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Mayor Williams to Unveil New Business Retention Initiative a Constructive Outreach
Program Targeted to DC-Based Companies
DC Business Connections is an innovative business retention program embraced by the
Executive Office of the Mayor, designed to create a forum through which local companies
can communicate their needs, concerns and recommendations directly to the Mayor’s
Office.
When: Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Time: 2:00 until 3:00 p.m.
Where: Pepco Headquarters — Auditorium, 1900 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Who: The Hon. Anthony A. Williams, Mayor of the District of Columbia
Mr. John Derrick, Chairman, President and CEO of PEPCO
Ms. Elizabeth Lisboa-Farrow, President, DC Chamber of Commerce and CEO, Lisboa, Inc.
The Hon. Charlene Drew Jarvis, DC Councilmember and Chairperson of Committee on Economic
Development
Details: Mayor Williams will unveil DC Business Connections, a new, innovative program
designed to provide companies with a forum through which to communicate their needs,
concerns and goals directly to the Mayor. The program will also provide the Mayor with
statistical information to assist in his effort to retain, grow and attract new businesses
to the District of Columbia. DC Business Connections was initiated by the Washington, DC
Marketing Center in partnership with Pepco's Department of Economic Development, providing
yet another positive example of the city's recent trend toward engaging in private-public
partnerships for the benefit of the city.
Media Info: Steve Winter/Brian Bishop — Brotman, Winter, Fried Communications,
(202) 296-7200
e-mail; wint@bwfcom.com; brian@bwfcom.com
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THE WASHINGTON, DC
MARKETING CENTER
1710 H STREET, NW ELEVENTH FLOOR WASHINGTON, DC 20006 TEL: 202-347-7201 FAX: 202-638-6764
Mayor Williams Announces New
Business Retention Initiative
DC Business Connections Program To Target 1,200 Washington, DC-Based Companies
Washington, DC - Mayor Anthony A. Williams
announced today the creation of DC Business Connections, a new program designed to create
a unique communication forum between Washington, DC-based companies and the Government of
the District of the Columbia with the goal of retaining businesses in the District.
"Although it is important that
Washington, DC attract new businesses, it is even more important that we retain our
current businesses and help them to expand," says Mayor Williams. "Many business
leaders, such as Pepco, have shown a real commitment to stay and grow the District and we
in the government want to listen to them and work with them to remove impediments to their
continued growth. DC Business Connections, working with my Office of Planning and Economic
Development, will help me identify and address issues facing local businesses -- helping
the District retain companies and attract new ones."
The campaign, which begins today, is a
customer-driven business retention program providing the Mayor and a team of 25 Partner
agencies and nonprofit economic development organizations with information from 1,200 or
more face-to-face interviews annually with CEOs representing a cross-section of the city's
business community.
"The key to the success of this program
is the cooperation and participation of our city's business leaders," says John R.
Derrick, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Pepco. "However, it's really a two-way
street. Through this forum, business leaders have an opportunity to present some of their
issues to the Mayor and his team."
With the sponsorship of the Mayor, DC Business
Connections was initiated by the Washington, DC Marketing Center in partnership with
Pepco's Department of Economic Development. The Washington, DC Marketing Center is the
District's public-private marketing arm charged with business attraction and retention.
The technology for this program was created and will be administered by Business Retention
Technologies (BRT), a Pennsylvania-based consulting organization that works with local,
regional and state economic development agencies on the retention and expansion of
existing businesses. BRT is the recognized leader in business retention consulting and
training in the United States and Canada.
For its DC program, BRT is presently training
a team of Outreach Specialists who will conduct a series of interviews with local business
leaders on behalf of the Mayor. According to Norman L. Carter, Director of Economic
Development for Pepco, a broad range of wealth and job-creating businesses will be
targeted, including law firms, financial institutions, trade associations, media and
advertising agencies and information technology companies. "As time goes on, and we
get more private participation, we envision expanding our customer outreach to other
sectors of the DC economy," Carter says.
According to Laith Wardi, Director of BRT,
interviews will consist of 40 questions and should take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to
complete.
