Since March 14th, 2020, the BR|E COVID-19 Response Network has grown beyond 300 economic development organizations.
The Network formed voluntarily to answer the question, “What is the business and human impact of COVID-19 in our communities?” To that end, in less than a week, the Network created a business impact surveys for local economic developers to gather solid business and worker impact data to inform local leadership’s response to COVID-19.
What did we learn from 10,000+ responses?
Business Retention Expansion BR|E COVID-19 Emergency Response Network
Business Retention Expansion BR|E
COVID-19 Emergency Response Network
Managed by a steering committee of 25 professionals, the Network has 3 goals.
The survey designed by the Network is now being shared internationally by the UN Economic Commissions for Europe, Latin America/Caribbean (already translated into Spanish and used territory-wide in Puerto Rico), Africa, Asia, and South Asia, for worldwide use.
“Once again, the US is seen as a global leader, not from the Federal government, but from a grassroots, volunteer group of professionals acting together. US leadership, as it should be….” David A. Dodd, CEcD/FM, Founding President and CEO, International Sustainable Resilience Center.
Create a short, focused, online business and human impact survey (and follow-up surveys) to share freely with any organization for their use.
To gather results from those using the survey to create a national snapshot of these critical impacts to inform state and national elected officials.
To create a dynamic system for exchanging best practice response stories to distribute widely to economic development professionals.
Business Impact Benchmark COVID-19 Survey
Business Impact Monitoring COVID-19 Survey
Sample Opt-In Notice
The COVID-19 Business Impact Survey was developed by 25 volunteer economic development professionals who came together to meet the need for concrete information on the human and economic impacts being felt by companies in the communities we represent.
Thanks to all of the members of the Steering Committee that helped shape this survey instrument, especially the Institute of Decision Making, The University of Northern Iowa.
Thank you, Eric & team! This is an awesome instrument and will do wonders for us in triaging our community needs and prioritizing programs and services going forward. I apologize for my original skepticism about your offer … we are being bombarded with offers of “help” right now and yours was a true gift. In your spirit of sharing and “we’re-all-in-this-together” attitude, I have likewise shared with my neighboring county colleagues.
You have saved us valuable time in a very long week that shows no signs of winding down any time soon.
Eric and Crew: This (COVID Emergency Response Survey) is great work, I appreciate your quick and substantive response.
Wow, Eric, THANK YOU! That was amazingly fast. The COVID Business Impact Survey and dashboard are amazing.
Thank you again for all of your amazing help and support with survey tool collaboration during COVID.
Set up the questions of the survey in your favorite survey tool. Please keep the question language and question structure unchanged! Keep the order as presented.
If you don’t have a favorite survey tool, after a lot of testing our tech team at Fusion Alliance highly recommends SurveyGizmo (www.surveygizmo.com). We are trying to get a transferrable template for anyone who wants it. And, if you are a Synchronist user, we will be able to draw COVID-19 survey responses from SurveyGizmo back into Synchronist attached to the responding company’s record. The tech team can tell you what you need to do to make this possible! Synchronist users, check with Blane, Canada before you launch your survey.
As this slow-rolling disaster moves onward over time and geography, we anticipate other business impact issues will emerge.
The Round 1 survey included the core questions, but new, important questions may emerge to be added. If you are a member of the network and on the distribution list, we will send you updates released by the Network Steering committee as they are available.
Detailed instructions are included with the survey download document. The document also includes Frequently Asked Questions. Instructions include:
Privacy statement / Opt-In statement
National Roll-Up
COVID-19 is first and foremost a local issue impacting your community.
This is why the Network formed to developed and share this survey instrument. Benefiting everyone. But, at the same time, this is a national crisis. Therefore, if you conduct this survey, we hope you will share your data for a confidential national analysis. Send your data in excel or CVS format to info@blanecanada.com. Thank you!
Thanks to all of our clients and friends who have help make the BR|E COVID-19 Response Network possible by pushing the ball forward, encouraging clients to join the Network. Those who picked up the ball and surveyed their businesses locally. And, those who have shared data for the national view of this global challenge we are all facing down.
Everyone’s role is critically important to collecting meaningful business and human impact information to provide real data for decision makers.
It has been our honor to work with the Network as the coordinator.
Business Retention Expansion International BREI
Council for Community & Economic Research C2ER
Institute for Decision Making,
Texas Economic Development Council TEDC
Southern Economic Development Council SEDC
Blane, Canada Ltd. (IL)
Community Attributes, Inc. (WA)
Createfully Co. (IN)
DevelopThis Podcast (IA)
Fusion Alliance OH
GIS WebTech (LA)
Golden Shovel (MN)
Marketing Alliance (FL)
PowerBI/Microsoft
ROI / Gazelle.ai (QB, Canada)
Whittaker Associates (MI)