Economic development is about more than attracting new businesses.
Retaining existing business is equally, if not more important.
Why?
Because good corporate citizens bring value to a community.
Those contributions include: supporting academics through business-education partnerships; assisting not-for-profit charitable efforts; and sponsoring athletic events and other community activities.
A component of retaining existing businesses is to help them retain new employees
Credit organizers with the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce with the insight to create Jeff City INSIGHT.
As envisioned, the program is designed to introduce new hires to the city's resources and amenities, perhaps during two half-day sessions.
"We would be doing some touring, letting them know about all the benefits Jefferson City has, whether that's volunteering, our recreation system, or housing that's available in Jefferson City," said Missy Bonnot, the chamber director of economic development.
"We're thinking we would do this twice a year," she added, "depending on how much interest we get from out employers. We're really excited about it."
A virtue of the program is it is likely to be mutually beneficial, as new employees become of aware of and involved with community events.
" If an employee doesn't feel engaged in the community," Bonnot said, "they are more apt to go somewhere else. We want to keep them here."
INSIGHT is another initiative developed by the chamber to assist existing business and their new or younger workers. Other examples include establishing a group for young professionals and a program to welcome and facilitate networking among interns.
These program help introduce new workers to our community and to each other. In doing so, they strengthen the bond between businesses and community.