eCities

Hillsdale County's HomeTown Partnership is pleased to announce the eCities project. eCities is a project of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Center for Innovation Research (iLab). eCities is iLab's annual study that examines community-level factors that influence entrepreneurship, economic development and job growth.

The focus is on entrepreneurship because of its importance to expansion and diversification of regional economies and small businesses' impact on job creation. eCities primary purpose is to understand and share the best practices for entrepreneurial growth.

An important part of the data collection is the Business Survey. This survey intends to better understand how local governments can assist business development and growth. The survey has two important objectives:

• Hear the opinions of businesses about what local factors are important as businesses locate and remain in a community.
• Educate local governments about what they can do to support your business' growth and future success.

The survey, which can be completed in one three-minute session, is intended to be completed by business managers and owners who are familiar with the factors related to where their organization is located. The survey can be accessed at: http://www.umdilabs.com/survey/ Your answers are entirely confidential and anonymous and will be reported only as a part of an aggregate score for Hillsdale County.

It is our hope that all business owners in Hillsdale County will take a few moments to complete the survey. iLabs will share the results, and can sort the data by community and business sector as a benefit to the local governments who participate in the project.

If you have any questions, please contact Tim Davis, Director of iLabs, School of Management, University of Michigan-Dearborn, at 313.593.4060 or tadavis@umd.umich.edu.