Business Development
Milwaukee can make better use of public and private partnerships to foster the retention and expansion of existing businesses while attracting new businesses that fit with the character and needs of particular neighborhoods. Public resources especially need to be targeted to support firms who take the high road - those who are locally-owned and/or hire locally and who share the benefits of their success with the communities supporting them.

For example, the City should work with state and federal officials to create an Early Warning System as an important tool for job retention. Less than one-tenth of business closures are inevitable. More than 90% of business failures occur as a result of potentially avoidable conditions, such as disinvestment, business moves, aging owners, consolidations and restructuring. These are planned decisions or festering problems which develop over years and are typically recognizable. The key factor is having access to the relevant information and the appropriate avenues to take action. As part of a comprehensive economic development strategy, an Early Warning system can initiate assistance to retain and develop jobs. While such a system may not avert every job loss, most successful efforts to stem job losses benefited from early and effective interventions.