Economic Development Services

"The effective consultants are one-man shows. The institutional ones are disastrous. They waste your time, cost money, demoralize and distract your best people and don’t solve any problems. They are people who borrow your watch to tell you what time it is and then walk off with it.”

- Robert Townsend, Management Guru, CEO and author of "UP THE ORGANIZATION

Chuck D’Aprix, CNU as a creative, innovative, implementation-oriented, economic development expert—weary with the current staid, same-old approach to economic revitalization, is available for consulting on an as-needed basis. Chuck D’Aprix is an economic development maverick, innovator, and change agent and believes in implementation….implementation…..implementation. Studies are great, but implementation is what ultimately counts. Economic development is about place making, not study overload. When Chuck does conduct a study—it is with an eye on place making.

As each community is unique---so are the problems facing economic development in each community. Chuck D’Aprix refuses to use a standardized one-size-fits-all approach---period. Can you say the same thing of the large consulting firms who treat one community just like the last one they serviced? Chuck D’Aprix sees economic development as place making and that separates him from the pack of consultants who see economic development as another function to be performed.

So call Chuck D’Aprix with you economic development questions and he will be glad to help. If he thinks someone else is better –he’ll tell you. Chuck won’t compete on price, but on quality. However the reality is that his overhead is low---and thus he can deliver a creative product unique to your community at a very reasonable price. He has a bias for implementation—so while he may have to conduct research—you will end up with implementation and execution. Your community will not be “studied to death.” Remember, Chuck has been on your side of the desk and has faced the maddening frustration of dealing with consultants who see your community as one more payday.

Many economic professionals from around the country have asked Chuck for a list of services he offers. He is uncomfortable with this ,because each community has its own needs –so an off-the-shelf menu is not the best way to present the approach that Chuck D’Aprix offers. That said, there are a few services that he has found are of interest to many in the field—but he will craft a unique program for your unique place. Remember implementation and place making are at the heart of his economic development approach.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FEASIBILITY WHAT DO
YOU REALLY NEED AND WANT?

Anyone who reads the newspaper or listens to the news, knows that communities are more interested in economic development than ever before. Too many places (and we are talking about place making after all) are still chasing the “next big thing.” That can be a corporate headquarters, a major manufacturing plant, a technology park---the list is endless. This zero-sum game where communities are chasing after that “next big thing” and competing with dozens of other communities is a model that is outdated, over-the-hill and unworkable. We use your existing assets to come up with what you can realistically expect in your place.

The pressure on elected officials and economic development professionals of all stripes to deliver the “next big thing” is sometimes overwhelming. Well folks, the reality is that you may not even know what will work in your community or what the right approach for economic development in your community is. We can help lead you to a realistic and implementable approach to economic development. We let your community’s assets shine and then use them to build a unique economic development program—just for your place. In fact, we believe in creating and improving place. That is an innovative approach to economic development that relieves the pressure of chasing “the next big thing.”

Let us dispense with the “next big thing” notion. If you want that, call one of the big firms who will promise you anything to get a consulting contract. Chuck D’Aprix, and if needed, fellow experts he calls upon, will determine an ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PATH for you to follow. That path will serve as an economic development guide for years to come.

Chuck will analyze the existing data, become part of the community and help craft an approach to economic development that is SUSTAINABLE, REALISTIC, AND PLACE-BASED. It also will be implementation-oriented and will not be dependent on the “next big thing.” We urge you to start crafting an economic development program that is yours—not some consultant’s. We can help.

SILO BUSTING

In too many communities, there are people who are “doing their own thing.” The elected officials are doing their thing, the planning director is doing his/her thing, the economic development person doing his/her thing, the downtown person his/her thing, the Chamber person his/her thing. THEY ARE ALL IN WHAT WE CALL THEIR OWN SILOS! These are hard working well intentioned—and in many cases, very effective folks. Think of how much more could get done if they poked their heads out of their silos—gave up the worries about turf—and cooperated. We are not talking about paying lip service to cooperation here—BUT TRUE COOPERATION WHERE PEOPLE DON’T CARE WHO GETS THE CREDIT BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL WHEN THINGS START POPPING!! Our “SILO BUSTING” program is unique, fun and works!! Give up the turf wars and see efficiency increase significantly. Give it a try—all you have to lose is a little turf—which you may not really even want anyway!

