2021-006 Business Retention and Expansion PlanDate: January 15, 2021 Report No. 2021-006
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Provide a report on the updated Business Retention and Expansion plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Denton Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program is a community-based program
used to open lines of communication and build relationships among the City and local businesses
in order to maintain a healthy local economy and a positive business climate. The Denton BRE
Program promotes job growth and business expansion by helping identify concerns and barriers
to the survival and growth of local businesses. Staff initiated the development of a new BRE
Program during 2020, with implementation beginning in 2021.
BACKGROUND:
The recent comprehensive economic development strategic plan identified a need to focus on
fostering growth within the business community. Among the recommendations was a need to
update and expand business retention and expansion efforts. With this in mind, staff worked to
draft a new BRE Program to roll out in 2021.
Staff worked through the Economic Development Partnership Board (EDPB) to develop the new
BRE Program Plan. Staff presented the draft BRE Program outline and key program elements to
the EDPB on Oct. 14, 2020 for the Board’s review and feedback. Based on the feedback
provided, staff drafted a final BRE plan that was approved by the EDPB on Nov.11, 2020.
The BRE program is the primary tool to assist staff in assessing the needs and barriers of existing
businesses in the community. The program includes many ongoing local economic development
programs that focus on retaining and growing the existing businesses in Denton, and also
includes an increased emphasis on outreach, data collection and analysis, and seeking resolutions
for businesses.
The 2021 BRE Program Plan includes the following goals and objectives:
Establish and build relationship with local employers to accurately assess their business
needs, challenges, or opportunities for expansion and growth.
Provide assistance to business that will help them overcome their challenges and assist
them with expansions that add new jobs.
Provide better information and understanding for all local leaders of the strengths and
weaknesses of the business climate.
Foster more employment opportunities.
Build cooperation and consensus among local government, economic development
organizations and businesses and support collective action focused on improving the
local and regional business climate
Date: January 15, 2021 Report No. 2021-006
Provide support for Minority Business Enterprises and Historically Underutilized
Businesses (MBE/HUB).
A key factor in the BRE Program is business visits. These visits help build relationships between
business leaders and the Economic Development team. The visit process includes an
introductory email, a pre-survey, the visit survey, and a follow-up. Staff will include a cross-
section of businesses in Denton in the visitation cycle which will occur from January to August
2020. The goal is to visit 10-15 business in each category of large, medium, small, and start-up
business. A new feature this year is allowing businesses to request a visit. Staff are working on a
request portal that will allow businesses to request a contact from the BRE team and arrange for
a visit. In in interim, businesses requesting a visit can contact the City’s Economic Development
department directly. While the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, all visits will be conducted
under strict COVID-19 safety protocols, with digital visits being held whenever possible or
requested.
In addition to business visits, other components of BRE best practices have been incorporated
into the Program. These additional efforts will strengthen engagement within the business
community and connect businesses to the resources they need. These efforts include:
Small business workshops
Industry/sector roundtables
Welcome letters to new businesses
Business newsletter and online information
Annual business survey
Networking opportunities
Workforce development
MBE/HUB support
Create cohort of local organizations for business support/resources (Denton Business
Allies)
Business Recognition Awards
Access to local business resources
Access to funding sources
Establishing a MWBE Vendor Policy within the City
Disaster recovery assistance
Staff is working with several local and regional business support organizations and other City
departments to either promote existing efforts or to develop programs around new efforts.
In preparation to launch the revamped BRE Program, staff has completed developed of the pre-
survey and business survey, finalized the BRE business visit list, and engaged with several
community stakeholders to discuss program implementation.
