Is it time for your community to conduct a Business Retention and Expansion Survey?

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Has a company recently closed or downsized?
Does your downtown district have vacant buildings?
Has unemployment increased?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, perhaps it’s time for your community to conduct a Business Retention and Expansion survey.

A Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) survey is a structured, locally implemented, action oriented economic development project aimed at stimulating economic development and growth by helping existing businesses. Research has shown that 60-80% of all new jobs come from existing businesses. Communities should review the checklist below to determine if it is time to conduct a BR&E. Note:  there is no correct score to determine if it is time for BR&E; rather, communities should have conversations pertaining to these items. That will let them know if it is time to conduct a BR&E survey.

  • Has your community ever conducted a BR&E? If yes, when was the last time?
  • Does your community have a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy?
  • Has there been a change in elected officials/appointed officials?
  • Will the legislative body support a BR&E?
  • Has the financial condition of the community changed (high unemployment, many business cures)?
  • Do community officials have a working relationship with the top ten employers in the community?
  • Have businesses closed and no one is sure why?
  • Is there a local economic development agency that could help with the BR&E?
  • Are new business sectors moving into the community?
  • Has the State of Ohio created new Economic Development Tools?
  • Are new business technologies being maximized?
  • Has your zoning code had major modifications?
  • Have there been major changes in adjacent communities (business, farmland, unemployment)?
  • Has the social status of your community changed?
  • Have business transportation needs changed?
  • Does the community have sufficient open space for Economic Development?

After you review and discuss the list above, you can contact Ohio State University Extension, Community Development to learn more about the Business Retention and Expansion Program. Visit us at go.osu.edu/BRnE.

(Submitted by David Civittolo, Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist, Community Economics)

Bridging Fathers and Families through Financial Literacy

We’ve all seen the statistics:  Being actively involved with our children reduces problems and leads to positive outcomes. One area that often leads to a disconnection in this area is with non-custodial parents. This is (statistically) often the father.

Child support plays an important role in the finances of many families, both for the custodial parents or other family members caring for children who receive payments, and for the noncustodial parents (usually fathers) who pay child support. Both can benefit greatly from financial education and from access to asset-building tools such as Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).

Susan 2015-07-09Towards that end, OSU Extension is proud to report that they are one of three organizations selected in the state of Ohio to receive funding from the Ohio Department of Commerce. OSU Extension will use this grant funding to help non-custodial parents, especially fathers, gain access to financial education, counseling and economic empowerment opportunities, thereby helping them remain compliant with the orders of the court, but moreover remaining active in the lives of their children.

Studies have shown that non-custodial parents (especially fathers) who are actively involved in the lives of their children have a positive impact on the health, behavior, grades and delinquency of their children. Do you know someone (or an agency) who could benefit from getting involved? Please contact us. For details, call Susan Colbert at (614) 247-1983.

(Submitted by Susan Colbert, Program Director, Franklin County Expansion and Engagement)

Resilience in Rural Communities

The places we call home are continuously challenged with wide-ranging issues.  The effects of such issues can oftentimes be greater on rural communities in particular than their suburban or urban neighbors. One approach to mitigate these effects involves building resiliency. Resilience refers to the capacity of an individual or community to cope with stress and adapt positively to change. It is a positive approach to promote greater well-being in rural communities.

Building a resilient community can serve as a protective factor from developing problems. Rural resiliency can also help communities when unforeseen factors occur such as floods, drought, mud slides or large company shut downs.

Resilient Communities 2015-06-18Community resilience is a complex construct with many interrelated factors. One issue impacts and overlaps many things. For example, social, environment and economic issues may seem different, but they all have an impact on each other. Economic issues impact all facets of a community. Infrastructure as a part of an economic issue includes water, transportation, and telecommunications are important tools. These economic issues are important to allow people in the community to carry out daily activities. Infrastructure as a part of rural resiliency is necessary to help the community function and provide support service to many different aspects such as housing and employment. The absence of these services within a community is detrimental to the quality of life of a community and its members.

What can members of a community do to enhance resiliency?

  1.  Know how to access the support and services that are available.
  2.  Collaborate with a wide variety of groups to apply for funding.
  3.  Share resources and facilities collaboratively.
  4.  Anticipate problems and brain storm solutions.
  5.  Identify gaps in infrastructure and support services.
  6.  Develop short term and long term goals.

There are many resources available for communities to enhance rural resiliency. If you have any questions or would like more information contact Cynthia Bond at bond.227@osu.edu.

