the program such as organizing and tracking the firm visits, facilitating the strategic planning process and organizing the community input, dealing with the media and organizing the red flag follow-up. The task force is made up of 12 to 24 people who have the knowledge and or power to address red flag issues, draft and implement a strategic plan for the business community. Firm visitors and the firms.
Other resources that you can pull from…… Others may be packaged software programs like Eric Canada’s E-Synchronist
BREI
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

15. NDSU Extension Service
April 21, l998
Factors Influencing the Degree of Program Success
Adoption of strategic planning methods/process
Listing of the individuals who will take responsibility
Length of time between report completion and project implementation/completion
Participation
Have an adequate budget – at least $10,000
Presence of full-time professionals in community
BREI
Kathleen Tweeten, 514 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501

16. Creative Commons License
This work carries an attribution non-commercial share alike license.
Trained and certified instructors by BREI or the Cooperative Extension System are allowed to remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as they credit original authors and they must license their new creations under the identical terms. This work can be downloaded and redistributed, but all new work based on this work must carry the same license, so any derivatives will also be non-commercial in nature.