Business Retention and Expansion

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Business Retention and Expansion

• Fort Frances 2008

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What is BRE?

• A community-based economic development tool that
• responds to business needs and issues
• encourages communities and local business to
  work together
• enhances job creation and economic prosperity

3
What was done?

• The BRE Task Force formed to oversee the project
• Introduce BRE to the community
• Recruit volunteers for a Task Force
• Recruit and train volunteers for business visits
• Identify businesses to be visited
• Analyze data from surveys
• Prepare recommended actions

4
How was it done?

• Volunteers visited businesses for face-to-face
• interviews
• 86 local businesses participated
• Red flags were identified and brought to the
  attention of the appropriate body
• Tabulated data contributed to recommendations
  for action

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Results
Barriers to Business Growth

• Business taxes 61
• Availability of skilled labour 42
• Lack of proactive new business recruitment 35
• Public transit 30
• Resistance from local business 27
• Water/sewer fees 25
• Information technology capacity 22
• Availability of training opportunities 19
• Approval processes 19

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Satisfaction with Community Services
7
Satisfaction with Community Services
8
Factors for Businesses to Remain Competitive

• of Importance
• Improved customer service 80
• Market development locally 69
• Energy costs 67
• Availability of labour 65
• Availability of telecommunication services
  61
• Workforce development
  51
• Water/sewer costs
  51
• Market development outside local area
  51
• Product research and development
  51
• Strategic marketing 50
• Business planning 49
• Exchange rate for Canadian dollar 49

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Workplace Development

• Availability of workers was deemed fair to poor -
  63
• Quality of workers was rated fair to poor - 57
• Workforce skill improvement needs were cited in
  customer service, working with others, sales
  marketing and oral communication.
• Barriers to employees receiving necessary
  training were
• Cost
• Availability of training locally
• Distance to training facility
• Training not offered at college
• Loss of productivity during training

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Community as a place to do business

• Advantages
  Disadvantages
• Border town Business taxes
• Smaller Community Distance from major
  centers
• Location
  One industry town
• Friendly people Out shopping
• Quality of life Lack of community growth
• Full compliment of services
  Transportation costs

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Doing Business in Fort Frances
12
Doing Business in Fort Frances
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Suggestions to strengthen the branding of the
Great Canadian Mainstreet

• Flags/banners with GCM logo
• Extended store hours
• Additional signage
• Lower business taxes
• Improve appearance of downtown
• Continual activities (sidewalk sales)
• Customer Service training
• Less empty buildings
• More parking
• Mainstreet should include all businesses in town
• Better snow removal garbage pickup

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Suggested New Business for the Community
Another industry (mining manufacturing)
Resort type businesses Book store with coffee
shop inside Discount super market
Casino Dry cleaning service Family
dining Outlet malls/stores More
restaurants Specialty shops Theatre
Entertainment (golf dome, mini carts) More
retail stores clothing shoes Night club
More hotels Recreational activities
Tourism Larger businesses to create more
jobs Cheese factory College increase
courses Added value woodwork Any
non-resource based business
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Strategies to address priority business needs and
issues

• Priorities
• Proactive Business Recruitment
• Energy Conservation
• Telecommunications
• Workforce Skill Development/Labour Availability
• Support for the Business Community
• Transportation
• Tourism and Agriculture
• Town Enhancement
• Communication
• Promote shopping local

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Strategy 1 Proactive Business Recruitment

• Actions
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Business information on websites
• Community asset mapping plan
• Business and franchise opportunities

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Strategy 2 Energy Conservation

• Actions
• Energy conservation strategic plan
• Energy programs for website
• Energy auditor
• Energy programs for businesses

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Strategy 3 Telecommunications

• Actions
• Seminars
• Video conferencing
• Information sessions on the new economy
• E-commerce (set up ongoing costs)
• Telecommunication services
• Development of Wi-Fi hot spots

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Strategy 4Workforce skill development/Labour
availability

• Actions
• Labour force trends
• Training programs
• Post secondary school programs
• Occupational positions
• Career/job fairs
• Workforce development team
• Career planning tool

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Strategy 5 Support for the business community

• Actions
• Consumer Survey
• Customer Service speaker
• Seminars on business, succession and financial
  planning
• Marketing alliance
• Financing for small/medium sized businesses

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Strategy 6 Transportation

• Actions
• Road Improvements
• Dial-A-Ride Program
• Transportation

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Strategy 7 Tourism and Agriculture

• Actions
• Signage
• Tourism centre services
• Maps
• Tourism centre location/situation
• Existing parking spaces
• Destination Marketing Fee
• Agriculture

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Strategy 8 Town Enhancement

• Actions
• Way finding
• Derelict buildings
• Beautification Project (Project Petunia)
• Community business day
• Image of Northwestern Ontario

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Strategy 9 Communication

• Actions
• Relationship with TOFF
• Accessible and informative website
• Frequently asked questions and answers
• Economic Development Plan
• Municipal taxes
• Community Services

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Strategy 10 Promote shopping local

• Actions
• Shop local campaign
• Shopping in Fort Frances
• Out-of-town shopping
• Database of products and services

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Task Force Potential Organizations Implementing
Action Plans

• Christine Denby Gillons Insurance
• Geoff Gillon RRFDC
• Crystal Angus RRFDC
• Angela Halvorsen RRFDC
• Jane Gillon MNDM
• Gary Rogozinski AbitibiBowater
• Ken Perry TOFF
• Kerri Dittaro Service Canada
• Pam Hawley FF Museum
• Barb Cournoyer TD Canada Trust
• Paul Sunstrum Canadian Tire
• Anne Renaud Confederation College
• Patti Anderson BIA
• Christine Jourdain Couchiching First Nation
• Tonia Dolph Northland Kitchen Design
  Consulting
• Dawn Booth FFCC
• Cassandra Parise FFCC
• NCDS Career Works

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Conclusion

• The purpose of the Business Retention and
  Expansion project was to engage the community in
  order to identify challenges and opportunities
  for economic development. The Fort Frances BRE
  2008 Project has made a substantial first data
  collection from 86 businesses.
• Business Retention and Expansion is set to begin
  its implementation of the action plans. We are
  hoping to get commitment from our recommended
  leads outlined in our action plans for this phase
  of the project.

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• THANK YOU
• If you have any questions, please contact
• Cassandra Parise, BRE Coordinator
• 274-5773, cassandra_at_fortfranceschamber.com