(Submitted by Cindy Bond, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator, Guernsey County & Crossroads EERA)

Roundtable Discussions: Forum for economic development of our local communities

Community economic development roundtable discussions are designed to create a level of dialogue necessary to explore the potential for creating manufacturing, industrial and trade jobs that will impact the lives of the unemployed and underemployed in communities.

Community Forums 2015-06-04

Photo credit: recordherald.com

Such a roundtable discussion was recently held in Fayette County, Ohio, the second in the past 12 months, aimed at promoting social and economic equity using state, regional and local resources in the forging of new and sustainable communities. The event brought together local stakeholders with state and regional economic development players to address significant community and economic development challenges; with the goal of cultivating a broader collaboration among business, government and civil society communities.

Topics discussed ranged from gas pipeline projects and how the counties can work together for the benefit of the region, to ways to recruit and attract business to the area. Conversation also focused on job creation and retention strategies, workforce and skills development issues, and state policies that undermine local economic development growth.

As Extension professionals, the roles we play in such community conversations can vary depending on the issues and the stages of the educational process. At times we are “conveners” who identify a public issue(s) and key stakeholders, gain their support and cooperation in the educational process, and work with them to design and carry out a process to achieve a mutually satisfying outcome. As “networkers,” we identify and link people and resources to increase people’s knowledge of public issues and their ability to participate in public decision-making. And finally, at times we are “diplomats” who move tactfully between stakeholders to encourage them to work together through an educational process. Ultimately we are educators focused on strengthening individual and family lives through research-based educational programming in collaboration with individuals, families, communities, business and industry, regional and state agencies, for example.

For more information, please view the material posted at pittsburghmovingforward.org or recordherald.com/news/home_top-news/152050297/County-hosts-economic-roundtable.

(Submitted by Godwin Apaliyah, County Extension Educator, Fayette County & Miami Valley EERA; Fayette County Community Development Director)

 

Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship: Helping high school seniors consider a future in small business

With only a few weeks of school to go before graduation, Van Wert City School seniors were offered yet another option to consider for their future:  becoming an entrepreneur and owning their own business.

Members of the Van Wert City Schools senior class are required to take Senior Government which includes a segment focused on Financial Literacy within the overall curriculum. The Financial Literacy portion of the class offers several aspects of personal finance, from car loans to credit cards. Missing in the program was an opportunity that involved owning your own business. Last year, Ohio State University Extension and the Wright State Lake Campus Business Enterprise collaborated with school administrators to teach students about starting their own business.

Van Wert HS EntrepreneurshipWith the program finishing its second year, Senior Government teacher, Bob Priest, was again impressed with the students’ interest and excitement about owning their own business. “Van Wert High School government students had the good fortune of participating with two universities at the local level for a three-day introduction to entrepreneurship, business planning and financing,” stated Priest. “I was impressed with the ideas the students created for the betterment of Van Wert, and then they had to put the numbers to their business plan. That was the difficult part. I think students now have a better understanding of how expensive and time consuming it can be to own a business.”

The program involved personal entrepreneurship assessments, identifying local market opportunities, and creating a business plan. In addition to a visit from local entrepreneur and business owner of Firehouse Pizza in Middle Point, the students learned about start-up expenses, on-going operating costs, pricing and break-even analysis.

Post-program evaluation results indicated that 98% of the students felt the program was suitable for graduating seniors and 95% recommended Van Wert High School continue to offer the program. Surprisingly, 48% of the students responded they would be interested in owning their own business in the future. “Because of this, I may now think about starting my own business while I may not have wanted to before,” remarked one of the participating students.

(Submitted by Cindy Leis, County Extension Educator, Van Wert County & Maumee Valley EERA and Van Wert City Economic Development Director)

Shale Development Brings Economic Changes to Eastern Ohio

Financial Changes in East Ohio 2015-05-21The past four years have seen a world of change in eastern Ohio. With the ongoing development of oil and gas in the region, some of the most historically impoverished counties in the region and the state have begun to experience a significant increase in investment. The corridor stretching from Carroll County to Noble County is the prime development area with 83% of the Utica/Point Pleasant drilling permits issues by ODNR in this six-county region (as of April 25, 2015 – Carroll, Harrison, Belmont, Guernsey, Monroe and Noble).

The recent decrease in oil prices and current low cost of natural gas is cause for concern with local residents and leaders who are hoping for a continued drilling boom. However, even with a potential drop in drilling, the region is likely to see a continued short-term increase in production as midstream infrastructure and pipelines continue to come online.

