Reaching out to local businesses to help them grow
Formal business outreach programs - also known as Business Retention & Expansion - have been a part of TSEP since its creation as SIEDC in 1983. The Seneca Fortune 500, our initiative for 2021 designed to reach more than 500 businesses, is our most ambitious program to date.
In 2020, the Greater Ohio Workforce Board awarded Seneca County Job and Family Services and TSEP $33,000 to be used for business outreach services, including funding for salesforce.com (our Customer Relationship Management or CRM), an up-to-date listing of local businesses from InfoUSA, and contract services from COACT Associates, a full-service business growth agency hired to assist us double our average outreach to companies.
By the end of 2020, we had formally engaged with COACT, with Chris Farkas as our account lead, and now Brooklyn Ross, ready to begin calling companies as part of the TSEP team in 2021. We provide the list of companies we have not yet contacted, and they reach out and determine if there is a way for us to assist and if they have interest. This compliments our other strategic efforts from the Downtown Business Enhancement Committee, TSEP Staff, Regional Growth Partnership, the Chamber, and others.
So far in 2021, thanks to these innovative partnerships, we have already collectively called on more than 450 businesses and have assisted more than 100. We expect to easily surpas our goal of 500 by this fall.
1,262
Since 2014, TSEP has made 1,262 outreach calls to local businesses, inventoried 175 business resources, and logged 649 projects connected to those companies - including 322 calls last year.
Key questions include asking if they are considering hiring, investing, training, or modifying their space in the next 12 months.
