ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY
It is usually part of a long-term repositioning and/
or growth strategy and being close to your client
through that entire journey allows you to be
better positioned to be there when a relocation or
expansion investment decision is on the cards.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Do you need to have the ability to offer financial
incentives to be successful in this space? Simply
put, yes. However, the more accurate question is,
do I need to use financial incentives? The answer,
maybe not. You need incentives to get a seat at
the table, however it is true that in many instances
the non-financial incentives will out-value the
financial, and in the longer term, the client may
not even wish to pursue financial incentives. But it
is without question that when asked by the client
or the site selection consultant whether you have
financial incentives available, a negative answer
will almost always see discussions terminated
before they begin. Just like any recruitment
process with many applicants, finding a way to
shorten the list of candidates is necessary, even if
we don’t like it.
I don’t think anyone would argue that when all is
said and done, the actual amount of incentives
(particularly here in Australia compared to what
can be obtained overseas) may not even be in
the top five decision making factors of the client.
Issues such as high-speed internet and access
to