The drilling activity has been occurring long enough to see some patterns in a variety of local/regional governmental receipts. Consider the following statistics concerning Noble County and the six surrounding counties (Morgan, Muskingum, Guernsey, Belmont, Monroe and Washington).

Lodging Tax:

Lodging tax receipts in the region increased from $1.8M in 2010 to $2.9M in 2013. Revenues increased by 19.2% between 2010 and 2011 and an additional 33.9% between 2011 and 2012. These figures do not include any values from Noble or Monroe counties which did not have a lodging tax in that time period.

Sales Tax:

Within the region, sales tax receipts increased from $30.9M in 2010 to $48.1 M in 2014. Annual increases were 5% from 2010 to 2011, 11% from 2011 to 2012, 12% from 2012 to 2013, and 19% from 2013 to 2014. Belmont increased by 56% between 2010 and 2014, Guernsey by 68%, Monroe by 105%, Morgan by 40%, Noble by 141% and Washington by 32%. The largest dollar increase was in Belmont County from $11.3M to $17.7 M. In Noble County, sales tax receipts increased by 0% between 2010 and 2011, 21% between 2011 and 2012, 56% between 2012 and 2013 and 29% between 2013 and 2014. Dollar increase in Noble County was from $1.1M in 2010 to $2.7M in 2014.

Noble County General Fund:

The general fund balance in Noble County increased from $3.5M in 2010 to $5.8M in 2014. By year, the increase was 7% between 2010 and 2011, a decline of 3% between 2011 and 2012, an increase of 26% between 2012 and 2013 and an increase of 27% between 2013 and 2014.

Noble County Recorder’s Fees:

Recorder’s office receipts as well as sales tax receipts are component parts of the general fund. Recorder’s receipts increased from $4,944 in 2010 to $397,160 in 2014. Annually receipts increased by 3,054% between 2010 and 2011, by 126% between 2011 and 2012, declined by 3% between 2012 and 2013 and increased again by 16% between 2013 and 2014.

Banking Deposits in Noble County:

In addition to these government receipts, banking deposit activity in Noble County was also robust in this time period. Deposits in the county increased from $151M in 2010 to $226M in 2014. Annual increases were 3% between 2010 and 2011, 19% between 2012 and 2013, 19% again between 2012 and 2013 and 3% from 2013 to 2014.

(Submitted by Mike Lloyd, Assistant Professor, County Extension Educator and County Extension Director, Noble County & Buckeye Hills EERA)

Note: Mike will be retiring from OSU Extension on June 30. The impact of his work in Noble County and throughout Ohio has been significant. Extension is pleased that the Noble County Commissioners have continued the partnership and funded the position that will enable this high-value work to continue.

Research informs organizational sustainability

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Why are some organizations able to thrive and grow while others are in a seemingly constant struggle to survive? One reason is an intentional focus on sustainability. Last year OSU Extension Community Development professionals focused efforts on COSI, an organization dedicated to fun, hands-on science exploration since 1964. Of particular interest was the science museum visitors’ “willingness-to-pay” for the products and services offered by the 50-year-old organization.

The project compared COSI’s existing fee structure with other similar organizations taking into account location, visitor profile and museum services. It also analyzed potential changes to the COSI fee structure using survey data from non-member visitors to COSI.

In the end, the effort yielded recommendations to the organization that were informed by research-based data; data of critical importance for informing strategies for continued organizational growth and sustainability. View the “Willingness to Pay Study.”

For more information, please contact Nancy Bowen (Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist, Community Economics) or David Civittolo (Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist, Community Economics).

Energize Ohio signature program addresses increasing energy demands

Energize Ohio 2015-03-25The future requires energy; even more energy than is consumed today. Global energy demands rose by 83% from 283 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 1980 to more than 507 quadrillion Btu in 2010. The 2012 International Energy Outlook Report estimates that by 2020, additional growth in worldwide energy consumption will more than double our 1980 usage and grow to 820 quadrillion Btu by 2040. Why? Much of the growth in energy consumption is occurring in developing countries, where countries with strong, established economies drive steady demand. Second only to China, the United States consumed 18% of the world energy total in 2011, and Ohio ranked as the sixth highest energy consuming state in the nation.

Why is energy development in Ohio important? The availability of affordable energy influences both economic growth and the general quality of life of Ohioans. In 2012 the average per capita energy expenditure in Ohio was $4,265, representing roughly 12 percent of Ohioans’ per capita income.

