BIA Update: January 2010

1. BIA Update: January 2010 • Request • Continued support of Provitalization Plan and aligned strategies • Individual participation in Community Perception Survey of Downtown • “Word out” • Importance of survey • Insight & Expertise

2. Event Evaluation • Decision to focus on two main events • Summer & Winter (Hometown Christmas) • PLUS two main promotional campaigns • Targeting out of town population • Addressing knowledge gap with at-home population

3. In Progress Strategies Business Retention and Expansion Community Perceptions of Downtown

4. Business Retention and Expansion • Gathering of “business intelligence” • “An ongoing cooperative effort between business, local government, agencies, other organizations and people in the community with the purpose of identifying opportunities and actions to assist local businesses in expansion, the retention and creation of jobs and the diversification of the local economic base, as well as the implementation of defined actions to improve the local business climate.”

5. Business Retention and Expansion • One on one interviews with 50-100 downtown businesses • BR+E tool developed by the provincial government • Adapted to unique conditions • Addresses Recommendation #1: Encouraging Economic Development involves the strategies of: • Strategy 1.1: Prepare current downtown commercial analysis. • Strategy 1.2: Recruit downtown commercial investment. • Example of tool items • Business inventory • Own/rent, utilities, square footage, employees, primary products • Business Vision

6. Examples of BR+E Items • Do you have plans to EXPAND or MOVE your business in the next year? (Mark ALL that apply) • I plan to open an additional location downtown. • I plan to open an additional location outside of downtown. • I plan to expand my business at the current location. • I plan to move to a new location downtown • I plan to move to a new location outside of downtown • I don’t have any plans for changes. • I plan to close. • With your business in mind, what specific RETAIL stores would you like to see locate in downtown Kincardine. Please list up to three retail store categories. (If helpful, include the names of local or national chains, franchises, or independent local businesses) BUSINESS SYNERGY COPY APPENDED

7. Community Perceptions of Downtown Survey (N=100-500) • Identified gap in community knowledge and investment in downtown retailers & services • Improve communication • Build on vested interest in downtown • Addresses • Strategy #2.5 of the Provitalization Plan • Determining and Accessing Community Perceptions of downtown • Successful precedents (e.g., Goderich)

8. Community Perceptions of Downtown • Distribution Survey Monkey Community Groups and Organizations (hard copy) Major Stakeholders (hard copy) Press release Email Facebook Website Linkage

9. Timeline

10. BIA Update: January 2010 • Request • Continued support of Provitalization Plan and aligned strategies • Individual participation in Community Perception Survey of Downtown • “Word out” • Importance of survey • Insight & Expertise