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| This new
service is
intended to foster a global community of executives and professionals who
are willing to openly share practical knowledge, experience, and ideas on
topics in this niche. Please refer to the
explanation of
this new service at the bottom of this page. |
The new Google
Groups remain under development.
New members are welcome,
but we selectively manage membership to maintain the quality of postings.
Membership is free, as is the posting of new topics and replies by Group
members. See comments about
appropriate use of these Google Groups at the bottom of this
page. |
| In the
column below, we describe and provide links for convenience to the Groups, such as to browse
the archives of content. This is a new service of Google (still in the "Beta"
stage at the end of 2004 as a replacement for the old Usenet services). We expect content
to gradually be added to these Groups by ourselves and other members.
We have set up some initial topics and content to demonstrate their
potential relevance as a tool in this niche. |
In the
column below, we make it easy to become a member or "subscribe" to the
Group.
Members can choose to receive new Group postings by e-mail if they
wish. The archived topic and reply postings are organized to make them easy to find quickly when relevant,
in addition to Google searches for relevant content within the Group or
across others. We "moderate" Group membership rather than appropriate topic postings and replies by
members. |
|
FDI Foreign Direct
Investment |
For executives and business advisors to
share FDI project knowledge |
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Share knowledge of useful resources for corporate direct
investment projects such as setting up offices or factories anywhere. Lessons learned,
tips, pitfalls, useful contacts.
Not to promote or criticize specific business locations or
services. The focus is on the executive perspective for project planning.
How can they do it faster and better?
Membership and the posting of messages by members in all such
Groups
is free. Examples of potential topics in the
FDI Foreign Direct Investment Group include :
- Business location or site selection consultants
(finding, using)
- Survey of EDO's and IPA's to share knowledge of
capabilities
- Commercial or Corporate Real Estate (CRE) firms
(contacts, selection)
- Expatriate assignment transition services and
support networks
- International legal services relevant to FDI
project plans
- Business finance and investment risk services for
FDI projects
- Strategic alliances, joint ventures, and B2B
partnering or networking
- Business process outsourcing (BPO) - resources
and experiences
- Suggestions of other relevant Groups (to make
good ones easier to find)
The initial content provides links to some of the
information we openly share on this site. |
"Subscribe" is Google's term for the choice to "opt in"
for membership in the discussion Group. There are optional privacy controls
available to mask e-mail addresses in the Group, and to control whether
postings are received by e-mail.
This is a public but moderated Group (selective membership
for relevance to the topic, but with open communication within the Group and
open access for visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : involved in direct investment decisions and commitments by
your company, or do you provide a service to executives or their advisors in
support of investment projects? If so, you are
welcome to join, add relevant discussion topics, and reply to postings.
Groups are intended to share knowledge, not to directly
promote areas or services. In general, we do not
moderate (edit or control) postings prior to publication to Group members,
but we may remove inappropriate content from the archives at any time.
Our role as moderator is mainly to screen new members for apparent relevance
to the Group. It isn't intended for academic or
multilateral organization discussions about the social and economic impact
of FDI, analysis of FDI flows and national stocks of FDI, the challenges of
developing countries, etc. The focus is to help executives find
solutions to their needs. |
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Economic Development
Organizations (EDO's, IPA's, RDA's) |
For EDO's and advisors to share local
market knowledge with executives |
|
Share knowledge from the perspective of corporate
executives about working with regional, state, and local EDO's which promote
investment in their areas (also known as Investment Promotion Agencies or
IPA's, and as Regional Development Agencies or RDA's).
How to find useful resources and contacts. Not intended to
promote one area or service. Examples of potential
topics in the Economic Development Organizations Group include :
- Lessons learned - why projects go quickly and
smoothly, or not
- Resources for tax and investment credits and
incentives information
- Human resources issues for investment project
planning
- Sources of local labor force attributes and cost
data, GIS tools
- Creative initiatives for recruitment and training
support of projects
- Announcements of new websites or website address
changes among EDO's
- Opinions about "best practices" in EDO services
and website content
- Investment promotion and support services in
China (example - or other countries)
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Korea
(existing, expanded, or new)
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in
Europe (etc. - for locations worldwide)
- Economic development and business investment in
Ohio
- Economic development and business investment in
Illinois (etc. for other states)
- Economic development and business investment in
Canada
Google Groups can only be listed under 3 categories.
We chose Asia, Europe, and the US as regional categories, but topics in this
group are not limited to such geographic areas. |
This is a public but moderated Group (selective membership
for relevance to the topic, but with open communication within the Group and
open access for visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : an executive or business advisor with
experience working with EDO's, or work for an EDO and have insights to share
about useful resources and contacts, or working together on projects?
