Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/338735
18 | I nsIgh t • J u l y 2 0 14 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m face time When I first saw a copy of the Business Locator document, it was one of those moments where you say, "Wow, am I glad to be here!" a feeling that I had known growing up in Germany, but I had not had that sense of community and identity during my time in California. new north was the first board that I had the opportunity to join. I wanted to help the board create a strategic plan that not only focused on the next chapter but also illustrated the purpose and the power of the new north model in a way that was easier to grasp. e concept of the new north strategy was based on separating our activity into four categories. e first one is promoting the regional brand, both within and outside the region. new north is the marketing arm of northeast wisconsin and many great tools have been developed to support that regional marketing. e second is impact strategies, which include, for example, the formation of business clusters which allow sectors of the economy to operate more effectively and identify new opportunities for their products and services. e third element is collaboration strategies. e final element of our strategic plan is foundation strategies, which aim at increasing the sophistication of new north as an organization and to bring resources to the organization that allow us to support the work of the other strategies. new north operates with a very slim core staff. so, imagine what new north could accomplish if we increased that resource pool. for any investor in new north there are multiple opportunities to become involved beyond a financial contribution. when I first saw a copy of the Business Locator document, it was one of those moments where you say, "wow, am I glad to be here!" a feeling that I had known growing up in germany, but I had not had that sense of community and identity during my time in California. I am a member of the fundraising group of new north but I don't think of it as fundraising, I think of it as advocacy. when I sit down with business leaders, I share my belief in the uniqueness of our region and I find that belief is universally shared. My key message to potential investors is, you are already a part of new north. Your leadership, your business success is forming this region every single day. and we are looking to do exactly the same. Let's jointly identify in which ways we can make a positive impact. sometimes that is providing financial resources, sometimes providing unique capabilities. we have many in-kind investors and sometimes it is helping make a connection to individuals within those companies or to individuals and resources beyond the boundaries of our organizations, the skills and perspectives that can bring value to new north.