The BRE Program Plan is designed to be a living document, guided by the information collected
and the feedback from engaged stakeholders. Much like the BRE Program is cyclical, the Plan
Date: January 15, 2021 Report No. 2021-006
and its elements will be reviewed, evaluated, and improve on a continuous basis to ensure that
Denton businesses have access to the information and resources to be successful.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Exhibit 1 – BRE Program Plan
STAFF CONTACT:
Kay Brown-Patrick
Business Development Administrator
(940) 349-7771
Kay.Patrick@cityofdenton.com
REQUESTOR: Staff initiated
PARTICIPTAING DEPARTMENTS: Economic Development
STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT: 1 hour
Updated: November 2020
BUSINESS
RETENTION &
EXPANSION (BRE)
PROGRAM
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Denton Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program is a community-based program
used to open lines of communication and build relationships among the City and local businesses
in order to maintain a healthy local economy and an improved business climate. The Denton BRE
Program promotes job growth and business expansion by helping identify concerns and barriers
to the survival and growth of local businesses.
Program Goals
• Establish and build relationships with local employers to accurately assess their business
needs, challenges, or opportunities for expansion and growth.
• Provide better information and understanding for all local leaders of the strengths and
weaknesses of the business climate.
• Foster more employment opportunities.
• Build cooperation and consensus among local government, economic development
organizations, and businesses and support collective action focused on improving the
local and regional business climate.
• Provide support for Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Historically Underutilized
Businesses (HUB).
Short-term objectives
• Provide community support for local business
• Help businesses improve profitability
• Identify and address immediate concerns of individual business
• Let local businesses know how much they are valued in the community
• Establish an implementation plan to improve the business climate
• Compile an inventory of existing businesses with contact information
Long-term objectives
• Increase the competitiveness of local businesses
• Promote business development and job creation
• Establish an implementation plan of action for business growth
Ultimately, BRE programs serve to answer the following two questions:
1) Who can we help to grow in order to expand employment and the tax base? and,
2) Who is at risk of closing or moving that we can help to stay open or remain in the
community?
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
Additionally, the BRE Program will assist the City, the Economic Development Department,
partners, and community leaders gather business intelligence on local businesses. BRE surveys,
company visits, and other formal or informal data gathering techniques can provide a snapshot
of the community’s business climate.
BUSINESS SELECTION & VISITS
The City of Denton greatly values its existing Denton businesses and is poised to assist in their
growth and expansion. A key factor in the BRE Program is business visits. These are visits made
to as many area businesses as possible and help build relationships between business leaders
and the Economic Development team. These visits create a connection between staff and
businesses so as problems or obstacles arise, businesses know who to contact for assistance.
The information gathered during such visits typically provides insights on local business needs,
plans for relocation, expansion, or closure, and perceptions or attitudes of the business
community.
How does it work?
Economic Development Program staff will arrange a site visit with a designated company.
Before the visit, staff will collect information from a pre-survey. During the visit, staff will
connect with the visit and fill out the associated business survey document. Following the visit,
staff will work to resolve any issues or questions that arise during the meeting, follow-up as
needed, or make connections to other partners or resources. After the visit, the business is
encouraged to contact staff as appropriate when assistance is needed. These efforts are meant
to assist existing companies to ensure their retention and expansion within the community.
How many visits are scheduled and how do they occur?
• Visits: 10-15 targeted per size/focus area
• Visits may be conducted face-to-face or virtually
Who comes on the visit?
• City of Denton Economic Development staff
• Other business industry partners as appropriate
What are the benefits?
• Provides companies with an economic development contact within the City to address
issues or needs.
• Provides the City with greater insight and understanding of companies and their key
decision makers.
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
Increases communication and cooperation between the City and local companies. The following
section outlines the general steps in the BRE business visit process.
Introductory Contact
Initial contact with the businesses will be made by a staff member via the preferred contact
method (typically phone or email) to schedule a visit. This allows staff to make introductions or
get a preliminary idea of what information or resources will be helpful to have prepared for the
visit.
Pre-Survey
Once a visit is scheduled, the business will receive an electronic copy of an optional pre-survey
to complete in advance of the visit. The pre-survey will assist in determining what partners
should join on the visit and better prepare the team in researching for resources to address any
concerns and having them prepared for the visit.
