7?? Halfway Through April
Welcome to the Econ Dev Show newsletter all you economic development fans and practitioners. I'm your host and editor, Dane Carlson, and I hope that you enjoy all of the content this week.
Spring weather always makes me think of site visits and fam tours. Please get vaccinated so that we can all get back to normal and see each other again.
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Must Read This Week
Economic Development and Developers in the News This Week
Economic development and developer news from 33 out of 50 states. April 9th, 2021 weekly edition.
Keep Renewing Your Domain Name, Forever
The “old” adage that everything lives forever on the Internet is only true if we all keep paying.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund
The RRF will provide $28.6 billion in relief grants to small to midsized restaurants that have been struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to use Facebook for Economic Development
Hear me out: The social network Facebook can be a serious tool for economic development when used for business retention.
I know what you're thinking:
Facebook is dead. I saw it on the news, or read it on, Facebook.
No, it's not. 2.8 billion people use Facebook. 66% of those use it every day , and 93% use it every week!
Within the US, 228.6 million use it. That's 69% of the entire US population -- including babies!
Almost every business in your community has either a Facebook page or an employee who's probably checking their own account at work. More often than not, they have both.
Using Facebook for business retention is all about communicating with your local businesses: talking to them, listening to them, discovering their challenges, and explaining the benefits of your successes.
Whether or not you're a membership organization, the secret to Facebook is to think like a Chamber of Commerce.
Must Watch This Week
Andrew Ratchford on Site Consulting
GLS’s Andrew Ratchford gives an in-depth look at site consulting in this video interview.
This Week’s Newscast from the Next Move Group
How the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill aids small businesses, and more.
Assorted Links of the Week
The assorted links posts are what I'm reading that day. Some of it will only be useful to me, others should be of interest to you, and some will hit the sweet spot of being great for both of us. Either way, I strive with these links to make you smarter every day and hope that you enjoy them.
Assorted Links Monday
US factories desperate for workers, CFOs are super upbeat, which counties have the highest job concentrations in pet care services, and more.
Assorted Links Tuesday
Ketchup is the new toilet paper.
Assorted Links Wednesday
The pandemic has deepened America’s state and regional differences — and why that’s not necessarily a bad thing, plus the 7% of Americans who don’t use the internet, and more.
Assorted Links Thursday
Economic boom into 2023, the long tail of the pandemic puppies, the growth in America’s breweries, and more.
Assorted Links Friday
The craft beer industry has posted declines in sales for the first time ever, and more.
Assorted Links Saturday
The “not a joke” edition: Malta will pay you to visit, and a site selector takes own advice and moves business from California to Texas.