by Darrene Hackler | May 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
The global pandemic is ushering in a forecasted recession that is expected to be larger than the Great Recession. Timely research from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco suggests that for the economic developers who lived through it, they should expect a longer...
by Ellen D. Harpel | May 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Smart Incentives joined PFM for a focused discussion on how government at all levels can help keep local businesses operating and/or solvent during the COVID-19 economic recession. The slide deck from our presentation is available to download here. We addressed how to...
by Ellen D. Harpel | Mar 24, 2020 | Uncategorized
Governments are rolling out new loan programs to help local small businesses struggling for survival during the COVID-19 crisis. What will make these loan programs effective? Lessons learned from the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)* tell us: Program...
by Ellen D. Harpel | Jan 23, 2020 | Opportunity Zones, Uncategorized
The 2019 Menino Survey of Mayors asked for mayors’ opinions on the federal Opportunity Zones program. The mixed findings reflect the national debate on whether opportunity zones are a good “plan to help distressed America” or “a windfall for the rich.” About half of...
by Ellen D. Harpel | Dec 3, 2019 | Uncategorized
Smart incentive use begins with good upfront due diligence on recipients and proposed investments. This post provides a quick refresher on why it is important to conduct background research on incentive applicants and the essential steps in the process. Problem...
by Smart Incentives | Sep 18, 2019 | Uncategorized
Service industries dominate modern economies, especially when measured by number of jobs. Yet service activities tend to be underrepresented in US economic research. For good quality research on service industries, it is helpful to look abroad to the European...
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