No, it's not just the title of children's song, but a very serious question if you are planning your economic development strategy for next year. As Fall gets into gear, a new year is just around the corner.
As you consider your strategies for next year, you should be able to answer the following question. Who are the people in your neighborhood? U.S. population and economic census data can give you a great indication of your municipal make-up, but don't stop there. Compile alternate sources of information to form a comprehensive report card such as birth and death rates, residential moving statistics, school and hospital rankings, crime statistics, and take an inventory of your assets (universities, open land acreage, bodies of water, proximity to highways and cities, etc.) The municipal report card you end up with should be compared to neighboring municipalities using the same criteria to determine how you rank in your region.
This data should be sliced and diced by an experienced analyst (either in-house or by an economic development consultant) in order to pull out the real gems of information. Finally, the results should be packaged in a way that will be easy for others to understand when you present it to the mayor and council, post it on your web site and publish it in the media. Good analysis should always be used to inform your future strategy and next decisions.
As you consider your strategies for next year, you should be able to answer the following question. Who are the people in your neighborhood? U.S. population and economic census data can give you a great indication of your municipal make-up, but don't stop there. Compile alternate sources of information to form a comprehensive report card such as birth and death rates, residential moving statistics, school and hospital rankings, crime statistics, and take an inventory of your assets (universities, open land acreage, bodies of water, proximity to highways and cities, etc.) The municipal report card you end up with should be compared to neighboring municipalities using the same criteria to determine how you rank in your region.
This data should be sliced and diced by an experienced analyst (either in-house or by an economic development consultant) in order to pull out the real gems of information. Finally, the results should be packaged in a way that will be easy for others to understand when you present it to the mayor and council, post it on your web site and publish it in the media. Good analysis should always be used to inform your future strategy and next decisions.
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