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CSS’ Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) Survey Research
involves customizing research instruments to use in surveys or telephone
interviews with business leaders that have them evaluate 5 different
components of their business needs and satisfaction.
Those 5 components address such important questions as:
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Is their leadership changing?
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How well does the local business environment support the
company?
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Are other municipalities recruiting the business?
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What’s the economic outlook for that industry?
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How well is the business performing?
Based on their responses, CSS categorizes each local business
by how much risk we feel there is of near-term (1-2 year) job reduction
or company relocation. Then
we relate this relative risk to the contribution that the company makes
to the community and municipality (often in terms of jobs, taxes paid,
fees, etc.). This helps you
to prioritize retention efforts and proactive communications that you
can make based on a combination of a given company’s risk and its size.
One key to a successful survey process is to have a survey
instrument that ask questions in such a way as to get at true risk
factors and retention drivers.
Another key is to dedicate resources to the survey effort and
conduct it in a systematic, professional, and efficient way that
maximizes response rates.
For example, with one of our
clients, we surveyed and/or interviewed business leaders at 350+ local
companies and identified the retention drivers for each, which were most
at-risk of job loss, and which should be highest priority for retention
efforts. Then, we
recommended to the client an ongoing touch plan with all 350+ clients,
but more specifically implementing a call program with those at High
risk of relocation or job loss.

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