SmartBusiness

• 76% of business issues resolved.
• Over 575 jobs created or retained
• 100% of referrals analyzed for economic impacts

Highlights

154 referals in 2010/11

• Expanding business 19%
• Financial assistance 18%
• Immigration 14%
• Exporting 11%

Recap

• Developed profiles for seven key economic sectors: aerospace and defence, digital industries, education, financial services, life sciences, oceans, transportations & logistics
• Developed five action plans: business improvement districts collaboration; machining sector training needs; industrial fabrication centre at NSCC; BioCoal Project for Sheet Harbour; TreeGo - business start-up.
• Engaged and supported the expansion for NSCC to include the Industrial Fabrication Centre
• Co-hosted the annual Reverse Trade Show with Nova Scotia Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism, connecting sellers directly to government procurement representatives
• Co-hosted the annual Export Rally with Trade Team Nova Scotia, helping companies boost sales and get ready for growth

For information on last year's results see the 2009/10 SmartBusiness Annual Report.

An Industry Best Practice

TheSmartBusiness Program is award-winning and has been recognized as a best practice:

• 2006 Economic Developers Association of Canada “Economic Development Achievement of the Year Award”; and,
• The 2005 Business Retention and Expansion International  “Best Business Retention and Expansion Initiative”. 
• The Nova Scotia Provincial Government has used our model as the methodology for their Provincial roll-out of Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E); and,
• The Provincial program recently received an Honourable Mention in the State/Province/Territory category at the 2009 BRE International Awards. 

Business Programs & Tools

As a result of intelligence gathered by the SmartBusiness team, the following Partnership projects and initiatives have been created:

• Youth 2 Employers (Y2E) - As part of our Talent Strategy, the Greater Halifax Partnership launched this project to create a framework to make the business connection between priority youth and local employers.
• Immigration Employer Support Program (IES) - For those employers who have indicated recruitment challenges, this program provides them with information on the opportunities and benefits of hiring immigrants and how to begin the process.
• The Halifax Connector Program - The Halifax Connector Program puts newcomers and international students and graduates to our city directly in touch with business owners and operators, managers, civil servants, community leaders…people like you.  
• Best Practices in Employee Attraction, Recruitment and Retention in Manufacturing  - The Partnership integrated information relative to recruitment and retention that Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Nova Scotia gathered through its Manufacturing 20/20 campaign and consulted with CME Nova Scotia in identifying and assessing best practices that work for manufacturers in our community. Check out the Working Guide and Assessment Tool