According to Lynn D. Palmer, Business
Retention Manager for the Washington, DC Marketing Center, all individual replies are kept
strictly confidential. "The data we accumulate will be aggregated and after immediate
needs are addressed, our 25 Partners will use this information to refine programs and
policies in order to ultimately make the city more user-friendly to business. According to
Palmer, 20 companies have been selected for the first set of interviews. Following this
initial interview phase DC Business Connections will visit approximately 100 companies
each month. CEO interviews and data compilation will continue indefinitely.
At the news conference, Mayor Williams urged
other Washington area businesses to "step up to the plate" and follow Pepco's
example both by pledging financial support and by encouraging cooperation and involvement
with the program.
For additional information, please contact
Lynn Palmer of the Washington, DC Marketing Center at (202) 237-6983 or at dcconnects@team.org.
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THE WASHINGTON, DC
MARKETING CENTER
DC Business Connections
FACT SHEET
Creation: With the sponsorship of Mayor
Anthony A. Williams, DC Business Connections was initiated by the Washington, DC Marketing
Center in partnership with Pepco's Department of Economic Development. The Washington, DC
Marketing Center is the District's public private marketing arm charged with business
attraction and retention.
Objective: The objective of DC Business
Connections is to provide Washington-based companies with the opportunity to establish a
unique communication forum with the Government of the District of Columbia to address
important issues associated with conducting business in the District. The program is a key
business retention tool to provide the Mayor and a team of 25 Partner agencies and
non-profit economic development organizations with valuable information generated from an
anticipated 1,200 or more businesses annually.
Process: The Washington, DC Marketing Center
has trained a team of Outreach Specialists who will conduct a series of face-to-face
interviews with local CEOs representing a cross-section of businesses with initial heavy
emphasis in the following key industry sectors:
Business/Professional/Financial/Association Services; Media/Publications; Information
Technology/Telecommunications. The interviews will consist of approximately 40 questions
and should take from 30 to 45 minutes to complete.
Questions: Survey questions, developed by
Business Retention Technologies (BRT), the Washington, DC Marketing Center and the 25
Partners, will be both general and broad in scope, and will address specific concerns on
conducting business in the District. (See attached for a sampling of actual survey
questions and list of 25 Partners.)
Information: All individual replies will be
kept confidential. The data accumulated will be aggregated, and after immediate needs are
addressed, the Partners will use this information to refine programs and policies in an
effort to ultimately make the city more user-friendly to business.
Timeframe: The Washington, DC Marketing Center
has targeted 20 companies for the initial phase of interviews set to begin immediately.
Following the start-up period, DC Business Connections intends to interview 100 companies
per month, and continue indefinitely.
Technology: The technology for DC Business
Connections was created and will be administered by BRT, a Pennsylvania-based consulting
organization that works with local, regional and state economic development agencies on
retention and expansion of existing business.
Contact: Lynn D. Palmer, Business Retention
Manager, Washington, DC Marketing Center, Tel: (202) 273-6983; Email: dcconnects@team.org.
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DC Business
Connections
Sample Business Survey Questions
April 5, 2000
What type of business do you operate?
What year was your firm started?
How long has your business been in the District? .
What is your firm's current employment; it's projected employment in one year?
How do you find qualified employees?
What type of job openings do you expect to have in the next 12 months? _
What job or educational requirements are required for entry-level professional employees?
What are your annual sales?
Does your company currently do work for government?
Do you generate revenues from customers in other countries? What percent of total revenue
do these customers provide?
What is the total square footage occupied by your firm?
What is the top local issue negatively impacting your business?
Please rate the following list of city and utility supplied services: airport,
energy/utility, fire protection, park/recreation, police, public schools, public
transportation, road systems, telecommunications, trash removal, zoning and land use
What, in your mind, is the most important thing the District's government could do to
improve the business climate?
