Posts & articles
Best Practice Economic Development Organisations Don’t Just Implement Programs
๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ Organisations ๐๐ค๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ. Hereโs the behaviours I've seen from ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฆ economic development organisations: ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:...
The Hidden Cost of Vague Objectives
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐.โฃ (and it will make or break your economic development initiatives)โฃ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ด ๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ญ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ข๐ค๐ต, ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ญ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ท๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ด.โฃ โ Simply having a "mission statement" doesn't...
Whatโs the Best Cache Plugin for WordPress? 5 Options Compared for 2025
Your site is slow. People leave. Google shrugs. You tweak your theme, compress your images, scream into the void. Still slowโฆ The problem might be your cache plugin, or rather the cache plugin you're not using yet.
Coming soon… a day in the life of an economic development consultant
I'll soon be starting a new semi-daily blog highlighting my work, my challenges, mistakes, caffeine habit and frustrations with technology... and don't get me started on public procurement exercises!!! trying to add a bit of humour, with insight and reflection to...
How to Get Your Public Funding Approved for Local Economic development
Getting Your Local Economic Development Funding Approved can be a Challenge if You have no or Little Experience in This! Based on our ๐๐น๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ช๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ค ๐๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด, here are key tips for success: 1๏ธโฃ ๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐: Know your organization's...
Master The 7 Executive Tasks in Local Economic Development
๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ณ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐จ ๐๐ฃ Local ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ: 1 - Set clear objectives for your local economy, programme, service or agency 2 - Develop winning ideas for your local economy 3 - Write a successful board or committee paper for your local economy service...
Asked to Write a Board or Committee Paper About Your Local Economy at Short Notice? Essential Guidance
We've all been there - "Glenn, we (you) need to write a board paper about this local economic development initiative, its due in tomorrow by 5pm. I'm assuming you can get on with this no problem?!" But writing a board paper from zero experience isn't easy. So here's a...
๐ฝ๐๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐: ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ผ๐๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐พ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐๐จ
While the social justice argument for tackling poverty is undeniable, there are equally powerful economic justifications for why it must be a central pillar of local and regional development strategies. Here's why addressing poverty is smart economics: ๐ญ. **๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ...
Ready to Elevate Your Economic Development Game?
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ง'๐จ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐: Stop wasting time on vague priorities. The Toolkit provides a proven methodology to transform fuzzy ideas into crystal-clear, measurable, and impactful...
Create high-performing organisations with a high impact: lessons for the new Combined Authorities in England
๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ญ. ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐. CAs were completely new, untested in their local areas, given new funds, powers & responsibilities. ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐. Many CAs struggled to establish this on the rapid timescales involved. A challenge, I know, but the [โฆ]
Is your business and stakeholder engagement too low? tips and advice to address this
๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ To maximise participation in workshops, interviews, and surveys, pitch relevant questions and repeat online events. Consider purchasing business samples from marketing databases to expand reach. ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ตโ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ: ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐: ** Tailor questions to different groups.** Piggyback on existing meetings and eventsโฆ [โฆ]
Delivering the UK Industrial Strategy: Lessons From The Rest of the World
๐ฟ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐'๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ (๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฉ 2035): ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐ The UK's new Industrial Strategy, with its welcome focus on city regions and clusters, sets an ambitious course. ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ, ๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ญ๐บ...