The focus should be to share helpful insights, not local sales pitches.
If so, you are welcome to join, add relevant discussion topics, and reply to
postings. See additional comments below about the
appropriate use of this Group. The focus of this group is from the
perspective of a corporate executive who needs to consider business location
alternatives, and better understand how to find and work effectively with
relevant EDO's and other service providers in the areas of interest.
It isn't intended for general knowledge-sharing or discussion
among EDO's about economic development programs and issues within the
profession, although this is not excluded from discussion (such as to
highlight unique initiatives of interest to businesses or peers).
There are other forums (such as through IEDC) for exchanging
ideas among EDO's. This Group is intended to more openly share
knowledge and ideas with executives and their advisors on the basis of
professional experience in support of many company projects. The
insights you share can demonstrate the business value of your project
experience. |
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Corporate Real Estate -
Site Search for Project Plans |
For CRE advisors and EDO's to share
property knowledge with executives |
|
Share
general market knowledge and ideas about the process of selecting new
business locations, or negotiating CRE deals and cost savings or incentives
at preferred locations. Examples of potential topics
in the Corporate Real Estate Site Search Group include :
- Requests for assistance and contacts in other
regions (non-confidential)
- Commercial or Corporate Real Estate (CRE) firms
(contacts, selection)
- Industrial buildings and sites - how to find,
constraints of listing services
- Corporate office relocation - finding office
space, market data, services
- Business location or site selection consultants
(finding, using)
- Relocation services - physically moving business
operations
- Outsourcing facilities management and other CRE
functions
- How CRE service providers deliver value beyond
transaction services
|
This
is a public but moderated Group (selective membership for relevance to the
topic, but with open communication within the Group and open access for
visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : a corporate real estate executive or
professional service provider, including CRE brokers and location
consultants, or an economic development professional with a website which
shares timely information about available commercial real estate in your
service area? If so, you are welcome to join, add
relevant discussion topics, and reply to postings. See additional
comments below about the appropriate use of this
Group.
The global focus of this Group is to share knowledge and ideas
from the perspective of a corporate executive who needs local market
knowledge and professional support to consider business location
alternatives carefully, and better understand how to find and work
effectively with relevant EDO's and CRE service providers in the places of
potential interest. This may also include helping executives with
infrequent CRE projects to understand how CRE firms deliver value beyond
property transaction services. |
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Corporate Project
News and Press Releases |
For executives, advisors, and EDO's to share
news of project announcements |
|
Share
knowledge of significant direct capital investment project announcements by
companies, such as new,
expanded, relocated or consolidated offices, factories, R&D operations, distribution centers, etc.
Examples of potential topics in the Corporate Project
News Group include:
- Investment projects announced by region (country,
state, metro area or county)
- Investment projects announced by industry or type
of project (call center, etc.)
- Investment projects by service provider (examples
of client projects, specialties)
- Disinvestment (plant closures, major relocations
of operations, etc.)
- Cluster development progress (growth of a base in
target industry sectors)
- Analysis of investment project trends by industry
or geography
|
This
is a public but moderated Group (selective membership for relevance to the
topic, but with open communication within the Group and open access for
visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : a corporate executive responsible for
project decisions or announcements, or a service provider or EDO authorized
to release reports about client projects in your area?
If so, you are welcome to join, add relevant discussion topics, and reply to
postings. See additional comments below about the
appropriate use of this Group.
The focus of this Group is to make it easy to find more
information about major projects - not every little development. Who
supported the project? Where did it go, what alternatives were
considered, and why was this location chosen? What is the scale of the
project (jobs, $ investment, space) and purpose? What will it enable
the company to do better? Were incentives a significant factor in the
final decision? |
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Industrial and
office building projects -
design, engineering, and construction |
For architects, engineers, project
managers, construction firms and others |
|
Share knowledge about the architectural design,
engineering, construction and project management process for industrial and
office building projects, as well as insights about working with property
developers, project finance specialists, REIT's and other services.
Examples of potential topics in the Building Projects Group include:
- Special project management considerations in
(country, state, etc.)
- Design and construction experience in the
(industry)
- Design and construction for (type of project -
distribution centers, R&D, etc.)
- Trends in workplace design, and regional
variances
- The impact of facility design on corporate
performance
- Cost control in design and construction projects
- Competitive bid versus negotiated contracts
- Project finance alternatives for industrial and
office buildings
|
This
is a public but moderated Group (selective membership for relevance to the
topic, but with open communication within the Group and open access for
visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : an architect, engineer, project manager,
industrial or office property developer, or construction specialist, or an
executive with experience to share about such services, or an expected need
for assistance in new locations or beyond any existing service
relationships? If so, you are welcome to join, add
relevant discussion topics, and reply to postings.
