Just what rural America needs—another resource on “how to do economic development.” So many resources have been produced over the years and still so many rural communities are struggling and lacking economic opportunity.
We all know well that our world is changing rapidly. What made sense yesterday may not make sense today and clearly will be irrelevant tomorrow. Think about this reality for just one minute. The lifespan on the Fortune 500 (list of the United States largest corporations) is constantly shortening. Erik Pages with EntreWorks Consulting shares the numbers:
In 1960 it took 35 years to replace 35% of the Fortune 500.
In 1999 it took 3 to 4 years to do so!
If the largest corporations can’t figure out how to stay on top, how can small rural communities even begin to compete? Ensuring our communities’ success into the future is challenging. The alternative is failure and decline. Understanding economic development today is critically important. For rural communities to compete, they must adopt a development strategy that is in tune with economic and social realities that are driving change in the early part of the 21st century.
Elements of Successful Development
Every farmer knows that you cannot reap what you do not sow. The same is true with economic development. Development will occur organically, but the nature, extent and equity of the development will likely vary widely. In today’s rapidly changing world where uncertainty reigns, being intentional, yet flexible in economic development is critically important. Successful development efforts are rooted in five core elements:
This post is in partnership with University of Phoenix
Renowned as one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world, the UCSF School of Medicine employs technology to help students and faculty learn more effectively. At the school’s Kanbar Simulation Center, students record practice consultations and review the videos to improve each step of their patient interactions. Students also use iPads in labs, which makes training videos and resource material easily accessible at the point of practice.
For Catherine Lucey, Vice Dean of Education at the School of Medicine, integrating technology aids the faculty in teaching students to become compassionate, skillful physicians. Click on the video to learn more about UCSF’s approach to learning.
Ahmad Ahskar is founder and chief operating officer of the Hult Global Case Challenge, an international competition that pits teams of business school students against one in another to develop social enterprise solutions to the world's most pressing problems.
Evolution of nations' ECI ranking of countries between 1964 and 2008.
Economists Ricardo Hausmann and César Hidalgo released their Atlas of Economic Complexityat the Harvard Center for International Development on Thursday. The 300-plus page atlas is unlike any you’ve seen before—it doesn’t inform readers where they are geographically, and it won’t be any help when charting pan-continental adventures. But from an economic perspective, the atlas will tell readers where their countries rank in terms of productivity—and, most astonishingly, where it will be in 10 years.
This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.
Imagine K12 is a new Palo Alto incubator birthing only education startups. Can they change the way we teach our kids?
Yes, there are ping-pong tables. And sure, over by the door there's an enormous bike rack where the eco-conscious can stack their energy-saving driving machines. And as they lock up their bikes, a glance over the shoulder at a mosaic wall of flat panel screens will offer a quick update of all building's tenants, including an array of startups with names like ClassDojo, Goalbook, and Eduvant.
StartupMalaysia.org brought Silicon Valley ideas to the tropical shores to encourage entrepreneurship–and hear a little local hip-hop.
Jawed Karim, cofounder of YouTube, Naval Ravikant, founder of AngelList, Konstantin Guericke, cofounder of LinkedIn, and Saad Khan, a partner at CMEA investments, took a trip to Malaysia last week. And they weren’t there to splash in tropical waters.
The group went to speak and inspire some 1,000 entrepreneurs during a two-day conference designed to teach critical skills to startups on taking ideas to market, raising funding, and finding talent.
The 2011 Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit brings businesses of diverse backgrounds together to share, learn, and celebrate the immigrant entrepreneurship experience and its contribution to the overall community.
Tri-State Development Summit Steering committee members have announced the names of some of the featured speakers and honored guests that will be presenting at the 9th Tri-State Development Summit on October 5th in Quincy, Illinois.
Richard Longworth delivers the keynote address at Monmouth’s first Midwest Matters forum in 2009. Richard C. Longworth, author of the bestselling book, “Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism,” will be the featured speaker at Monmouth College’s third annual Midwest Matters forum on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. in the college’s Wells Theater.
By CHRISTINIA CRIPPES ccrippes@thehawkeye.com MOUNT PLEASANT – "It's a game-changer," said Scott Wagner of the new CiPress 500 waterless inkjet printer developed by his company, Xerox Corp.
The printer takes up half of a room within the walls of the Alaniz plant at 425 N. Iris St. Read more here…
Are you “Global” or do you know a business that is? If so, the Iowa Innovation Gateway and Iowa Department of Economic Development will be hosting a global conference on Friday October 28th at 9:00 am at the Vermeer Global Pavilion in Pella, Iowa.
MOUNT PLEASANT – The LEAD Institute sent six young professionals back into the world with new knowledge Wednesday after they completed a six-month leadership program at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant. The participants gave presentations at a luncheon held at the IWC Social Hall.
“We’ve graduated 37 through the program,” said David File, IWC vice president and LEAD Institute coordinator. “Many of those individuals have stepped into positions of leadership.”
In its fifth year, LEAD – Leadership Excellence And Development – helps southeast Iowa professionals hone leadership skills. Participants tackle specific issues facing the region.
