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 <br />MEMORANDUM <br />DATE:EDC Agenda Item 4.C <br />May 1, 2013 <br />TO: <br />Economic Development Commission Chair and Commissioners <br />FROM: <br />Jill Hutmacher, Community Development Director <br />SUBJECT: <br />Economic Gardening <br />Hennepin, Carver, Scott, and Ramsey Counties are collaborating on an economic gardening <br />initiative.Forty-five businesses will be selected to participate. The program will focus on “stage <br />two” companies with 10 to 100 employees and $1 to $50 million in sales. Participants must have <br />growth potential and should sell products or services outside of Minnesota. <br />Selected businesses will receive 50 hours of research assistance at no cost. Typical research <br />projects include: <br />Internet search optimization <br />On-line marketing strategies <br />GIS-based qualified sales leads <br />Marketand competition analysis <br />Industry trends <br />In order to be selected to participate, the Chief Executive Officer must commit to working <br />directly with the research consultants for a total of approximately 10 to 12 hours over a period of <br />three to four weeks. The CEO must also commit to attendingten CEO round table meetings. <br />The round table meetings convene a small group of non-competing “stage two” CEOs and offer <br />peer-to-peer learning for issues such as employment law and human resources. CEOs may also <br />attend monthly business forums. <br />The economic gardening program is scheduled to be launched in August 2013. Applications will <br />be accepted until early August. <br />Discussion Questions: <br />1.How can the program be promoted to business service providers? <br />2.Which Arden Hills businesses are likely to meet the “stage two” criteria? <br />How should local businesses be recruited? <br />3. <br />City of Arden Hills <br />Economic Development Commission May 1, 2013 <br />11 <br />Page of <br />