My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am the global business influencer and the most read business article author in the World for the fifth year running.
I am offering a free joint influencer marketing campaign to spread awareness about a recruitment agency and me to people and businesses of the agency’s country.
THE CAMPAIGN The campaign will empower present and past applicants of the recruitment agency through my “The TOP Person” initiative. Each willing applicant will be taught how to publish an influencer endorsed introduction video about him in social media for free. Each posted video will include a 10 second advert of the recruitment agency.
Participating applicants will also invite their network, co-workers and friends to comment and like the posted video to gain as much peer credibility as possible. That multiplies the visibility of each video by hundreds or thousands as each comment and like the video gets will spread it into other networks. I shall teach the applicants the importance of peer credibility in my free webinars.
This is not a one-off campaign as each applicant who creates a video can do update videos at any time. In addition, the recruitment agency can encourage the applicants to do so with a monthly email message.
WHAT WILL I DO? I shall provide my endorsement, branded video clips and a link to the needed free video compiling mobile application.
In addition, I shall host free webinars to teach applicants why and how to create an introduction video and how to use it to become influencers of their own lives.
WHAT WILL THE RECRUITMENT AGENCY NEED TO DO? The recruitment agency needs to deliver me an advert as a still image or as a maximum 10-second video.
The agency will also inform its current and former applicants about the opportunity.
WHAT WILL THE PARTICIPATING APPLICANT NEED TO DO? The applicant will need to listen to my webinar, download my instructions and branded videoclips – all that free of charge, of course. He will also need to install a free application on his mobile phone.
Then he will need to shoot his introduction video, use the mobile application to compile it and upload his video to social media.
Finally, he will ask his network, co-workers and friends to comment and endorse his published video.
WHAT IS MY GAIN? With this campaign I shall demonstrate businesses and other organizations of the recruitment agency’s country how to quickly and effectively gain credible, authentic and endorsed visibility in social media through their employees.
By demonstrating the power of influencer marketing to businesses and other organizations, I can change the narrative from the current “What it is” to “What is it that we can achieve with it”.
I will only charge the companies and other organizations a modest monthly service fee as influencer endorsed introduction videos is just a very basic influencer service I offer.
As I partner up with recruitment agencies, this campaign is free for them. After all, I only need to partner up with one recruitment agency per country, and there are over 40,000 of them in the UK alone.
WHAT IS THE GAIN FOR THE RECRUITMENT AGENCY? To put it plainly, quite a massive endorsed and free visibility among business professionals.
For example, if a recruitment agency has 10,000 current and former applicants in its database, and 4,000 of them would participate in a campaign, the agency can expect 5 million people to see their advert being endorsed in social media. Best of all, that visibility can be repeated monthly.
The above estimate is based on the calculation that each participating applicant receives on average likes or comments from 50 people they know, and their endorsements will bring an average of 25 people to watch the video.
Needless to say, having an advert in this environment is very positive and effective for any brand.
The recruitment agency can also use the posted video to present the real applicant and show their clients how he is respected by his peers.
WHAT IS THE GAIN FOR AN APPLICANT? Every one of us wants to look appealing in the eyes of our current bosses, clients, co-workers, friends and other people. You want to look even better in the eyes of decision makers if you are unemployed and you are looking for your next opportunity.
Also, even our companies love employees that look respected by their peers on social media. Applicants could already make the introduction videos, but they are rarely made as they usually do not receive many endorsements from their peers without the endorsement of the influencer.
I shall teach each applicant in my free webinars how to become an influencer of their own life by using their influencer- and peer endorsed introduction video.
WHY A RECRUITMENT AGENCY WOULD NOT JUST POST THE VIDEOS BY THEMSELVES? The more you post in social media, the less visibility your posts will receive, as social media algorithms will spread more widely content from people who post things less frequently. Therefore, posting through recruitment agency’s present and past applicants - who are posting quite rarely - will receive a much greater visibility.
Not to mention that posting thousands of videos every month to social media platforms would also be quite difficult to manage logistically or at least require a considerable team to get it done.
In addition, only the videos posted on the applicant’s personal social media account can attract their networks, co-workers and friends to comment on and like the posted video. Without them endorsing the video and causing it to spread across their networks, a video is just a video without any meaningful marketing power.
Finally, very few applicants would be ready to have an advert of the recruitment agency in their introduction video if they would not receive an endorsement from the influencer in exchange.
