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how a project ends:

A project starts out with specifications and a time-line. Its end point is recognized by staying on task and addressing specification details in such a way as to determine how and when everything is complete. A project may be ended by its top decision maker before everything is complete in which case it may be shelved, redefined or done away with completely. No matter when a project to find a location comes to an end it can be seen as moving through at least two of three stages that make up a simple way of defining its course

tentative stage: (a plan that may not be funded)

... a site selection project that may not get off the ground at all but some thought has been put into plannig a startup, expansion or relocation of an enterprise in combination with an effort to collect location data. Tentative projects can be months away from moving to the preliminary stage. Arguably they may not be projects at all, especially, if the site selector served by a location data supplier is considered a suspect rather than a prospect.

preliminary stage: (a plan that has funding for moving forward as a project)

... a enterprise developmnet plan that has gotten off the ground to the extent that there is a scope of project which, if it has a site location component includes selection criteriasee the .network resource paper, An Introduction to the Enterprise Development Process, where the four essential categories of selection criteria are discussed. A project of preliminary status should undergo continuous feasibility analysis has been conducted, either formally or informally, so that valuable time and money are at risk as you move forward; however, it will possibly be 3 months or more before you move to active project status.

project status: active with a established time-line for making critical decisions.

Having an active project means (1) time is of the essence and (2) information on which decisions are based had better be reliable. Also, contacts should be screened so that you can trust their presentations and promises. It's time to be dealing directly with location and/or real estate representatives, especially to negotiate incentives and other investment reductions. It's also time to short-list competing locations and sites.

There is no rule-of-thumb for how long a project should be active; however, it should be planned and controlled on time-line that is as short as possible. This is especially true if there are confidential plans and activities.

The three stages of site selection project status for location work listed above should help you gain cooperation within almost any site selection network. The question below will help you zero in on resource and service providers.

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definition of site selection project status defined

2005.4.3

Who wants to know?

Those who provide the resources and services for moving your project along will want to know its status, especially, in cases where you seek assistance from are area and local representatives of places that want economic development. Generally, the latter provide critical information for decision making and site selection assistance without cost or obligation. It's only fair that they should expect to know how their efforts on your behalf will be rewarded to their locations.

providing (site location) assistance without cost or obligation:

Of the list of various types of resource and services providers operating within site selection networks, representatives of places that want economic development are generally expected to work with their prospects for free. The payback for the location comes when it's selected and the prospect starts up operations.

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2005.4.4

Quotes below are from the resource paper, An Introduction to the Enterprise Development Process. Select the back link to return to where you came here from or select source to go to the point in the paper of the quote.

How does the introduction to enterprise development basics start out?

The Site Selection Directory default page (of the .network hub you are now using) has links for getting started with site selection and enterprise development. Site selection is work done within an enterprise development project. It's location work. Before there can be a project, however, there needs to be a plan that addresses issues such as financingsee business plan. / go back / source

What does an enterprise developer do?

... take(s) the risks and control(s) the process. (Enterprise developers) work solo, run small businesses and manage large, fast growing, companies.

(They) make plans and move forward with projects for expansions, relocations and new-ventures. They also act on opportunities to improve operations, for example by investing in their employees, as they continuously strive towards an ever higher level of excellencemore / go back / source

How should an enterprise developer or site selector get started?

(1) Go from plan to a project profile with at least initial specifications.

(2) Select contacts for providing informational input and assistance.

(3) Shortlist possibilities, drop the unworkable, prepare to negotiate.

(4) Don't linger when negotiatingconfirm promises / incentive offers.

Sometimes enterprise development is called business development.* An explanation of business development in Wikipedia brings marketing to the forefront as does the definition of the term in the .network glossary. Various marketing efforts, including business development networking, are opportunities to let customers speak-out.

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2005.4.5

incentive offers:

Although incentive is defined in the .network glossary, the following link is provided to an online reprint of an article in a 2005 issue of a site selection magazine. The reprint is titled: Incentives: Part of Business Location Decision. Business Xpansion Journal is the name of the magazine.

The .network Site Selection Directory provides a summary of important things that site selectors should consider laid out in a 10-step sequence. It comments on incentives as a part of fieldwork. Incentive offers may, however, come into play as early as when site location work is being done for a tentative project and the process of gathering location data for comparative analyses is just beginning. This is especially true when data gathering is done online. So called economic development incentives are often included along with community profiles at the websites of area and local development representatives. The fact that incentive offers are published doesn't necessarily preclude deal-making.

More about incentives can be found by using links provided in the answer to questions put to The Network about the best way to find site selection resources online. Also, here is a partial quote from the definition of location search: ... sixty-five percent of enterprise developers who apparently use the websites of economic development organizations can have an online resource at their fingertips. The percentage is a reference to a study that indicates well over half of enterprise developers look for information about economic development incentives at the websites of area and local development representatives.

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2005.4.6

Site Selection Directory announcements:

... project profiles with one or more response items (specifications) published online for viewing by resource and/or service providers. They may also be distributed with or without being published online by using services that go along with the Site Selection Directory. Resource and service providers interested in responding to a specific announcement in the directory see it more of less as a request for proposal. Most site selection project announcements made in the Site Selection Directory are calls for responses from location data suppliers. Those who are considering taking advantage of the offer of a free webpage for making an announcement should take a look at the three phases of project status suggested above (page up).

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Use this search tool to Google for ... manufacturers information network (copy and paste the italicized words into the search box). We were asked to include Australia when we searched for the phrase the first time. We came up with Smart Link.net.AU (National Institute for manufacturing management). Without searching for Australia we found the website of the Tooling and Manufacturing Association (TMA) which we would classify as a manufacturers' information network because among industry related links it listed associations and societies. See the definition of network in the .network glossary.

* The following definition of business development networking is a quote from the .network glossary. It qualifies business development as the term is more commonly used in its marketing context; i.e., it critiques the use of the term as a substitute for enterprise development. This is an example of a .network user's contribution of a critique. You are invited to contribute a similar critique, correction, tip or comment for publication in the .network newsletter, The Resource Report.

business development networking:

... a new business development effort that involves direct contact with a prospect for the purpose of exchanging information in hopes of building a working relationship or adding to one that already exists; a person-to-person effort to exchange information for initiating, organizing or adding to a working relationship with one of the two in the position of prospect, client or customer.

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