It's the dawning of reliable economic data for the region

Business growth requires planning, and planning requires accurate information on trends in a community.

It's specific information that can be hard to find.

The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada plans to change that with a new database system to keep track of such things as trends in marketing, work force and communications as well as legislative issues and costs of business operations.

Called Business Builders, the data will be accessible to anyone in the region, not just EDAWN members.

"Statistically, most economic development stems from local growth -- companies in the community growing and expanding," EDAWN President Chuck Alvey said. "Our primary objective with Business Builders is to provide those businesses in our market with critical data to complement their strategic business planning efforts and support their expansion."

Data derived from a variety of Northern Nevada businesses will go into a software system called Synchronist. The program produces a wide variety of reports for businesses, organizations and agencies interested in obtaining current data regarding the Northern Nevada marketplace.

The first step is gathering the data, which requires help from as many businesses as possible.

In the next few months, representatives from EDAWN will be contacting businesses to add to the database of information. The Northern Nevada Development Authority and area chambers of commerce are also participating.

"Our goal is 650 to 1,000 companies in the next couple years," Alvey said. "We'll do repeat interviews to build a baseline of trend data.

"It will be a couple of months before we have enough surveys in to go live."

Once the data are compiled, the Business Builders database can be accessed at EDAWN's Web site at www.edawn.org.

Companies that would like to participate can call EDAWN and ask for Mary Willett, the director of business services, who is managing the program and training data-collection volunteers.

Accurate data are important to EDAWN's mission of supporting and establishing regional business, according to Chris Vargas, EDAWN business support services committee chairman.

"(Accurate data) provide a valuable service to the community, enhancing growth, expansion and retention efforts and ultimately translating into jobs and increased economic vitality," Vargas said. "Business Builders will provide specialized reports reflecting a variety of topics from expansion barriers to legislative challenges; investment forecasts to changes in the regional business climate, to name only a few."

EDAWN is a private, nonprofit corporation founded in 1983. Supported by memberships and government funds.

ON THE NET

Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada

www.edawn.org

Business Builders information

Mary Willett

willett@edawn.org

829-3720