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We provide a
collaboration platform for community groups to organize local economic
gardening initiatives We also have some additional things you might
find interesting
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What is Economic Gardening?
Economic Gardening is about using economic development resources to help
increase the competitive capabilities of local business owners,
especially those with specialized skills and high potential value goods
and services. Increasing competitive capabilities of local business
owners is a process which we can also help with.
Why is it important?
Research by David Birch at MIT, and corroborated by results, indicates
the great majority of all new jobs in any local economy are produced by
the small, local businesses in that community. Evidence also suggests
that luring larger corporations is far more expensive in terms of public
resources, and, in the long term, is largely "hit and miss". Larger,
multi-national corporations change as markets and industries change, and
they are always subject to takeovers. A common response and result is
that they simply pull up stakes one day to chase additional profits
elsewhere.
Does economic gardening work?
The term and program was first applied and refined in the late 1980's by
Chris Gibbons, the director of economic development for the City of
Littleton, Colorado. Since then, the concept has gained many followers
across the USA, Australia and Japan. Why? Because from inception in
1989, to 2005, the number of jobs in Littleton more than doubled from
approximately 15,000 to over 35,000 while sales taxes almost tripled to
20 million. During that same period, the city’s population grew by only
30 percent. These key statistics far outpaced those of any other center
in the USA, AND this period saw two recessions! |

Combined Forces and Common Purpose Moves The World |
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The Canadian landscape
In Canada, The Federal, Provincial and
Municipal governments do pro actively seek out and support smaller,
growing "gazelles", those companies in favoured industries with job
growth and export potential, and did so even before the term economic
gardening was popularized by Littleton's experience.
Local support programs are good for local business owners
but they are subject to government funding and quality of the resources
provided. It also requires a good understanding of various local
business networks and interests and local needs .
Local business owners need access to
strategic know how resources and access to the right
networks of people. They need tailored "how to..this is how you can"
options
that helps them grow better businesses for themselves, their employees, and their
communities.
There is reasonably good support for start ups
locally via provincially and municipally funded enterprise centers,
Industry Canada's Community Futures Development Corporations, and
municipal economic development departments, and is largely "customer
pull" from a menu of what's available in a bricks and mortar location
and on the internet.
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So What Can We Add To This? |
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Info L inc is the Canadian Leader in building Communities of Endeavor around People, Discussions, Decisions, Activities and
Resources.
We start with seminars and engagement
with a select group of local business owners and their spouses
full of empowering business and financial know how. We introduce the
concept of "Communities of Practice" organizing around their strategic
resources, memories and questions, so they can become Communities of
Endeavor, then add a "Community
Scorecard" that incorporates
World Economic
Forum Parameters in a closing Economic Gardening seminar.
A local mission
The idea is to bond the enabled and inspired group around some some local
vision and mission and activities, so they continue to engage together
in private, secure, cloud based "Community of
Endeavour" .There they will work on their BHAG and support eachother in
their business and financial goals and interests On going support
We help you build it out to your local
and regional networks. You are best qualified to identify and mobilize
local people and resources to move plans forward, but we can help
you by indentifying target needs and connect you with others with a vested
interest in your success.
Taxboard, a leading Canadian Community of
Practice comprising
tax and accounting professionals from across the
country have agreed to add
their expertise, connections and ideas to the mix.
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Can you imagine this?
A Jim Collins ("Good to Great" and "Built to Last") bus full of high
quality local business owners and professionals and experts on a mission to help decide on and get
to that "Big Hairy Audacious Goal", that 10-to-30-year objective that is
like a big mountain to climb and that will serve as a unifying focal
point of effort, galvanizing the group to help "their community" become
what it can be best at".
We firmly believe that as these talented people begin to work together
and interact and talk and improvise their way towards that BHAG, they're
going to learn from each other and be more willing to share with each
other. They will end up not only benefiting their chosen community, but
they will grow their own businesses and as people. That is multiple
wins!
We will not pretend we'll get the “right” bus full the first or every
time, but firmly believe that if we send enough busses out, a few groups
of talented, motivated and inspired people are going to do some pretty
remarkable things. We really believe Margaret Mead. “Never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." That's our ideal. But we'll
take a small, practical plan in Red Lake |
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Images are used under Creative Commons or other such licenses or in the
public domain. Taxboard is a trademark owned by Info L inc. Web Site © 2020 Info L inc
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