DO I GAIN ACCESS TO THE DATABASE OF CURRENT AND FORMER APPLICANTS OF THE RECRUITMENT AGENCY? No, I do not. I have no need for it as it is up to the recruitment agency to let their applicants know about the opportunity.
In addition, it is up to the recruitment agency to encourage its applicants to create and post update videos, as I shall have neither their names nor contact details.
WHERE IS THIS OFFER VALID? I receive business readers to my blog from 240 countries and from all the US states every month, so if you are a recruiting agency from countries other than North Korea, Iran, Cuba or Venezuela, this offer is valid for you.
Please notice that I am not looking to partner up with many recruiting agencies per country, so I recommend contacting me quickly.
WHO ARE YOU? My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am the global business influencer and the most read business article author in the World for the fifth year running.
If you want to learn more about me, please visit my LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillstrom-com/. You are also welcome to connect with me as I shall accept every connection request.
HOW TO CONTACT YOU? The best ways to reach me are email me christian@dillstrom.com or talk to me in LinkedIn, or book a quick teleconference with me: https://go.oncehub.com/christiandillstrom
Nimeni
on Christian Dillstrom ja olen globaali businessvaikuttaja sekä jo
viidettä vuotta peräkkäin maailman luetuin businessartikkelien
kirjoittaja.
Tarjoan
rekrytointiyrityksille ilmaisen yhteiskampanjan levittämään
tietoutta sekä rekrytointiyrityksestä että minusta ihmisille ja
yrityksille rekrytointiyrityksen toimintamaassa.
KAMPANJA
Kampanja
on suunnattu rekrytointiyrityksen vanhojen ja nykyisten hakijoiden
voimaannuttamiseksi ”The TOP Person”- kampanjan kautta.
Jokaiselle halukkaalle hakijalle opetetaan kuinka julkaista ilmainen,
vaikuttajan suosittelema esittelyvideo itsestään sosiaalisessa
mediassa. Jokaiseen julkaistuun videoon lisätään
rekrytointiyrityksen oma, kymmenen sekunnin mainos.
Kampanjaan
osallistuvat hakijat kutsuvat myös oman verkostonsa, työkaverit
sekä ystävät kommentoimaan ja tykkäämään videosta, jotta se
saisi mahdollisimman paljon vertaisuskottavuutta.
Näin
jokaisen videon näkyvyys moninkertaistuu tykkäysten ja kommenttien
levittäessä videota muihin verkostoihin. Ilmaisessa webinaarissa
opetan hakijoille vertaisuskottavuuden tärkeyden.
Kampanja
ei ole kertaluontoinen, vaan jokainen videon tehnyt hakija voi tehdä
myöhemmin uusia videoita, joilla päivittää kuulumisiaan. Lisäksi
rekrytointiyritys voi myös rohkaista hakijoita päivitysvideoiden
tekemiseen kuukausittaisella sähköpostilla.
MITÄ
MINÄ TEEN?
Tarjoan
suositustani, brändätyt videoklipit ja linkin tarvittavaan vapaasti
ladattavaan puhelinsovellukseen, jolla voi koostaa videoita.
Lisäksi
tarjoan ilmaisia webinaareja, joissa neuvon hakijoita miksi ja kuinka
esittelyvideo luodaan ja kuinka teet itsestäsi oman elämäsi
vaikuttajan.
MITÄ
REKRYTOINTIYRITYKSEN TARVITSEE TEHDÄ?
Rekrytointiyritys
toimittaa minulle joko mainoskuvan yrityksestä tai enimmillään
kymmenen sekunnin mittaisen mainosvideon.
Rekrytointiyritys
tiedottaa vanhoja ja nykyisiä asiakkaitaan tästä mahdollisuudesta.
MITÄ
OSALLISTUVAN HAKIJAN TULEE TEHDÄ?
Hakija
osallistuu webinaariin, lataa ohjeet ja brändätyt videoklipit –
kaikki tämä tietysti ilmaiseksi. Hänen on ladattava myös ilmainen
videoiden koostamissovellus puhelimeensa.
Tämän
jälkeen hän tekee esittelyvideon, käyttää mobiilisovellusta
koostamiseen ja lataa videon sosiaaliseen mediaan.
Lopuksi
hän pyytää verkostoaan, työkavereitaan sekä ystäviään
tykkäämään ja kommentoimaan suositeltua videoita.
MITÄ
MINÄ SAAN TÄSTÄ?
Kampanjalla
demonstroin suomalaisille yrityksille ja organisaatioille, kuinka
saada uskottavaa, aitoa ja suositeltua näkyvyyttä nopeasti ja
tehokkaasti sosiaalisessa mediassa työntekijöiden kautta.
