What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There

Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have – and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.
-James Belasco and Ralph Strayer, Flight of the Buffalo

We often talk about the need to deeply understand your economy and the foundation of its successes and challenges—from your economic history and the reasons your community has succeeded in some areas while failing in others, to your companies’ opportunities and threats. This understanding is critical to your economic development planning process, as what brought your community to its current place will not take it to the next level.

In 10 to 20 years—or perhaps sooner—your largest employers and workforce will look and work differently as innovation and technology may drastically change jobs, the workplace and the overall economy. While you can’t know what the future holds, you can be prepared by:

• Staying in touch with your companies
• Aggressively marketing your community to attract market-leading companies and talented people
• Making it easy for business to begin and to scale up

In order to be successful in the future, your economic development strategy will always be changing.

–Kenny McDonald

One Columbus Update

• The Columbus Region March 2015 Economic Update has been released. The report shows 141 active projects in the pipeline, led by the manufacturing and business services sectors.
• This week, the One Columbus team will be in Italy, New York and New Jersey to meet with companies and consultants. We’ll also be in Detroit for the Global Cities Detroit Economic Conference hosted by the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and JPMorgan Chase.
• From May 4 to 8, Columbus Startup Week will bring the Columbus Region’s top entrepreneurs and innovators together for five days of discussion and networking.