Downtown Dalton Issue Work Group Explores High-Tech Economic Development Tools; Business Plans

In January, the Downtown Dalton Issue Work Group hosted faculty members Mike Perkins and Jimmy Nolan from the University of Georgia’s Information Technology Outreach Services Office to discuss the possibility of creating and implementing a web-based mapping program that can be used as an economic development tool. At the meeting, Mike and Jimmy shared technological capabilities that they can provide to the community and solicited suggestions and requests from the group regarding what they would like a potential mapping program to include. A meeting of community stakeholders is currently being planned to follow up on Mike and Jimmy’s visit and discuss options.

Also in January, the Downtown Dalton Issue Work Group’s request for assistance with a downtown business plan was selected as a class project by a strategic consulting class in the University of Georgia’s Masters in Business Administration program. Working under the direction of instructor David Sutherland, founder and managing director of international strategic innovation firm Launch Institute, students Jerrad Cox and Shubham Sethi will spend the next several months working on the following initiatives:

(1) Researching the specific businesses/types of businesses that our Downtown Dalton Development Authority (DDDA) wants to recruit and determining how communities with similar populations have recruited those businesses/types of businesses.

(2) Comparing our downtown to Chattanooga and Rome’s downtown to determine what strategic advantages those locations have over ours. Specifically, the students will examine our zoning restrictions and policies to analyze how they impact our ability to recruit businesses.

(3) Researching and making recommendations on how communities and downtown development associations can ensure that mom and pop shops succeed in downtown areas. Specifically, the students will research what classes, certifications, or other requirements communities may be able to impose to ensure that all parties maximize their investments.

Jerrad and Shubham will begin reaching out to local stakeholders in the near future to begin their work.