Osoittamalla
yrityksille ja muille organisaatioille vaikuttajamyynnin voiman, voin
muuttaa narratiivin nykyisestä “Mitä tämä on” muotoon “Mitä
tällä voidaan saavuttaa.”
Laskutan
yrityksiltä ja muilta organisaatioilta ainoastaan pienen
kuukausittaisen palvelumaksun, sillä vaikuttajan suosittelema video
on vain tarjoamani vaikuttajapalvelun perustaso.
Muodostan
rekrytointiyritysten kanssa kumppanuuksia, joten heille kampanja on
ilmainen. Tavoitteenani on löytää sopiva kumppani joka maasta ja
jo yksistään Britanniassa rekrytointiyrityksiä on yli 40,000.
MITÄ
REKRYTOINTIYRITYS SAA TÄSTÄ?
Lyhyesti
sanoen, yritys saa huomattavaa ilmaista näkyvyyttä businessihmisten
parissa.
Jos
rekrytointiyrityksellä on esimerkiksi 5,000 nykyistä ja vanhaa
hakijaa tietokannassaan, ja 2,000 heistä osallistuu kampanjaan,
rekrytointiyritys voi odottaa jopa 2,5 miljoonan ihmisen näkevän
suositellun mainoksen sosiaalisessa mediassa. Parasta tässä on,
että näkyvyys voidaan toistaa joka kuukausi.
Yllä
esitetty arvio perustuu laskelmaan, jonka mukaan jokainen osallistuja
kerää keskimäärin 50 tykkäystä tai kommenttia kontakteiltaan ja
heidän suosituksensa tuovat keskimäärin 25 lisäihmistä katsomaan
videota.
On
sanomattakin selvää, että mainos tällaisessa ympäristössä on
minkä tahansa brändin kannalta hyvin positiivinen ja tehokas.
Rekrytointiyritys
voi myös käyttää hakijan postaamaa videota esitelläkseen tämän
persoonaa sekä kuinka paljon hänen vertaisensa häntä arvostavat.
MITÄ
HAKIJA SAA TÄSTÄ?
Me
kaikki haluamme näyttää houkuttelevilta nykyisten esimiestemme,
asiakkaiden, työkavereiden, ystävien ja muiden ihmisten silmissä.
Vielä paremmalta haluamme näyttää päätöksentekijöiden
silmissä, mikäli olemme vailla työtä ja etsimme uusia
mahdollisuuksia.
Lisäksi
yritykset arvostavat työntekijöitä, jotka ovat aktiivisia sekä
vertaistensa arvostamia sosiaalisessa mediassa.
Hakijat
voivat tehdä esittelyvideoita itsekin, mutta niitä tehdään
harvoin, sillä useimmiten ne eivät saa kovin paljon vertaisten
tykkäyksiä ilman vaikuttajan suositusta.
Ilmaisissa
webinaareissani neuvon hakijoita, kuinka hyödyntää vaikuttajan ja
vertaisten suosittelemia videoita ja päästä oman elämänsä
vaikuttajaksi.
MIKSI
REKRYTOINTIYRITYS EI JULKAISE VIDEOITA ITSE?
Mitä
enemmän julkaiset sisältöä sosiaalisessa mediassa, sitä vähemmän
näkyvyyttä julkaisusi saavat, sillä sosiaalisen median algoritmit
levittävät laajemmin sisältöä, jota harvoin julkaisuja tekevät
käyttäjät tuottavat. Siksi julkaiseminen rekrytointiyrityksen
entisten ja nykyisten hakijoiden kautta – jotka yleensä
julkaisevat melko harvoin – saavuttaa huomattavasti enemmän
näkyvyyttä.
Puhumattakaan
siitä, kuinka työlästä tuhansien videoiden kuukausittainen
julkaiseminen sosiaaliseen median alustoilla olisi, jollei sitten
organisoisi isoa tiimiä hoitamaan homman.
Lisäksi
ainoastaan hakijan omalla henkilökohtaisella tilillään julkaisemat
videot saavuttavat hänen oman verkostonsa, työkaverit ja ystävät
kommentoimaan ja tykkäämään julkaisusta. Ilman heitä
suosittelujaan video ei leviä heidän verkostoihinsa, jolloin
videolle ei muodostu merkittävää markkinointivoimaa.
On
myöskin huomattava, että vain harva hakija on kiinnostunut
lisäämään rekrytointiyrityksen mainoksen videoonsa, jollei hän
vastapalveluksena saa vaikuttajan suositusta videoonsa.
