| 2020 was a year of disruptive change in economic development. Leaders on the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Board of Directors took effective action in their communities in response to the present and future of the economic development profession. The new normal for economic development is different from the economy and professional practices that existed prior to COVID-19. Even as COVID-19 will diminish in 2021, economic experts validate a fundamentally different future. |
| “We’re not going back to the same economy. We’re recovering, but to a different economy and it will be one that is more leveraged to technology…” – Jerome Powell USA Fed Chairman |
| Effective economic developers, including many members on the IEDC Board of Directors, are already taking action to respond to the local focus of economic development’s future. In 2020 alone, over one-quarter of the USA-based community economic developers on the IEDC Board of Directors implemented SizeUp software on their organization’s website to serve the local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs that are the core of their economy.[1] |
| “SizeUp is beneficial so that any business in our area can access market research and business intelligence. This online service is designed to help business owners wanting to improve business and gain back some lost revenues once normal operations resume. It’s also valuable for the growing number of aspiring entrepreneurs who are planning to open the business they’ve always dreamed by delivering information they need to create a business plan. Businesses need help now more than ever and providing SizeUp is one way our economic development organization will directly give them assistance.” – Danielle Casey CEO of Albuquerque Economic Development and IEDC Board Member |
| SizeUp helps local small businesses and entrepreneurs make data-driven decisions to:Optimize operations and benchmark performance rank to industry competitors with hyperlocal and industry-specific big data.Discover potential customers, local suppliers, better understand their competitive landscape.Boost marketing by targeting ideal clients.Assist aspiring entrepreneurs with market research to plan the opening of new businesses. |
| IEDC board member organizations that invested in SizeUp for their website in 2020 include: |
| Sacramento, CA Visit the website » Colorado Springs, CO Try out SizeUp COS » Dallas, TX Try out SizeUp Dallas » Tucson, AZ Visit SizeUp Tucson » Tulsa, OK Visit SizeUp Tulsa » Detroit, MI Visit Detroit’s website» Fulton County, GA Launching Soon» Pflugerville, TX Launching Soon» |
| “For over one-quarter of these organizations to sign up in just one year is a testament to the urgent value SizeUp delivers to businesses, communities, and their leaders,” said Anatalio Ubalde, CEO of SizeUp. “We look forward to bringing SizeUp’s local business assistance technology to every economic developer across the United States who is committed to using modern economic development technology to best serve their local companies. The economic developers that help their local businesses today will be the community heroes of tomorrow.” – Anatalio Ubalde CEO of SizeUp |
| [1] 8 of the 31 USA-based community economic development practitioners on the IEDC Board of Directors serve organizations that newly invested in SizeUp in 2020. |
