Economic Outlook
Mini-Cassia Economic Development Commission
Sherri Miles, Chair

Here we are almost six months or half way into 2010 and it seems that companies are starting to look at relocating their businesses again. For those of us in economic development January 2010 was sluggish with only two Requests for Information (RFI).

Mini-Cassia Economic Development Commission
Sherri Miles, Chair

As I contemplated the subject of my article for the Chamber Newsletter I decided a good subject would be to review some of the critical steps in successfully recruiting a new business.

Dust off your golf shoes, polish your clubs and get ready to play golf with the Chamber! Spring time is in the air and that means Regatta weekend is right around the corner. As one of the premier golf events of the season the Chamber is honored to host the Mark Moorman Regatta Scramble and all the fun associated with it.

The Mark Moorman Regatta Scramble is always a fun day on the course and is an important fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to wonderful weather and beautiful greens at this year's event!
The scramble will take place Thursday June 24th at the Burley Municipal golf course so make sure you mark your calendar and get your clubs warmed up. The field is limited to 32 teams and will be registered on a first come first serve basis so take this opportunity to get your team registered now!

If golf isn't your thing, there are a number of other ways to participate including as an event or hole sponsor, prize and giveaway donors or as volunteers. The scramble is a great way to enjoy the area, network with area business leaders and advertise your business, so don't miss out!

Team registration is $250 (prices include all green fees, cart rental for a team of four, food, fun and prizes); team and hole sponsorships additionally includes a sponsor business's sign and are $300. Call for additional sponsorship opportunities.

Register your team now or sign up for any of the sponsorship opportunities by calling the Chamber at 679-4793. We'll see you on the Greens!

By: Brent Tolman
Mini-Cassia Economic Development Commission

The statement "A rising tide floats all boats" has been attributed to a number of individuals. While we could debate the origin of this statement for hours on end, the statement is true. I heard a definition of economic development several years ago that has stayed with me since – Economic Development is about the business of increasing a community's standard of living.

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Idaho Department of Labor	http://labor.idaho.gov

MCEDC Chamber article --
By John Webster – Secretary – MCEDC Executive Committee

Recently I was in a meeting in which several industries from around the state, mostly non-agricultural, were represented. The majority indicated their business volumes compared with recent years were down, most were significantly down with some being flat. Certainly with news from the state regarding tax collections, it's pretty evident that current economic times are a bit tenuous for nearly every industry and market segment as evidenced by the deepening cuts being made to tax supported entities. Hopeful seemed to be the optimistic view with cautious and concerned more the view when a little reality was mixed in. Given the realities of the agitating economy when asked – What are you doing? -- the almost universal answer was ------ "waiting". Waiting for what? – "March" -- why March? "because February will be over and we hope March will be better." That doesn't seem like a great business strategy but in many cases it has become the stark reality. Many businesses have reduced sales budgets, travel allowances, labor and other line items out of necessity to try and cope with the shortfalls they are facing. While the Mini-Cassia area is not immune to the current recession there are many areas in the state that have been harder hit by current economic conditions than here in our villages. Some would say that were lucky; others might attribute it to local agrarian economic strength yet I think it is really more.

Consider this –- going into the Great Depression Ford was the number one auto maker in the U.S. and General Motors (GM) was number two. Coming out of the depression General Motors was number one and Ford was number two. During the mid 1920's Ford was selling 10 vehicles for every one sold by GM (Chevrolet). GM continued to expand its advertising budget and within six years not only caught up with Ford but took the lead in sales. If you think that was unusual, look at another example. CW Post had a decade head start and led the cereal industry for many years. That is...until the Great Depression hit. Post cut its ad budgets while Kellogg was ramping up its ad spending. By the end of the depression, Kellogg was number one. Both anecdotal and empirical evidence support the case that advertising and aggressive sales efforts were the main factor in the growth or downfall of companies during the Great Depression. To put it bluntly, the companies that demonstrated the most growth and that rang up the most sales were those that were aggressive and continued marketing with verve.

As a recent new member to the Mini-Cassia Economic Development committee I can attest that those in our area who have been charged with economic development are working with G.M. and Kellogg like verve to insure we continue to grow and be a vital area. They have not rested, and are not waiting for March, April or any other month. While our ad budget is modest our effort is aggressive and more than ever we are finding that the seeds we planted months and years ago-- infrastructure- marketing- planning etc.-- are now bearing fruit despite difficult economics. At times it is a slow process but just drive around the area and think about how many of the larger companies in our area now were not here just 5-7 years ago. There is more growth on the near horizon that will contribute greatly to our area. So, spend just a few moments – look around and appreciate and reward the efforts of your village businesses with your business. After all, we're all in this together and we will succeed or wither as a group.

The Mini-Cassia Agri-Business Committee is committed to preserving, marketing and enhancing the agricultural industry in the two county area. The Ag Committee meets on an as needed basis.

If you like to talk about the valuable benefits of the Chamber, then this committee is for you! They work with the media to increase member and community awareness and actively promote other committee activities.