Business Survey Form
A generic survey (Attachment A – Business Survey) will be used during site visits to guide data
collection and discussion. By using a consistent survey, staff are able to track businesses that
have been contacted, categorize and better address concerns, and identify trends both within
specific industries or other meaning categories.
Follow-Up
A “thank you” card will be sent to each person interviewed after the meeting expressing the
City’s appreciation for the business. Staff will utilize a Client Relationship Management (CRM)
system for tracking and follow up. Staff will maintain a contact list by company and input all
information gathered into the system. Staff can then re-evaluate any business needs at the end
of the year.
If concerns are brought up during the initial interview, they will be addressed afterward with
the appropriate persons, and actions taken will be relayed to the business. When needed, an
additional visit will be made with appropriate representatives from the BRE team to address the
issues.
Business Selection Process
Staff will include a cross-section of businesses in Denton in the visitation cycle. The City of
Denton Economic Development Department will devise a process for selecting which
businesses receive a visit based on various goals and targets. This process will allow for diversity
and inclusion of particular subgroups of interest within the business community. Part of this
process involves using the two-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
business sector coding to ensure adequate representation of businesses chosen from each
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
sector of the local economy. Businesses will be prioritized using selection criteria including
number of employees, building size, land and building space available for potential expansion,
and other business factors. Although this method is not statistically representative of the
greater business population, it will provide the team with information from businesses in the
following sub-categories: large, medium, small, and start-up. Businesses may be chosen at
random or may be selected based on key factors or economic criteria.
These businesses can include, but are not limited to:
• Long-standing businesses in the community;
• Creative, model businesses;
• Large employers;
• New businesses with growth potential;
• Minority-owned businesses;
• Businesses that serve an ethnic market;
• Businesses that serve existing businesses; and
• Unusual businesses that add character.
TIMELINE
Successful BRE programs are cyclical and continuous. Knowing what the issues are for
businesses is an ongoing process for business and economic support organizations. Throughout
the BRE cycle, there are months devoted to collecting and assessing data, providing reports to
stakeholders, evaluating the effectiveness of the program, and making any needed
adjustments. The cycle concludes with an evaluation period that includes follow-up on
immediate ‘red flag’ issues in addition to short and long terms action plans.
The follow-up phase is ongoing and includes action throughout the year to address concerns or
needs.
BRE visit cycle January – August
Evaluation period September – December
PARTNERS/LOCAL RESOURCES
It takes a team of community and regional stakeholders to make a BRE program effective. A
critical component of the Denton BRE Program will be to build a team of economic, community
and workforce development organizations that provide programs, resources, and services to
the business community. With a team of service and resource providers in place, we will more
effectively build a cohesive, responsive approach to address the needs of businesses in Denton.
The following groups/organizations will be utilized to assist in successfully supporting the
business community:
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
• EDP
• Denton County
• Denton Chamber of Commerce
• Denton Black Chamber of
Commerce
• SBDC
• Texas Workforce Solutions
• UNT Murphy Center for
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• TWU Women Entrepreneur Center
• NCTC
• Stoke
• Local business associations
• United Way
• Denton ISD
• Individual business leaders in the
community
• Utility companies
ACTIVITIES & INITIATIVES
Fostering relationships with businesses and business leaders requires intentional engagement
and support. It is integral to go beyond the basic business surveys and visitation model to a
more comprehensive, value-added model that can address various aspects of business
operations, including marketing, finances, workforce training and development, and strategic
planning.