The focus is to share knowledge and ideas about
capabilities, project planning and management, and what differentiates the
service providers from the buyer's perspective so that executives can reach
better-informed decisions about development of their project plans. |
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Expatriate
networks and resources |
For expatriate executives and service
providers to share market knowledge |
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Share knowledge about issues and resources for executives
and their families on international assignments, including expatriate
networks and services, cross-cultural transitions, doing business in a
specific country, tax and legal issues, insurance, relocation services,
security and corruption issues, etc.
Examples of potential topics in the Expatriate Networks and Resources
Group include:
- Finding well-qualified interpreters, translators, and
language training services
- Cross-cultural transition and training for expatriates
and their families
- Useful sources to learn about living and doing
business in a specific country
- Tips about common mistakes to avoid, and how to make a
good impression
- Tax compliance and legal pitfalls for individuals and
companies
- Dealing with corruption in both personal and business
situations
- Personal and family security considerations and
precautions, warnings
- Insurance issues for personal property, liability,
health, etc.
- Family education issues and resources or suggestions
|
This is a public but moderated Group (selective membership
for relevance to the topic, but with open communication within the Group and
open access for visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : an expatriate manager or executive on an international
assignment for your company, or locally employed in a foreign country, or a
service provider who assists expatriates with the many challenges of such
foreign service assignments? If so, you are welcome
to join, add relevant discussion topics, and reply to postings.
The Group may also highlight expatriate forums, such as
for residents of a particular country or expatriates of one nationality,
which are open to postings by anyone. Based upon a review of such
services, we think executives may welcome insights from a more selective
Group with a focus on business topics as well as family relocation and
cross-cultural transition issues. |
|
Human Resources and
Relocation |
For HR executives and advisors to share
knowledge of HR issues for projects |
| THIS GROUP
IS NOT READY YET - Please tell us if
you would like to participate Share knowledge of human
resources and relocation services in the context of planning corporate
investment projects such as new offices, factories, or other operations.
This can include useful sources of labor market information, compensation
practices, insurance, international assignments and relocation, executive
search, recruitment and training programs, etc.
Examples of potential topics in the Human Resources and Relocation Group
include:
|
This
is a public but moderated Group (selective membership for relevance to the
topic, but with open communication within the Group and open access for
visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : an HR executive or professional service
provider, or economic development professional with significant HR market
knowledge and practical ideas to share? If so, you
are welcome to join, add relevant discussion topics, and reply to postings.
The focus of the Group is to cut through the hype about
how wonderful the workforce is in every potential location, and help HR
executives to make sense of their alternatives as they face difficult
choices for business expansion, relocation, or consolidation projects. |
|
Supply Chain and
Logistics Services |
For logistics advisors and EDO's to share
distribution project knowledge |
| THIS GROUP
IS NOT READY YET - Please tell us if
you would like to participate Share knowledge of logistics
services in the context of corporate investment project decisions, such as
the location of manufacturing or distribution operations, including the
optimization of inbound and outbound logistics. Ocean freight and port
services, railways, trucking, rivers, air freight, etc.
Examples of potential topics in the Logistics Services Group include:
|
This
is a public but moderated Group (selective membership for relevance to the
topic, but with open communication within the Group and open access for
visitors to search topic archives).
Are you : a specialist in logistics services (port
services, railroads, highway freight, ocean freight, etc.) or an executive
with significant supply chain or logistics interests, or economic
development professional in an area with significant logistics operations
and resources (major distribution centers, intermodal facilities, strategic
sites for major logistics projects, etc.). If so,
you are welcome to join, add relevant discussion topics, and reply to
postings.
The focus of this Group is to make it easier for
executives to find solutions to the logistics requirements of their projects
as companies expand, relocate, or consolidate operations. |
|
Future use of Google Groups |
|
| Other Google
Groups may be selectively highlighted here - such as news ones we may set up
and manage in response to the interests of our contacts, as well as relevant
Groups in which we may participate or believe our contacts may be
interested. |
Please
let us know if other moderated, private discussion groups (invitation-only
membership and restricted access to search and view the content postings)
would be of interest. |
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Explanation We have set up
"Google Groups" which are relevant to our work. These discussion
Groups or special interest groups should facilitate the open exchange of practical knowledge between
corporate executives and professional service providers with special
expertise in this niche.