SAANKO
MINÄ PÄÄSYN REKRYTOINTIFIRMAN VANHOJEN JA NYKYISTEN HAKIJOIDEN
TIETOKANTAAN?
En
saa. Siihen minulla ei ole myöskään tarvetta, sillä hakijoiden
informointi tästä mahdollisuudesta on rekrytointiyrityksen tehtävä.
Lisäksi
on rekrytointiyrityksen tehtävä hakijoiden rohkaiseminen
päivitysvideoiden luomiseen ja julkaisemiseen, koska minulla ei ole
heidän nimiään tai yhteystietojaan.
MISSÄ
KAIKKIALLA TÄMÄ TARJOUS ON VOIMASSA?
Joka
kuukausi blogissani on miljoonia lukijoita 240 maasta, joten kaikki
maat lukuun ottamatta Pohjois-Koreaa, Irania, Kuubaa tai Venezuelaa
ovat tarjouksen piirissä.
Huomaathan,
että en etsi montaa yhteistyökumppania per maa, joten toimi
nopeasti.
KUKA
OLEN?
Olen
Christian Dillstrom, globaali businessvaikuttaja ja jo viidettä
vuotta maailman luetuin businessartikkelien kirjoittaja.
Voit
myös lähettää liittymispyynnön LinkedIn-verkostooni, sillä
hyväksyn jokaisen niistä.
KUINKA
OTTAA YHTEYTTÄ MINUUN?
Parhaiten
minut tavoittaa sähköpostitse christian@dillstrom.com tai ota
yhteyttä LinkedInissä tai varaa nopea telekonferenssiaika:
https://go.oncehub.com/christiandillstrom
Interview of Duncan Collins, Founder of Runagood by Christian Dillstrom
My
name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker
with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business
article author in the World for fourth year running.
My
tens of millions of monthly global business readers just love to read
interviews about their peers and therefore I started an article
series in which I interview interesting business people around the
globe.
Please
enjoy my interview of Duncan Collins!
--
Christian Dillstrom
- - -
WHO
IS DUNCAN COLLINS?
Duncan
is 73 years old Founder from London, UK.
He
works at Runagood.com Ltd in AI-driven Business Consultancy industry.
ESSENTIAL
11 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1.What is your education?
I
was expelled from the UK’s top state grammar school for being a
poor student caused by spending so much time with classmates out of
school who became Pink Floyd.
I
joined a motor parts business to be trained as the founder’s
childless successor and embarked upon a three year management
development programme at a top business school. It was the precursor
to what is now a practical MBA, if there is such a thing.
2.What
is your work experience?
7 years
managing motor parts branches
3
years managing Volkswagen UK motor parts distribution
13
years in the Mazda Cars UK start up first, setting up the dealer
network, then directing the after sales service operations
3
years directing MCL Group’s £20m diversification strategy,
including Ferrari cars acquisition
22
years leading UK government multi £billion small business
performance improvement strategy that raised international
competitiveness from 21st to 7th place
10
years building artificial intelligence (AI) to make business advice
available to, and affordable by, the world’s smallest businesses
3.What
other kind of experience do you have?
Franchising
Import/export
Network
management
People
management
Financial
management
Technology
development
Mergers and
acquisitions
Start ups
Fundraising
4.What are your
strengths?
Visioning
Invention
Product
development
Leadership
Persistence
Problem
solving
5.What are your
weaknesses?
Idealism
Perfectionism
Refusal to
quit
Risk taking
Impatience
6.What
can you do for an organization?
I
can turn any professional services firm into a profitable ‘Whole
Business’ Centre able to solve every problem for any business
affordably yet profitably.
7.Why
are you better than your colleagues in other organizations?
I
have no competition. And actually that’s a problem because what
I’ve invented doesn’t fit any recognisable box. It’s
a ‘new box!’
8.What
are the biggest challenges in your work?
Persuading
accountants to convert their practices to Runagood® Business
Centres. This is tailor made for them and they know it but their
standard personality profile conflicts with the need to do something
that will rescue them from decline in compliance work. It’s
a paradox!
9.What
does your organization do in its industry?
Makes
affordable advice available to the world’s smallest businesses by
reducing costs by 99%. Yes that’s not a a misprint! And despite
that it’s still profitable for accountants to deliver. They are the
most logical distribution method and are badly in need of
diversification into ’whole business’ advice.
10.What
are the unique selling points of your organization?