Therefore, in addition to the business visits, there are other factors to the BRE plan that will be
added to strengthen engagement within the business community. These include:
• Small business workshops
• Welcome letters to new businesses
• Business newsletter and online information
• Annual Business Survey
• Networking opportunities/Peer roundtables
• Workforce development
• MBE/HUB support
• Denton Business Allies
• Business Recognition Awards
• Access to local business resources
• Access to funding sources
• Establishing a MWBE Vendor Utilization Policy within the City
• Disaster recovery assistance
DATA COLLECTION
The information gathered from visits and surveys can provide valuable intelligence on
the successes and obstacles facing businesses in Denton. This information then helps the
Economic Development team identify the key issues that need to be addressed. It also helps to
tailor the programs and support services that provide the most value to local businesses.
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
The goal of the program is to capture both quantitative and qualitative data regarding business
operations, expansions, challenges, and the overall business climate. The following are
representations of the type of data sets that will be collected.
Quantitative Measures
• Number jobs created/retained
• Number of retained businesses
• Cost per job created/retained
• Number of businesses visited
• Number of businesses surveyed
• Number of businesses assisted
• Percent of jobs held by local residents/LMI
• Average salary of jobs created
Qualitative Measures
• Business perceptions of local government
• Business perceptions of the community
• Relationship between business retention programs and City services available to
businesses (e.g. workforce development initiatives)
• Involvement of assisted businesses in other community activities
ASSESSING RESULTS
During the evaluation period (September-December), the information gathered during the visit
cycle will be evaluated for general needs the businesses may have as well as to assess the
success of our approach to supporting the business community. For example, tracking how
many businesses have remained open and how many have expanded their activities can
indicate whether or not the BRE program efforts are producing results.
An annual assessment of the program will provide information on which aspects of the program
worked well and which did not.
Questions to be considered in evaluating the BRE Program
• To what extent was the BRE initiative effective in retaining and/or expanding business in
our community?
• What changes occurred in the community as a result of BRE? Why?
• What statistics or stories (e.g. a business did not relocate because of the program) can
we report back to the community?
• What objectives were not achieved? Why not?
• What challenges or opportunities did we experience in terms of implementing the
project?
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
Report Results
The Economic Development Department will communicate BRE results through periodic reports
that summarizes the BRE activities. BRE visit and survey data, along with other reports, will be
compiled into discernible trends to inform City Council, EDPB, stakeholders, investors, and the
public. These periodic reports will be used to help track progress and identify things that
require attention, as well as acknowledge achievements. Relevant information in these reports
may include number of BRE visits, expansion plans, perception of the area’s business climate,
utilization of economic development programs, and more.
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
Attachment A- Business Survey
Date of visit: _______________Met with: ____________________________________________
Company Name:
Company Address:
Company Website:
Primary Contact: Business Phone:
Mobile: ____________Email:
Is your company locally owned? Yes No
Where are your corporate headquarters located?
Do you have multiple locations? Yes No
If yes, where?
Primary industry type: ______________________________________ NAICS Code: ___________
Brief description of the services or products provided:__________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
How many total employees locally? ______ FT? _____PT? _____ Temporary/Contract? _______
Does the current condition of your facility meet your needs for the next year? Yes No
Is your facility owned or leased? ____ Plans to expand in the next three years? Yes No
Is there room for expansion at your current site? Yes No
Are you currently experiencing recruitment problems? Yes No If yes,
Business Retention & Expansion Survey
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
Explain.
____________
What is the desired level of education for the majority of your potential employees?
What is the average hourly wage range paid to employees?
Are there any areas of training that would be beneficial to your employees? For example, soft
skills, accounting, welding, or coding. Explain
Who are your top three suppliers? Please include business name and location.
Who are your top three customers?
Among the companies you do business with, suppliers or customers, are there any you think
would benefit by moving to the DFW Region? Yes No Explain
Name top 3 challenges your business is currently facing:
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BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION (BRE) PROGRAM
Additional notes:
FOR STAFF USE:
Team Members Present:
City __________________________________ Chamber ______________________________
Other _______________________________ VIA Phone In-Person
Interview Follow-Up:
Recommendations: ___________________________________________________________________________
Action: _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ _________
Follow-up Date: ______________________________________________________________________________
Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Note any additional contact made with business