Economic Development

Maintaining and growing a business - five easy steps

Keeping businesses healthy and helping them grow benefits everyone in your community. Getting started takes five easy steps:

1. Form a leadership team.
2. Conduct a survey.
3. Review the results.
4. Respond to needs.
5. Present an action plan.

Step 1: Form a leadership team.
Four or five community members form a leadership team. The team holds information sessions to introduce BR+E to the community.

Step 2: Conduct a survey.
The leadership team trains local volunteer visitors to conduct confidential interviews with local businesses. Volunteer visitors use a survey to identify business needs and opportunities. A visitor can be anyone who has an active interest in business and economic development.

Step 3: Review the Results
The survey findings identify both the community's business needs and any potential development opportunities.

Survey results are reviewed by a local task force. The task force is made up of community leaders, who may include members of:

• Economic development committees


• Chambers of Commerce


• Local governments


• Labour organizations


• Area utilities


• Educational institutions.

Step 4: Respond to needs.
The Task Force responds to the immediate needs of the local business people and conducts a detailed analysis of the survey data. This analysis becomes the basis of an action plan to improve the local economy.

Step 5: Present an action plan.
The task force holds a public meeting to review the findings and the action plan. Implementation teams are created to put the strategy in motion.

Learn more
See how other Ontario communities have used this program.

Remember, help is available during a project to maintain or expand a business. A network of economic and business development professionals will be on hand. They have the skills and resources to address your immediate needs. And, they'll help you implement your action plans.