(BLOOMINGTON) – In partnership with the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), and civic technology firm LocalIntel, the City of Bloomington launches bloomington.ecdev.org Thursday.
The online tool will visualize public data relevant to current and prospective business owners and entrepreneurs at a streamlined, user-friendly platform.
The new site will offer a suite of digital tools that make it easier for start-up, emerging, and existing businesses and organizations to:
- research the local business climate and industry trends
- evaluate the workforce by education, occupation, and location
- research available commercial properties
- identify customers, collaborators, and competitors
- examine local incentives and partner with local advocates
The platform scans publicly available data sources and consolidates the results to provide reliable business development information, which is updated automatically regularly. The site will also highlight Bloomington’s competitive advantages and quality of life, marketing the community to external investors.
“Bloomington believes in data. The more you know about us, the better, we believe,” said Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton. “So this platform will showcase some of the data businesses, and other organizations need to make critical decisions about operating and locating here. The City is enthusiastic about partnering with the Chamber and the BEDC to activate this valuable tool in continuing to grow good-paying jobs in Bloomington.”
“This data platform is a game-changer,” said Erin Predmore, Chamber President, and CEO. “The Chamber is happy to support this smart tool for our local business leaders. Our Bloomington businesses and those interested in locating here can now research their consumer base, find available properties, or learn more about the strengths of our local workforce.”
“We are very excited to be implementing this platform with the City of Bloomington and the Chamber,” said Jennifer Pearl, President of the BEDC. “More and more we see companies using online resources to find and evaluate potential cities for their expansions. We will be better equipped to attract new business to our community by providing all of the information they might need to make their decision in one convenient location.”
Bloomington is the first municipality in Indiana to utilize this platform. It is deployed by the cities of Seattle, Winnipeg, and Calgary, as well as the Indianapolis and New Orleans Chambers of Commerce, and dozens of mid-sized communities across the country.
Visit the economic development microsite at https://bloomington.ecdev.org, or through links at the City of Bloomington, the BEDC and the Chamber.
About LocalIntel
Localintel is a tech startup founded in 2015 to support economic development and the needs of municipalities as well as businesses.
