Conducting and Applying Research for Decision Making

		Conducting and Applying Research for Decision Making
Business Information Service Providing Economic Impact Analysis for Decision Making Knowing Your Competitive Advantages - a Comprehensive Community Assessment Targeting for Business Attraction Efforts Targeting Based on Regional Cluster Analysis Targeting for Retail Attraction Surveying Membership or Other Business Groups Meeting the Specialized Research Needs of Partners

	Providing Economic Impact Analysis for Decision Making
Identifying and communicating the full economic impact of job creation projects is often a challenge. Our economic impact analysis service calculates and reports anticipated changes in your community's local economy resulting from one of your specific projects. Our Economic Impact Analysis is a continuation of our partnership with Iowa utility companies, who partially underwrite our costs. As a result, the charge for a basic-information report is $300. In addition, upon application, Alliant Energy, Aquila, Iowa Area Development Group and MidAmerica Energy have agreed to underwrite part of this charge for those development organizations served in their respective territories. To see a sample Level I Economic Impact Analsis, click here.
Benefits: Community leaders' gaining an understanding of whether a prospective business development represents a good investment for the community Evaluating different scenarios for offering incentives, enabling local leaders to more effectively consider prospects' incentive proposals Communicating the value of economic development to community citizens Back to Top

	Business Information Service
As requested, IDM will provide members of the Partner Program with business information concerning companies of interest to the Partner. IDM will utilize several national databases to provide approximately 15 areas of information about the requested company.
Benefits: Fast turn-a-round company information to for your recruitment and retention efforts Taking advantage of multiple resources and databases available to the university
	Knowing Your Competitive Advantages - a Comprehensive Community Assessment
To get more or better results, economic development leaders frequently ask, "What are our assets? How do we compare with other communities - what are our real competitive advantages." We provide an unbiased, in-detail assessment of yourcommunity. We also can provide a comparative analysis, if requested and feasible. Key areas of our assessment include economic development assets and preparedness; transportation; utility services and costs; taxes and civic services; medical care; education; demographics; and business climate. We will also focus on several forward-looking measures of competencies believed to be necessary to maximize future opportunities.
Benefits: Learning where your community stands as compared to similar sized or geographically located communities that you believe are your primary competitors for new employment projects Helping you stimulate local actions to address what we have identified as possible shortfalls

	Targeting for Business Attraction Efforts
Business-recruitment marketing is very competitive. Your community must effectively utilize its resources to realizethe greatest benefit from its marketing efforts. Our target industry analysis (TIA) assists you in better focusing your business attraction efforts. Targeting seeks to identify specific industries or industry clusters that best match the competitive advantages of your community such as labor force, existing economic base, supplier linkages, infrastructure, transportation and location, plus your available sites and buildings. The results of your TIA become the basis of your targeted proactive marketing program for business attraction. Our TIA services are available to your community at three levels:
Level I TIA encompasses an analysis of available secondary data and research. Level II TIA encompasses an analysis of available secondary data and research, an analysis of labor force data, plus specific industry recommendations by SIC/NAICS Code and industry profiles. Our next level of TIA is "Targeting Based on Regional Cluster Analysis" (see below). We also can conduct a community assessment that identifies your community's unique assets and liabilities or we can conduct a comparative assessment for benchmarking and for identifying areas for improvement in order to enhance your economic development product.
Benefits: Focusing your efforts better to recruit to your community those companies that best match your community's assets

	Targeting Based on Regional Cluster Analysis
We have demonstrated to Iowans that business cluster development and expansion offer long-term benefits to our counties and communities. Our Regional Cluster Analysis identifies value-chain clusters (buyer-supplier linkages), technology clusters and labor clusters. Further, we recommend industry targets by conducting an analysis of the clusters to identify industry sector gaps, which you and your regional allies could target for expansion or development within the "broader" region. The analysis focuses on clusters that have significant presence in the region as well as emerging clusters that could be expanded or developed within the region. The geography of the Regional Cluster Analysis includes multiple counties.
Benefits: Improving economic development competitiveness Fostering the region's identity as a productive and profitable place to do business Back to Top

	Targeting for Retail Attraction
Our retail targeting efforts seek to identify specific retail business types that best match both your area's strengths and its needs, in combination with identified retail trends and data. Along with retail targeting, we also provide recommendations for any necessary improvements that we believe key to enhance your commercial/retail environment. You will be asked to make available any previous profiles, surveys and retail related data that may assist us in our efforts. We may also include community comparative assessments that may serve as both benchmarking tools and identification of areas for improvement.
Benefits: Having an unbiased assessment of your community's retail strengths and concerns Gaining direction as to where your retail attraction efforts should be focused

	Surveying Membership or Other Business Groups
With the Level I of assistance, we develop survey questions for an on-line, telephone or mail survey to obtain the information you want from the survey audience you identify for us. Additionally, at Level II, we host the on-line survey for use by the survey respondents. We provide you with a report of the responses to the survey questions Our Level III package includes all of the services provided in Levels I and II. Further, we do an in-depth analysis of the survey data. Examples of our in-depth analysis work include the PDI Membership Survey, Laborsheds, and the Spec Building surveys we have previously conducted. We also are available for subsequent detailed analysis of the survey information, and we will provide presentations of the survey information to your leadership as desired.
Benefits: Gaining valuable information quickly and accurately Understanding what the survey information "means" Saving time and energy Back to Top

	Meeting the Specialized Research Needs of Partners
As a member of our Partner Program, you have immediate access to obtaining our assistance in meeting your research needs. ASAP is our commitment to you that we will respond promptly to your identified needs at no increase in fees above our normal partner costs.
Benefits: Providing you with prompt assistance to meet your requirements Back to Top