“It’s quite a commitment over the six months,” said Randy Richards, LEAD Institute facilitator.
This year’s program began in December with participants forming two groups of three.
In the May 2011 issue of Fast Company magazine, the magazine released its United States of Innovation map. The map displays “bold ideas and brilliant urbanites who are helping to build the cities of America’s future.”
The MyEntre.Net Business Concierge is one of the newest services offered to MyEntre.Net members. The Business Concierge is a team of business experts here to help you get the right referrals, learn about local and state financial programs, and give business owners free advanced market research to help their business grow. Rob Williams will discuss in more detail how the new service works and will walk members through how to call, click or chat to access the free assistance services available.
There is still time to register for the Tri-State Development Summit Small Business Leadership Luncheon to be held May 25 at Tiramisu Restaurant in Quincy. The event will be 11:30am – 1:00pm and will cost $15 per person which includes lunch.
The event will be the first in a quarterly series to rotate between Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. The objectives of the events are to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners with local economic information, business-related tips & advice and networking opportunities with other business owners.
Speakers will vary from session to session depending on current events and business topics chosen to highlight. The events will offer opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners to network with each other in the hopes that they can collaborate, share business ideas and help each other with shared problems & issues.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Trust Main Street Center, and Main Street Iowa are hosting a Las Conversaciones: Engaging Latinos and Hispanics on Main Street, a session which will be held during the National Main Streets Conference. In an effort to preserve cultural and architectural heritage of America’s largest growing demographic, the National Trust is convening conversaciones with Latinos and Hispanics in different regions across the country.
This important gathering of community and business leaders will be held in Des Moines on Tuesday, May 24, 2011.
The National Main Streets Conference is just a few weeks away! Here’s an excerpt from www.preservatinnation.org on what you can expect when attending the conference.
The 2011 National Main Streets Conference will take the next step from showing and celebrating the Power of Main Street to taking your Main Street to the next level by continuing to grow your support, your economic strength, and the national movement. In Des Moines we will focus on the recruitment, retention, strengthening and supporting your local businesses; showcase how being green and open to all will help with these efforts; and, of course, learning about the Main Street Four Point Approach from the basics to the new, cutting-edge ideas that are being put in to practice in our Main Streets across the country. In Des Moines, you will find:
* Four days of educational and networking opportunities;
* Daylong Main Street Four Point Approach® training;
* Mobil workshops that focus on revitalization successes in Des Moines and surrounding Main Street Iowa communities;
* Expo hall filled with products and service providers that specialize in commercial district revitalization; and
* Opportunities to network with colleagues who are experiencing similar successes and challenges in their communities.
MOUNT PLEASANT – A direct mail juggernaut was formed Friday.
Alaniz LLC and MetroGroup, fixtures on the Mount Pleasant business landscape, merged to become one of the largest direct mail producers in the nation.
The merger makes Alaniz/Metrogroup LLC one of southeast Iowa’s largest employers, with more than 500 employees. The new entity has goals of employing 700 to 800 people. A few jobs were eliminated due to the merger.
The company will maintain the locations of Alaniz at 425 Iris Road and MetroGroup at 1805 E. Washington St. Though new signs, Alaniz/MetroGroup LLC, will be posted on the buildings, the customers of the previous companies will continue to call either Alaniz or MetroGroup. Read more…
Beverage distributor moves into its new Mount Pleasant facility. By REX L. TROUTE rtroute@thehawkeye.com
MOUNT PLEASANT – The two have become one. Not unlike a wedding, Golden Eagle Distributing has taken its Burlington and Ottumwa facilities and united them into its new $5 million building located in Mount Pleasant's Crossroads Industrial Park. The intention was to centralize the company's southeast Iowa operation and make it more efficient.
"The whole construction process was exciting," said Crissy Riesenbeck-Spratt, general manager of the Mount Pleasant facility.
This image is from HIT's site. It is actually the office we worked in. I could even point out where my seat was.
Heritage Internet Technologies of Provo, lauded as one of Utah’s fastest-growing companies in recent years, shut down suddenly Tuesday, leaving employees and customers reeling.
Heritage provided website design and hosting services for small to medium-sized businesses. According to its website, it had more than 15,000 customers.
On Wednesday, a recorded message referred Heritage’s customers to Fibernet, a separate Internet company. Fibernet, based in Orem, provided hosting services to Heritage, which in turn resold that service to its customers.
Repeated telephone calls to David Aitken, chief executive officer of Heritage, were not returned.
EntreFest! is scheduled for February 24th and 25th @ the Hotel Julian in Dubuque.
The Julian recently completed a 30 million dollar renovation of the facilities and it is spectacular! Bob Clements, the fellow who got a four minute standing ovation in Cedar Falls in 2007 is back (yes, someone looked at their watch…) as is the drawing for a new laptop computer and the $10,000 market research project from Strategic Marketing Services.
Fast Company magazine just released its list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.
The event will be the first in a quarterly series to rotate between Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. The objectives of the events are to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners with local economic information, business-related tips & advice and networking opportunities with other business owners.
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