CHARRETTES

Chuck D’Aprix has been trained by the National Charrette Institute on all aspects of charrette management. Chuck’s approach, like that of other progressive charrette conveners is a multi-day comprehensive approach that will allow for an implementable plan and a sense of place upon completion. Chuck brings together some of the best charrette people in the field and fully engages the community to unearth the best and most meaningful approaches to planning and development---whether it’s a proposed development project, a downtown, a commercial district or a redevelopment project.

For those unfamiliar with a charrette, Chuck urges you to surf the web and read about charrettes and to visit the site of the National Charrette Institute.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE MARKET ANALYSIS AVAILABLE—AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT AND USE IT!

If you are looking for the same old market analysis approach—call Chuck D’Aprix

and he will give you the names of dozens of firms that do traditional market analyses. Chuck has charted a new course for market analysis. First (gasp!) he uses existing data to determine market conditions. Then he performs surveys, conducts original research, focus groups, and examines all the data and presents a comprehensive view of your community as a “place.”

Don’t forget we are talking about economic development as place making—therefore it makes sense that the market analysis should be about place. Chuck D’Aprix’s contacts are far and wide and he will often bring in a specialist for portions of the market analysis in order to deliver a complete product. You will get a superb product—period. More important, you can use it, and it will be rooted in place making and will be realistic.

The difference between what Chuck D’Aprix delivers over what other firms serve up—particularly the larger firms—is like night and day. The large firms use a template approach and just plug in the numbers—usually census data or census projections.

Here is another are where Chuck differs from other consultants—he is willing to give up business. If you have an inner city area he highly recommends that you use the non-profit Social Compact to conduct your market analysis. Their unique “drill down” approach reveals interesting data about underserved inner-city or poorer neighborhoods. Chuck is happy to defer to them on such projects. He can use their data to help you create your sense of place. Remember, Chuck is a believer in implementation, implementation, implementation.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUDIT—WHY WASTE MONEY ON PROGRAMS THAT DON’T WORK?

The reality is that a lot of money is wasted in economic development. There is overlap in agency work, there are well intentioned, but ineffective programs, there are programs that are failing—and there are many programs that are wonderful and need additional resources. How do you really know what’s working and what isn’t beyond guesswork and your gut—which may or may not be accurate? We employ a multi-dimensional approach and provide a complete economic development audit. We can tell you where your precious dollars are best spent and what is working and what is not doing so well. So call us for a review of your program.

THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLIMATE ANALYSIS—ARE YOU PREPARED TO GROW NEW BUSINESSES EFFICIENTLY?

We know that most new jobs are created by small business—but far too many communities ignore or just pay lip service to entrepreneurship. We will conduct a thorough analysis of your community's entrepreneurial climate and when we are done you will have a clear idea of what is and isn’t working and what you can do to be a center of entrepreneurship. You can spend millions trying to attract new business, or you can look inward, marshal your resources and develop a wide range of entrepreneurship development programs that fit seamlessly. From downtown to the industrial park—we understand entrepreneurship—and that includes incubators.

THE COMPLETE BUSINESS RETENTION PACKAGE—EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION—BUT NOT
MANY DO IT WELL.

Again, too many communities spend millions trying to “attract and lure “ new businesses while ignoring what they have right in their own backyard. Oh sure, everyone talks about business retention—the phrase rolls right off the tongues of every economic development person around. We shake up your business retention program and give it some teeth. Our approach is sophisticated, thorough ---and is community based and practical. Losing even one business is unnecessary and can spell economic disaster for the community. We stand ready to help.

WE OFFER SO MUCH MORE THAT IS CREATIVE, OUT-OF THE BOX, AND BREAKS THE SO-CALLED RULES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

It should be pretty clear by now that we don’t play by the old rules of economic development. The cocktail party circuit, back slapping, business “luring” approach, that has left many economic development people fumbling for a success is not our approach. We play by a new set of rules—we are not beholden to the economic development establishment. We redefine economic development for each community and then help them achieve it. So join us on the journey—the only thing you have to lose is a staid, boring and (in most cases) marginal economic development program. Let’s start shaking things up! Take control of your economic development destiny—and dollars.