The
speed and low cost of providing performance and value improvement to
any business, anywhere, anytime
Democratising
business advice
11.What
are the biggest sales challenges in the industry of your
organization?
Scepticism
in the business advisory community, institutions and government,
despite my offering free usage of the online technology.
A
desire to shoot down anything new
Fear
from lenders and investors.
Having
to finance everything myself
- - -
You
know, we are born with a five-million-year-old reptile brain which is
programmed to instantly decide when confronted with something new:
-
”Can I eat this?”
-
”Can it eat me?”
-
...If in doubt, run!
The
trick I need to master is how better to engage the recent homo
sapiens brain, and for long enough, to evaluate the sheer scale of
the opportunity. In the UK alone this is a £16bn per annum market
for the taking. Worlwide,
more than £250bn pa.
So
what does Runagood® AI technology do?
For
any business, anywhere, anytime, in 10 minute bites, it:
Analyses
current, detailed performance and value for every activity stream
Forecasts
future, detailed performance and value for every activity stream
Compiles
detailed plans for specific and detailed performance and value
improvement
Identifies
the practical actions to take
Provides
implementation support through a local, certified, AI Business
Advisor®
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
BANDI
Laboratories recently celebrated the opening of a sales and
distribution center in Martinsburg, WV. The company plans to open a U.S.
manufacturing facility within five years.
A
Poland-based company that has made skincare products for more than 30
years has located its first branch in the United States.
BANDI
Laboratories recently celebrated the opening of its initial sales and
distribution center in Martinsburg, WV.
The office is located in The
Hub, a business center and community space in downtown Martinsburg.
BANDI plans to establish a U.S. manufacturing facility within the next
five years.
“We
are happy to be here in the beautiful state of West Virginia,” said CEO
Joanna Draniak-Kicińska.
“We appreciate all the help and positive
motivation we received from the state and local authorities. We strongly
believe that this humble beginning will grow up into a thriving
business, a significant contribution to local society.”
The
family-owned business was founded in 1986 by Draniak-Kicińska’s mother,
now retired. Draniak-Kicińska and her husband Michał Kiciński, together
with their two young daughters, have moved to the U.S. to launch the
new branch.
“On behalf of the Development Authority, I
am thrilled to welcome BANDI to Berkeley County,” said Sandy Hamilton,
executive director, Berkeley County Development Authority.
“They are an impressive, innovative, family company that we embrace as members of our extended business family.”
BANDI chose West Virginia as a result of a chemical/polymer trade mission organized by Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation and the West Virginia Development Office
(WVDO).
The WVDO International Division recruited companies from around
the world to attend this event and continued to work with BANDI
afterwards by assisting the company throughout its decision process and
also provided guidance on helping the family move to and settle in the
U.S.
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
The new federal qualified opportunity zone
(QOZ) tax credits are expected to unleash up to $6 trillion in capital
investment in more than 8,700 economically distressed areas in the U.S.
The U.S. Treasury
Department has designated 8,764 opportunity zones (known as Qualified
Opportunity Zones, or QOZs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia
and five U.S. territories.
Nearly 35 million Americans live in areas
designated as Opportunity Zones. These communities present both the need
for investment and significant investment opportunities.
Based
on data from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey, the designated
regions had an average poverty rate of over 32 percent, compared with
the 17 percent national average.
Additionally, the median family income
of the designated tracts were on average 37 percent below the area or
state median, and had an unemployment rate of nearly 1.6 times higher
than the national average.
“We anticipate that $100
billion in private capital will be dedicated towards creating jobs and
economic development in Opportunity Zones,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven T. Mnuchin.
“This incentive will foster economic revitalization
and promote sustainable economic growth, which was a major goal of the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.”
The Treasury Dept. issued its
first set of IRS regulations last October, clarifying which gains
qualify for deferral, which taxpayers and investments are eligible, the
parameters for Opportunity Funds and other guidance; a second traunch of
IRS rules for QOZs was issued in April.
The
Opportunity Zone incentive offers capital gains tax relief to investors
for new investment in designated areas.
Investment benefits include
deferral of tax on prior gains as late as 2026 if the amount of the gain
is invested in an Opportunity Fund (QOF). The benefits also include tax
forgiveness on gains on that investment if the investor holds the
investment for at least 10 years.
Opportunity Zones retain their
designation for 10 years, but under the proposed regulations, investors
can hold onto their investments in Qualified Opportunity Funds through
2047 without losing tax benefits.
