From red flags to green (Part 2): how to see into the invisible economy

Last month, I had the chance to speak at the annual conference of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Houston, Texas, with a focus on the question of how and why Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) is evolving to be more effective in the new economy.
I’ve had a lot of requests for transcripts and copies of the speech but I generally don’t speak from notes, so I promised I’d provide an overview of my thoughts on this blog. Here’s the second of three blog posts that will cover off the main ideas and themes of that presentation… Read the full blog post

From Red Flags to Green (Part 1): BR+E in the Emerging Economy

On October 2, I had the chance to speak at the annual conference of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Houston, Texas, with a focus on the question of how and why Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) is evolving to be more effective in the new economy.  I’ve had a lot of requests for transcripts and copies of the speech but I generally don’t speak from notes, so I promised I’d provide an overview of my thoughts on this blog.  Here’s the first of three blog posts that will cover off the main ideas and themes of that presentation… Read the full blog post

What’s so Hot about the Profit Hot 50?

A little over three years ago, my partners and I launched Millier Dickinson Blais to bring something new to the Canadian economic development space.  All around us were the first signs of a seismic shift in the economy – the rise of the creative class, the impact of globalization, a wave of new technologies, a focus on social media, and a stark decline in traditional industries.  We believed – and still believe – that yesterday’s solutions, the old tools and tactics of the economic development profession, were of little use in this strange new economy.  In their place, we offered sophisticated, collaborative, team-based approaches rooted in the new economy of the 21st Century.

Today marks a major milestone on the road that stretches from that initial starting point… Today, Profit magazine has named us to the Hot 50 list of Canada’s emerging growth companies, the 50 fastest growing new firms in the country.  For us, that’s a huge reward for our hard work, and it’s nice to have a pat on the back.  But what we’re really excited about is the bigger signal that this sends.  While it’s nice that our firm is growing and succeeding, the real message of the Hot 50 listing is that we have a strong and growing base of clients who’ve made the move to the new economy with us.

Read the full blog post