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Deputy Mayor's Office of Planning and Economic
Development
Office of Planning
Department of Employment Services
Department of Housing and Community Development
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Department of Public Works
Department of Human Rights
Housing Finance Agency
Revenue Bonds Initiatives
Committee on Economic Development
DC Chamber of Commerce
DC Building Industry Association
Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development
Downtown DC Business Improvement District
Golden Triangle Business Improvement District
The Georgetown Partnership
Latino Economic Development Corporation
Small Business Development Center/Howard University
Center for the Advancement of Small Business/George Washington University
Local Initiative Support Corporation
DC Committee to Promote Washington
DC Agenda
Federal City
Council Greater Washington Board of Trade
Washington DC Technology Council
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WASHINGTON, DC
MARKETING CENTER
DC BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IN WASHINGTON, DC
"DC BUSINESS
CONNECTIONS GIVES THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AN UNPRECEDENTED VOICE IN THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA. LET US HEAR YOUR VOICE"—- Mayor Anthony A. Williams
DC BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
DC Business Connections connects businesses to
the District, employers to government services. Our team includes 25 agencies and support
organizations that can have a positive impact on the District's business climate and your
operations.
By learning about your business and listening
to your concerns, we can make the District of Columbia work better for you!
DC BUSINESS CONNECTIONS IS YOUR DIRECT
CONNECTION TO:
- City and neighborhood demographics
- Business legislative input
- Public works issues
- General and technical workforce training
- Facilities location/expansion assistance
- Low-interest, tax-exempt financing for fixed
assets
- Government procurement assistance
- Regulatory information
And more. . .
OUR GOAL
To visit your organization once a year, serve
your needs quickly and professionally, and build an information system that will aid the
District in working for you.
Through a confidential interview with a
trained Outreach Specialist, we'll ask about your operations, personnel needs and
potential growth projections. Best of all, you decide what information you are comfortable
sharing.
We'll review your firm's information and match
any needs identified in the interview to the expertise of one or more partner agency or
organization on our team. Our meeting may tell us about long-term employee training needs,
your opinions about District legislation, or that a nearby traffic light doesn't function
properly. We'll be listening, and we'll make sure the right person gets the message.
YOUR RESULT
A city that is more user-friendly to business.
Here's how:
- Our visit is a customer service call. Call us
at any time at DC Business Connections if you need us or want to know who to call.
- We promise a tailored and rapid response to
your firm's needs or concerns, if any should arise.
- We build an aggregate database which allows the
District of Columbia and participating economic development organizations to adjust
services and sponsor legislation based on the needs of the business community.
CONNECT WITH US!
In a 30-45 minute interview with a
professional Outreach Specialist, we can learn what your firm does, what your concerns
are, and how the District might help your organization grow . . . in the District of
Columbia!
We'll be calling to set up an interview, or
you can contact us at the Marketing Center by phone, fax or e-mail... it's that easy.
Tel: (202) 237-6983, Fax: (202) 237-6983,
E-mail: dcconnects@team.org
Name _______________________
Title _______________________
Firm/Association/Business
_______________________
Address _______________________
City/State/Zip _______________________
Tel _______________________
Fax _______________________
Email _______________________
Website _______________________
For information about the Washington, DC
Marketing Center, visit the web site at www.dcchamber.org/business
Partner Agencies & Organizations
Deputy Mayor's Office of Planning and Economic
Development
Office of Planning
Department of Employment Services
Department of Housing and Community Development
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Department of Public Works
Department of Human Rights
Housing Finance Agency
Revenue Bonds Initiatives
Committee on Economic Development
DC Chamber of Commerce
Coalition for Non-Profit Housing & Economic Development
Downtown DC Business Improvement District
Golden Triangle Business Improvement District
The Georgetown Partnership
Latino Economic Development Corporation
Small Business Development Center/Howard University
Center for the Advancement of Small Business/George Washington University
Local Initiative Support Corporation
DC Committee to Promote Washington
DC Agenda
Federal City Council
Greater Washington Board of Trade
Washington DC Technology Council
DC BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
is a program of the
WASHINGTON, DC MARKETING CENTER
This program is jointly
sponsored by:
PEPCO, the District Government, and the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Linking your organization to
resources in the District Government and the business community.
OUTREACH SPECIALIST
_______________________
GET IN TOUCH! 202-237-6983 dcconnects@team.org
1710 H Street, NW, 11th Floor, Washington. DC 20006 www.dcchamber.org/business |