How is Extension involved in helping to ensure the availability of affordable energy? Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach, the Energize Ohio Signature Program addresses a wide range of renewable and shale energy education needs including: youth energy education, energy policy, farm energy education, homeowner energy education and sustainable community planning. Energize Ohio curriculum consists of teaching outlines, worksheets, presentation materials, workshop materials, bulletins, fact sheets, marketing templates and evaluation tools available for use by all Extension professionals. Two core initiatives are the current Energize Ohio focus: shale energy and renewable energy education.

Last year, Energize Ohio Signature Program team members engaged more than 1,900 participants in 62 programs throughout the state. New energy-related publications were developed as well, including four fact sheets, two journal articles and one technical bulletin.

Since 2012, the Energize Ohio Signature Program has reached nearly 12,000 Ohioans via 141 programs conducted in 64 of Ohio’s 88 counties. The ultimate goal of these efforts:  To increase knowledge of energy drivers and development that enables best practices and informed decision-making.

For more details related to the Energize Ohio program, please view the 2014 Energize Ohio Signature Program Report.

For more information on energy trends, please view the Trend Research: Energy Sources, Demands, and Cost paper found at the FAES Conversations on the Future of Extension webpage.

(Submitted by Eric Romich, Assistant Professor and Extension Field Specialist, Energy Development)

Helping to preserve diversity in Weinland Park

Weinland Park (pop. approx. 4800) is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city of Columbus. Its residents are of various ethnic, cultural, racial, socio-economic, religious and educational backgrounds. As it transforms, however, from a neighborhood of last resort (one formerly plagued by drugs, gangs, substandard housing, low performing schools and high poverty) to a mixed income neighborhood of choice (where people want to live, work, worship or attend school), a key concern is the displacement of residents and gentrification.

Weinland Park Group

Photos: weinlandparkcivic.org

To address these concerns, Extension plays an integral role in helping to preserve diversity in the neighborhood by:

  • Offering free HUD-certified home-buyer education workshops, including individual counseling
  • Serving on the Weinland Park Collaborative, a group of community, civic, corporate, collegiate and church partners working together to revitalize the neighborhood
  • Offering free Financial Literacy training and counseling to area residents
  • Connecting residents to financial resources needed to obtain, maintain and retain their homes
  • Providing supportive services to homeowners and renters in the neighborhood
  • Assisting in the formation of Block Clubs, thereby giving residents a voice in the development of their community

As the demographics continue to change, Extension continues to respond to community needs by adapting new tools and methods to promote the diversity of the neighborhood. The goal is to create a sustainable community where all residents have opportunities to work and live together in a way that improves outcomes for all.

(Submitted by Susan Colbert, Program Director, Franklin County Expansion and Engagement)

Ohio BR&E Program Goes to Purdue

Each of us plays a variety of roles in the local economy. We are both producers and consumers, and the relationships are many and ever-changing. Understanding our local and regional economies can be challenging, but a Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) program can help.

Since its inception at OSU in the mid-80’s, the Ohio BR&E program has spread throughout the U.S. and the world as a core economic development strategy. Program curriculum has been delivered or shared  as far away as Guam, Macedonia and Ukraine; and most recently in New York, South Dakota and Florida.

Purdue Train the Trainer January 2015 Civittolo teachingExtension CD faculty Nancy Bowen, David Civittolo and Joe Lucente took it on the road again, this time to Indiana, delivering a two-day train-the-trainer program at Purdue University on January 22-23. Seventeen new regional CD Specialists and Educators from throughout Indiana learned the nuts and bolts of the BR&E curriculum and new “Targeted BR&E” program. This training effort and resulting community programs in Indiana are being supported by a North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) “Interstate” grant of $5,000.

As part of the “Interstate Grant”, Purdue will be delivering Ohio’s BR&E curriculum as part of a new program being launched in collaboration with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, titled the Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI). Five communities will be selected to be part of the HCI effort in 2015, with the BR&E program being a major component.

Since 1990, the Ohio BR&E program has been delivered in 80 of Ohio’s 88 counties and 155 communities; helping local officials and residents learn what can be done to help existing businesses and informing better decisions. The Ohio BR&E Program website, including BR&E materials, can be found at: go.osu.edu/BRnE.

(Submitted by Nancy Bowen, Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist, Community Economics; David Civittolo, Associate Professor and Extension Field Specialist, Community Economics; and Joe Lucente, Assistant Professor and Extension Educator, Ohio Sea Grant Program)