Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/85110
initiatives to be carried out by SCEPI and the chamber separately. SCEPI will be working on business expansion, attraction and retention; tourism and retail development; and community development. To start, the chamber will be addressing three specific initiatives. The first is to conduct a tourism brand assessment for Shawano County. Smith says the chamber can find out what people think of the area and what attracts them to visit. "We can take that information to promote the area to the right audience, A project-based plan will be overseen by an investor council and for each individual project to receive funding, it must be presented to and approved by the board. The campaign consists of several says Smith. Secondly, the chamber will be working on a new "shop local" program. This program will encourage visitors and residents to buy locally by providing incentives for local promotions are meant to attract attention to the area for businesses looking to expand, and to make Shawano County competitive locally and nationally. While no specific industries will be purchases. And lastly, they will be working to expand the Leadership Shawano County program. The program would help people to engage in the community through civic organizations or elected positions. Overall, the project-based " targeted for job creation, Sengstock says that the most likely areas to experience growth are manufacturing and agriculture, as the Shawano area already has a strong baseline for these industries. However, the UW Extension is currently conducting a study to determine which industries should be targeted, evaluating which business ventures would work well with existing businesses, and would make the most sense for future job growth. The study will determine which areas of Shawano County are the most attractive and marketable, says Miller. A group that the Shawano Country Vision wants to attract is current residents. About 40 percent of the Shawano workforce leaves the county for job opportunities, and retaining local talent is a huge concern to members of the initiative. "(Workforce retention) would help in the churning of dollars," Miller says. "Instead of dollars leaving the community, they would circulate throughout it. should yield about $22 million in economic impact annually. "We feel that the ROI for investors is very worthwhile, and [the project] will really help our local businesses as well as communities," she says. "In a nutshell, it's all about jobs," Smith says a successful campaign " Sengstock says. "And we can't wait around for the feds or state to do something. We have to do it ourselves." It's simple, really: the less money you spend powering your business, the more you'll have left over to invest in it — from new equipment and hires, to, yes, the humble office supplies. You see, at Wisconsin Public Service, we run a business too. And we know cuts in overhead expenses can be steered instead toward growth. So we're out to make sure you spend less on energy every day of the year, and have more to spend on your business. And that's exciting. Visit the Saving Energy section of wisconsinpublicservice.com and follow us on Twitter @WPSforBiz. www. insightonbusiness.com Oc tober 2012 • INSIGHT | 13