Treasury’s QOZ
designations were based on nominations of eligible census tracts by the
state governors. Each state nominated the maximum number of eligible
tracts, per statute, and these designations are final.
The statute and
legislative history of the Opportunity Zone designations, under IRC §
1400Z, do not contemplate an opportunity for additional or revised
designations after the maximum number of zones allowable have been
designated in a state or territory.
Based on IRC
1400Z-1, designations are based upon the boundaries of the tract at the
time of the designation in 2018, and do not change over the period of
the designation, even if the boundaries of an individual census tract
are redefined in future Census releases.
According to a
report from Real Capital Analytics, there is more than $6 trillion in
unrealized capital gains eligible to be deployed into QOZs.
Several
states have enacted enhanced tax credits to amplify the impact of the
federal QOZ program.
For example, legislation recently introduced in the
Michigan State Senate would create a tax credit for qualified research
and development expenses related to the automotive industry in QOZs.
S.B. 378 would allow a credit for a percentage of the difference between
the taxpayer’s R&D expenses in a QOZ and expenses in a QOZ during
the three-year base period, with a formula to determine the credit if
the taxpayer didn’t incur qualified R&D expenses in the base period.
TOPEKA, KS HAS THREE OPPORTUNITY ZONES
The
wonder of OZ can be found in Kansas when stepping into Topeka.
With
growing vibrancy and a palpable energy toward progress, a trip to Topeka
is a trip to an emerald world of endless investment possibilities,
thanks, in part, to the three new opportunity zones established here.
While
other rural counties and particularly blighted city areas were also
granted opportunity zones, Topeka’s are situated in a dynamic core of
resurgence.
From the residential-commercial downtown to the riverfront
green space to the growing NOTO arts district and the well-established
industrial district, Topeka’s dynamic core is steadily becoming a huge
asset to Topeka.
This variety and rejuvenation isn’t seen in other
opportunity zones.
Topeka’s downtown is a mixed-use
development of commercial, retail and residential.
Over the last few
years, it has seen tremendous growth with the additions of new
restaurants, breweries, shops and a boutique hotel. There will also be a
plaza opening in the spring that gives new space for concerts and
events, while also adding to the beauty and livability of the area.
These advances have helped the downtown hit a stride as one of the best
spots in Topeka not only to live, but also to invest. Similar growth is
happening in NOTO and the riverfront.
Local boutiques, restaurants and
arts centers are reshaping the area and turning NOTO into a hub for
artistic-minded individuals. In addition, parks and green spaces are
beginning to pop up throughout the area, helping bring even more people
to NOTO.
These areas may be going through a resurgence,
but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still capable of massive growth.
According to a recent study by Development Strategies, just within its
dynamic core, Topeka can support 690,000 more square feet of retail,
300,000 more square feet of new or rehabbed office space, 900 new or
rehabbed housing units and 200 new hotel rooms.
The city has a market
and a need for business and Topeka is invested in bringing it here.
There
is a reason why corporations, including Frito-Lay, Mars Chocolate,
Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Home Depot, Target and many more have chosen
Topeka as their home. The city is situated in the middle of the U.S.
with an infrastructure built for business.
Moreover, Topeka’s three
opportunity zones are all situated within a few minutes of interstate
highways and class I rail systems.
Within one day, goods shipped by
truck reach 25 percent of the U.S. population and 90 percent by day two.
The cost of living in Topeka is 7.4 percent lower than the U.S. average
and the cost of business is 15 percent less than the average as of
2018.
Topeka has the workforce to support growing
companies.
Within 60 miles of Topeka, there are three universities—the
University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Washburn University,
along with a technical school, Washburn Institute of
Technology—producing over 13,500 highly educated students graduating
annually.
Washburn Tech also works closely with businesses and
industries in Topeka and Shawnee County to ensure that students are
learning practical skills that lead to great jobs available in the
community.
If having the culture, people, business assets and
infrastructure isn’t enough, stack on the aggressive local incentives.
Topeka offers cash grants for jobs, investments and training.
Topeka
is special because its opportunity zones are just that: opportunities.
The city has a dynamic core that is growing, but ready to take on
further investment.
There is a need for business and a market to support
it. While other OZs may be risky, Topeka’s continued revitalization,
market capability, aggressive incentives and growing workforce makes it
easy to call the land of OZ “home.”
A QOZ IN HISTORIC MIDDLETOWN, CT
The
City of Middletown makes it easy for investors who want to build
quality developments.
It understands time is your money and therefore
made its land use processes swift, certain and smart.
