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BR&E Toolkit

The BR&E Toolkit can help Economic Developers help businesses be successful!

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Because you care about business in your local economy, you need to know them well, always asking the right questions to address their concerns. The last thing that you want is an unexpected drop in jobs, or a business loss that could have been prevented.

That is why University of Minnesota Extension is piloting a resource toolkit for business retention and expansion. The toolkit aims to help you do business retention and expansion your way, but with tried and true tools and strategies that will impress your business community.

    

Extension’s BR&E Toolkit offers:

  1. An online survey tool that helps you ask the right questions, no matter what survey technique you use – web-based, face-to-face or by mail.
  2. Online resources, including a BR&E handbook, survey template, question bank, podcasts, ready-to-use documents, and more.
  3. Your choice of workshops, facilitations, and services that can help your community go wherever it wants with BR&E

For a better feel of what the BR&E Toolkit offers please explore the public website which offers a thorough explanation of the BR&E Toolkit program and a sampling of the program's contents using the links on the left.

Who can subscribe to the BR&E Toolkit?

The toolkit is available for piloting in nine Minnesota communities.  The toolkit can be brought to communities by:

  1. Economic development and community development professionals
  2. Local government—elected and administrators
  3. Chamber of Commerce officials
  4. Volunteer leaders for business retention and expansion

The BR&E Toolkit is the right idea for you if any of the following is true:

  1. You are well-grounded in business retention and expansion, but appreciate the value of research-based resources
  2. You value flexibility in your BR&E approach
  3. You are computer-savvy and want to use survey research to learn about local business needs
  4. You want to stay in touch with businesses to track opportunities and identify challenges
  5. You want to be part of a group of professionals that care about business retention and expansion as much as you do!

NOTE:  If your goal is to involve the entire community in business retention and expansion, or if you want a more intensive and proven approach, we recommend Extension’s Business Retention and Expansion Strategies program. For more info about the Strategies program, visit the website or call your Extension educator.

How to get going with the BR&E Toolkit:

Fill out the application form on this website or contact the Community Economics Extension educator in your area to discuss whether your community and The BR&E Toolkit are a good fit.  The BR&E Toolkit is as affordable as it is flexible.

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