Economic Development Strategies

Golden Shovel Agency is proud to be a leader in the economic development industry. With over 15 years of experience and a client base exceeding 290 organizations, we are trusted by professionals seeking to drive impactful change in their communities. Our expertise spans beyond strategy development—50% of our projects include strategic planning—but our influence also reaches economic developers nationwide through our thought leadership and training content. This educational support helps industry professionals enhance their skills and expand their knowledge, making us a go-to resource in economic development.

What truly sets us apart is our ability to see the bigger picture. With such a broad client base and deep industry insights, we have a bird’s-eye view of the challenges and opportunities shaping economic development. This perspective, combined with our unique Gatekeeper service, enables us to not only plan innovative strategies but also implement them, ensuring our clients benefit from best practices and proven solutions. Our hands-on approach and commitment to execution make us a trusted partner for organizations aiming to turn their strategic visions into reality.

Golden Shovel Agency Creates Actionable Strategies for Economic Development Organizations

5-year Economic Development Strategy

Golden Shovel’s 5-year strategy provides a comprehensive roadmap for sustainable economic growth. It begins with an in-depth analysis of community needs and assets, followed by stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment with local priorities. The strategy includes detailed, actionable steps that guide economic developers through successful project implementation. This helps to stimulate job creation, improve infrastructure, and foster long-term community growth while ensuring local ownership of the plan.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

This strategy integrates economic development goals with broad community feedback to create a cohesive plan for future growth. Through data-driven insights and collaborative efforts, CEDS identifies unique challenges and opportunities for each community. The result is a tailored action plan that strengthens local economies, improves resilience, and fosters sustainable development by aligning economic goals with community values. Per the Economic Development Administration (EDA), this process should be updated every five years, which Golden Shovel can manage, relieving internal teams of this ongoing operational task.

Workforce Attraction Strategy

Golden Shovel’s workforce attraction strategies focus on connecting communities with the talent they need to thrive. This approach includes building custom user-friendly workforce attraction websites, creating virtual reality experiences to showcase opportunities, and running targeted digital ad campaigns to attract job seekers. By using social media, engaging visuals, and impactful storytelling, Golden Shovel helps communities stand out, attract skilled workers, and build a workforce that supports economic prosperity.

Childcare Capacity Enhancement Strategy

Golden Shovel’s approach to addressing childcare shortages combines in-depth research with collaborative stakeholder engagement to create sustainable community solutions. We conduct surveys, in-person interviews, and community workshops to understand the root causes of childcare gaps. These insights allow us to develop and implement strategies that improve childcare capacity, supporting local families and strengthening workforce participation--a critical factor for economic growth.

Housing Study & Strategy

Golden Shovel’s housing strategy helps communities understand and address their housing needs by involving local voices eery step of the way.  We gather insights through community surveys,  data analysis, and engagement sessions, which help us identify and prioritize housing solutions. This community-first approach leads to strategic recommendations that encourage housing development across all demographics, attract private investment, and ultimately enhance quality of life in each community.

Aviation as an Economic Driver Strategy

Golden Shovel’s aviation strategy is to maximize the economic impact of local airports, which often goes the underutilized. By conducting a thorough assessment of the airport’s capabilities and its current impact, we identify opportunities for strategic growth. This plan includes tailored marketing to attract new business partnerships, drive job creation, and solidify aviation as an essential pillar of local economic development​.

Retail Attraction Strategy

Golden Shovel’s retail attraction strategy helps communities build a vibrant commercial sector by focusing on targeted growth opportunities. Along with our partner, Retail Strategies, we assess market trends, consumer behavior, and available spaces to identify the best types of retailers to attract. Our strategic marketing campaigns promote these opportunities to suitable businesses, helping diversity the local economy, enhance retail options, and improve the overall quality of life for residents.

Testimonial

“Our experience has been wonderful. Golden Shovel's team is enthusiastic, intelligent, open-minded, and collaborative.” - Joanne Cimiluca, Director, Bergen County Economic Development

Client Examples

Reach out for more information on client examples.

Heart of Texas Economic Development Council
City of Central, Louisiana
Bergen County, New Jersey

City of Bethel, Connecticut
City of Selma, California
City of Odessa, Texas