City staff works
with investors from conception to completion and beyond to ensure your
project meets all of the City’s requirements, making it easy for you to
complete your projects on your time and within your budget.
Middletown
has a dedicated partner located downtown, the Middlesex County Chamber
of Commerce and its 2,500+ members. It is by far the largest Chamber in
Connecticut and the 2nd largest in New England.
The City and Chamber are
partners on all things economic development. They work together to
ensure your project is successful by helping you through the approval
process, promoting it once it is done and helping you recruit tenants.
Middletown
invites you to look into its Opportunity Zone, which is strategically
placed in the center of its historic downtown. The City owns a
ready-to-develop site which overlooks the scenic Connecticut River.
It
comprises two City-owned lots which, taken together, total approximately
2.3 acres. In addition, there is an adjacent private one-acre lot. It
is easily walkable to more than 60 restaurants and dozens of retailers
and entertainment venues.
The City site currently is a
parking lot for both City employees and the public. It is a short walk
(500 feet) to the heart of Main Street. An automobile business, which is
constrained by its site, owns the private property.
The
three lots total approximately 3.3 acres. City staff will arrange all
meetings with City leaders and the private property owner to discuss
your Opportunity Zone project.
This site is in the
City’s B1 Downtown Zone which allows, by right, the traditional downtown
uses, including retail, residential, entertainment and office. The
regulation allows mixed use. The B1 Zone is its most broadly-based zone.
There
are fabulous views, in both directions, of the scenic Connecticut River
from this site.
Plus, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has a
plan to connect this site to the City’s Harbor Park via a walking
bridge over Connecticut Route 9. It will connect to an existing City
walkway to Main Street. So the site will be connected to both Main
Street and Harbor Park.
The City has completed the
environmental studies and, as public documents, will share them with
prospective developers. They show minimal contamination.
They also have
numerous studies, including one for expanding Harbor Park along the
river for a mile, a downtown residential study and a market analysis.
There
are three major downtown employers which could provide any investor an
ample source of residential tenants.
Wesleyan University with its 2,950
students and 650 staff; Middlesex Health with 3,000 staff; and the
Community Health Center and its 300+ plus staff are all less than a
half-mile, a ten-minute walk, from the site.
Staff will arrange meetings
with these and other businesses to assist you in marketing your
Opportunity Zone project.
Middletown and its economic
development partners will help you all the way through the process from
conception, to approval and beyond construction.
These
Opportunity Zone sites, taken together, are ready for the right
developer who understands a small, vibrant City like Middletown.
The
City is home to four major industry clusters. Pratt & Whitney (PW)
anchors the aerospace cluster. It assembles jet engines for both
commercial and military purposes in its 400,000+square-foot plant.
PW is
supported by more than 20 sub-contractors in town. Together PW and its
contractors support more than 3,000 aerospace jobs.
Both
Middlesex Health and the Community Health Center anchor the City’s
health sector along with other health services providers.
Middletown’s
distribution and logistics cluster features newcomer FedEx (535,000
square feet), Electrical Wholesalers, Thames River Paper and Winsupply,
among others.
The City’s strategic location on I-91 and one-day drive to
Ohio, Virginia and Canada makes the region attractive to logistics
companies.
The City’s central location also has
attracted more than a dozen engineering firms. These firms, along with
PW and its contractors, have made Middletown a mecca for engineers.
Entrepreneurs,
start-ups and early-stage businesses now have a home in the Chamber’s
Middletown Entrepreneurs Work Space (MEWS+). It is a place for them to
co-work, learn from each other and take advantage of the Chamber’s
wrap-around services.
The MEWS+’s “Lunch and Learn” programs and monthly
pitch contest, “Collision”, continue to bring entrepreneurs from around
the region to Middletown. The City is home to more than 300 businesses
being operated out of the homes.
Middletown, its economic development partners and business community welcome new investors and businesses.
PARSONS, KS OPPORTUNITY ZONE COVERS MAJOR MARKETS
Located
in the four states region of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas,
the Parsons Kansas Federal Opportunity Zone, officially registered as
zone #20099950400, is a short distance from major markets such as
Joplin, MO (60 miles); Tulsa, OK (90 miles); Springfield, MO (120
miles); Wichita, KS (130 miles); and Kansas City, MO (150 miles).
It
also is 90 miles from Tulsa’s Port of Catoosa and 130 miles from the
intermodal facility at Kansas City’s Logistics Park.
The
central location creates easy solutions to logistical challenges and is
second to only the commitment of the local economic development
department to be a true partner with any project that is located in the
zone.
