Agriculture News

May 2, 2019

Accepting applications for Economic Gardening program

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Center for Regional Development is accepting applications from companies that are interested in growing their business. The Economic Gardening program provides tools for business growth on four strategic issues — core business strategy, market intelligence, qualified leads, and leadership and management team development.

“From the very beginning of the Economic Gardening program, our hope was that we would help retain or grow 20 jobs over a period of 3-4 years,” said Bo Beaulieu, director at the Purdue Center for Regional Development. “We were heartened to know that the program has helped realize a net growth or retention of 132 jobs and a net increase of 17% in gross domestic revenue.”

Participants will take an in-depth look at assessing their current management skills and learn how to harness tools and techniques for effective leadership.

Small businesses are the primary driver of job growth in Indiana. Existing second stage businesses generated nearly 40% of all new jobs in Indiana in 2017, higher than any other stage. Economic gardening provides second stage companies (10-99 employees) with a mix of technical support and assistance that can help them thrive and contribute to the economic prosperity of their communities.

Economic gardening specialists help CEOs identify the key issues hindering their growth and then employ sophisticated tools to deliver insights and information that CEOs can apply immediately. These tools are:

  • Market Research: Assess market trends, identify potential competitors, discover unknown resources.
  • Geospatial Analysis: Map areas for targeted marketing, visualize competitors, identify customers, Business 2 Business.
  • SEO and Social Media: Raise search engine visibility, increase web traffic, track online communications.

Learn more about the eligibility requirements and register to access the online application on the program website. For questions about the Economic Gardening program, call 765-494-7273, or contact Emily Del Real, program coordinator, at edelreal@purdue.edu, or Beaulieu at ljb@purdue.edu

Writer: Maureen Manier, 765-494-8399, mmanier@purdue.edu 

Media contact and source: Bo Beaulieu, 765-494-7273, ljb@purdue.edu 

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu  

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