Our services, provided directly by the Competitive Strategies Group, are briefly described below:

• Site location and incentive negotiations for corporate clients:  The CSG performs these services on behalf of our corporate clients. Our site selection services evaluate communities and regions using eighty-one specific evaluation factors. Our incentive negotiations determines what incentives are available in the state and community and works with the client to secure any and all incentives the company may be able to avail themselves of.
  
  

• Locational  and economic assessments and audits: A fast track, affordable process that analyzes the community's economic conditions based on both an on-site assessment and a quantitative analysis.  This service is designed to move a community's leaders and organizations to action and decision regarding new initiatives. It includes the identification of assets and challenges of the community and market opportunities for growth.
  
  
• Industrial and Business Park site planning: This methodology includes a local market analysis, a planning and engineering analysis (using professional partners), financial analysis, and an implementation plan.
  
  
• International strategic planning and cross-cultural training: This service aids organizations in creating a total international strategy that will result in new business opportunities in a global market.  We also assist individuals and organizations in understanding and practicing the cultural dos and don'ts of various countries. This service is valuable to those communities who are actively pursuing foreign trade and investment, or those that are actively pursuing or growing sister-city relationships.
  
  
• Community and organizational strategic planning:  This process helps guide communities and organizations in developing a multi-year year plan to enhance their quality of life and economic opportunities.  The methodology includes input from the public, recommendations on strategy and an implementation plan.
  
  
• Business and industry target identification: The identification of targeted businesses based on both a desirability and feasibility-screening matrix. This is a 30-60 day process, and is often linked with a community locational audit.
  
  
• Organizational management consulting: This service provides direction and counsel to economic development organizations and chambers of commerce on issues including staffing, program development, governance, and training for staff and volunteers, revenue development, public/private partnership relationships, customer service and other related facets.
  
  
• Economic development sales staff and volunteer training: This process will train staff and/or volunteers of organizations involved in business development (recruitment and expansion) on the science and art of selling their community, region or state for investment. Role-playing with the staff, the review and critique of promotional literature and how it is disseminated to the prospect, along with other key factors, are included in this exercise.
  
  
• Marketing strategies: These individually developed "marketing blueprints" are developed based on the community’s assets, challenges and available product suitable for investment.  These blueprints include a theme or branding campaign, target marketing, web site development, effective use of sales literature, the best method of promotional tactics, (e.g. direct mail, advertising, etc.), budget development and implementation guidance.
  
  
• Workforce Evaluation: Today's expanding industries must understand the labor composition of a community.  Critical to the overall success of the business, we can assist firms in evaluating and identifying the skills and attitude of the labor supply; understand and document the costs of the local and regional labor market, including benefits and incentives; record the commuting patterns of the workforce, and assist with identifying training resources from local, regional and national agencies.

The Competitive Strategies Group has also brought together, as part of a formal affiliation, the best service providers available in the economic development industry offering a comprehensive approach of implementation focusing on success for the client.  These include companies involved in innovative web site creation (the most important tool in today’s marketing arsenal for economic development), web based GIS applications, capital for the financing of public and private projects and representation with a European and Asian office so our clients can do business abroad effectively.
 
The noted service providers, in partnership with the Competitive Strategies Group, provide the following services:

• GIS (geographic information system) web-based mapping for economic development organizations:  Performed in partnership with GIS Planning, Inc. of San Francisco, CA, the leader in web based GIS applications.  Web applications target business attraction, site selection, local businesses promotion, workforce development and economic tourism.
  
  
• Web design and software development for economic development organizations and Chambers of Commerce: Performed in partnership by 3HD, a leader in creative and effective web design focusing on what the end user needs and the best way to present your information to the customer most effectively.
  
  
• Target Marketing Services:  Performed in partnership with Applied Marketing Services. Applied Marketing improves business recruitment and retention results with state-of-the-science target marketing and marketing support services. Applied Marketing profiles those companies that would find its clients’ markets most attractive and identifies those most likely to be looking.  Support services include relevant and useful research on each target, lead qualification, appointment setting, and campaign management and reporting through its online Lead Tracker.
  
  

• Representation in Europe.  Competitive Strategies Group has a formal affiliation with Plan B Consulting Berlin, Germany as part of our effort to provide effective, credible representation in Europe for our economic development and business clients.
  
  

• Representation in Asia.  Competitive Strategies Group has a formal affiliation with E. H. Kim Consulting of Seoul, Korea as part of our effort to provide effective, credible representation in Asia for our economic development and business clients.