Tax incentives through neighborhood revitalization programs that
offer 100 percent for ten years to qualified commercial development also
are a part of the attractiveness of this Southeast Kansas location.
An
active industrial park currently sits within City limits and within the
Zone offering pre-designated commercial and industry opportunities,
available buildings and full utilities, including high speed data.
The
Zone also sits Adjacent to the Great Plains Industrial Park, a former
Army ammunition plant recently decommissioned that now provides more
than 6,000 acres ready for development along with a 24/7 secured
perimeter and specialized storage and warehousing space.
Situated
in Labette County, just outside of the city limits of Parsons in
Southeast Kansas, Great Plains offers globally competitive opportunities
for your business.
Its central location in the U.S. and on-site assets
at the park allow for ease of access to all major markets.
The
acreage that comprises the industrial park was originally amassed to
form the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP) during WWII. Today, the
park encompasses 13,951 total acres.
Of this total acreage,
approximately 6,800 acres are owned by Great Plains Development
Authority and are ripe for redevelopment.
With the availability to break
the property into various tract sizes, Great Plains can accommodate the
needs of your business.
The industrial park’s existing infrastructure
includes:
106 miles of roadways
30 miles of rail directly connected to the Union Pacific (including an in-place switch off of the main line)
Water and wastewater plants owned and operated by Great Plains
Kansas’ lowest electric rates through Westar Energy
On-site AT&T fiber optics
Industries
such as industrial hemp and alternative energy generation already are
being researched for potential location within the Zone while workforce
needs are being directly addressed by Labette Community College, located
in Parsons, through their new workforce training and education program.
The program features a brand-new facility, with course and certificate
curriculum created through direct input from local industry.
The city
also serves as the area’s medical center with the 600 employee Labette
Health located within the zone as well, offering additional commercial
development opportunities.
CITY OF SANFORD: ECONOMIC DRIVER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
The
City of Sanford, FL has become an economic driver for the Central
Florida region. The last four years have been one of the biggest growth
cycles in Sanford history.
New development is being proposed in Sanford
that will create hundreds of new jobs, additional housing and a variety
of new restaurants.
New life continues
to be breathed into the City of Sanford, especially in the downtown
area. From West First Street down to Mellonville Avenue and from South
Sanford Avenue to the Marina Isle, there is new development taking
place.
The area surrounding Seminole Town Center is still seeing
economic activity. From Seminole Boulevard down to Seminole State
College one can see plenty of new infill development. Hundreds of new
jobs are being created.
Heritage Park, Sanford’s
planned mixed-use development for downtown is still being planned. The
City currently is planning all the infrastructure for the project.
Construction should begin very soon.
This time next year, we should see
new vertical construction for new residential units downtown. Many
construction jobs will be created over the next several years during the
construction of this major catalyst project.
The
rehabilitation of the old Mayfair Hotel is still on track to open by the
fall of 2020. Final plans currently are being designed.
Over a hundred
new full time jobs will be created to operate the new Five Star
facility, not to mention the additional construction jobs being created
over the next two years.
Sanford currently is
experiencing major economic growth in the hospitality sector. Several
new craft breweries have opened this past year and are doing very well.
There are a couple more currently being planned, plus a distillery on
Second Street. Two new mixed-use developments currently are being
planned for Sanford Avenue, with another major mixed-use development
sited for the block on Second Avenue between Oak St. and Myrtle St.
The
third phase of the Riverwalk will soon be designed and construction
will begin for the completion of the trail from the 415 bridge to the
I-4 bridge over the St. Johns River by the fall of 2020.
A full marathon
is being planned in partnership with Deltona/Volusia County around Lake
Monroe upon the completion of the 25+ mile trail.
As
part of Sanford’s economic development strategic plan, the City has
identified four major targeted industries: aviation/aerospace, medical
technology, transportation/logistics and manufacturing.
The City works
hard in recruiting new companies and in the retention and expansion of
its existing companies.
The City has assisted in the creation of over
300 new high wage, high value jobs over the last year. Several of these
companies include: Hernon Manufacturing, Constant Aviation, Quantum Flo,
Benada Aluminum, Allegiant Airlines and Avocet.
The City will continue
to work in partnership with Enterprise Florida, the Orlando Economic
Development Partnership and Seminole County to provide incentives to
assist in the creation of new employment opportunities.
Along
with great community and regional partnerships, the City of Sanford
really is becoming a more economically vibrant community. Perceptions
are becoming a reality.