This is
intended to foster a global community of executives and professionals who
are willing to openly share practical knowledge, experience, and ideas on
topics in this niche. This complements our ability to share such
knowledge more privately for specific business needs through research and
referrals to relevant resources and business or professional contacts. |
These Groups
are generally open to anyone who is relevant to a professional dialogue on
the discussion topics involved, although Group membership is moderated.
In other words, we selectively accept new Group members who can add or reply
to
postings, but do not moderate in advance what they publish to the Group. In
general, we welcome relevant members and their contributions.
This is simply a very basic
control to help ensure the quality of Group content and minimize irrelevant
broadcasts of new postings to all Group members.
We choose not to monitor all of the postings in advance, so please
bring any abuses of this Group service to our attention.
|
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|
Appropriate use of these Google Groups by
members We may also
highlight other discussion Groups which are relevant to the executives we
serve, or helpful to their professional advisors and economic development
organizations. We welcome feedback about other relevant Groups or
business networking resources.
We will list other Groups very
selectively to make it easier to quickly identify potential Groups of
interest to our contacts in this niche market. Most Groups will be irrelevant to this
specialty and can be found quickly through Google Groups or search features anyway.
We do not control the content of Google Groups, or assume any
liability for such content. Please bring any abuse of the Groups we
moderate to our attention or the member involved. |
These groups
are not intended to promote or criticize any specific area or
service. Google policy imposes constraints on
the marketing use of Groups. These Groups are to share useful
resources, "lessons learned", practical experience, and ideas in
this niche.
Postings are openly available and indexed by Google for search purposes.
New postings are typically distributed by e-mail to all Group members, but
each member can control this. Although it would
generally be our preference to have completely open Groups, we feel that
there is a need to moderate who is a member of the group, and then members
can guide the appropriate use of postings for open knowledge-sharing among
members of the Group. This should help to assure the professional
quality and relevance of the postings by members. |
|
Illustrative examples of appropriate usage In
addition to the general guidance above for each Group description, the
following examples may help to visualize appropriate ways to use these
Groups to share relevant knowledge and discussions in ways which are not
overt marketing pitches for one place or service.
- "Corporate Project News"
Group
- We expect topics and replies which provide insights
into major project announcements, because this information is of common
interest to the Group.
- This can be of interest by location and industry or
type of project, but all content should obviously be of a
non-confidential nature. It is also helpful to organize the
content to reflect the timing - such as projects in 2004, 2005, etc.
- This should not simply duplicate a press release.
Instead, a posting should highlight the key points, and perhaps link to
sources of additional information for those who are interested, such as
the press release or contact for details.
- It can also provide updates as a major project
develops or grows beyond the original scale as announced. Note
that closures can also be highlighted, because these may represent
relevant opportunities for other businesses.
- It can highlight details such as the service
providers involved (site selection, incentives negotiation, facility
design, engineering and construction, CRE deal, tax and legal services,
project finance, etc.). These details may not appear in the usual
press releases or local website content, but can be very helpful to
executives and advisors with similar project interests.
- "Economic Development
Organizations" Group
- Any economic development organization can post an
entry under a relevant topic, such as to identify the area it serves,
scope of services, industry clusters and major recent developments in
the area of potential interest to investors and advisors under a topic
such as "Economic development and business investment in Illinois" for a
state, county, utility, city or regional EDO in Illinois. This
should just hit the highlights, with a website link for details, so that
executives and advisors can recognize potential relevance at a glance.
- The topics on "Foreign Direct Investment Project in
..." would focus on existing, expanded, or new foreign investments in a
specific region, country, or state, but these should be grouped rather
than as separate topics by county, town, etc. They could also be
grouped by industry or type of project, such as "Foreign Direct
Investment Projects in the Biotech Industry" or "Foreign Direct
Investment Projects in IT Outsourcing" or "... in Customer Contact
Centers".
- Executives and advisors with experience working with
EDO's are also welcome to share their insights, such as testimonials or
suggestions about how other executives can benefit from working with
EDO's on their projects, or to highlight particularly useful EDO
services they have encountered (which may help other EDO's to better
understand their expectations or learn of best practices).
- "Corporate Real Estate Site
Selection" Group
- This section can help executives to find property
listing services for specific areas, which should generally be grouped
by region (rather than separate topics for every member area, which
would be more like an ad for a local website). For example,
"Industrial and Office Buildings and Sites in Illinois" could include
postings by cities, utilities, and counties about how to find listings
in their areas, so that the topic as a whole becomes a guide to Illinois
listings since such information may be scattered across many websites
rather than reliably consolidated in a single source. This can
help executives and advisors to quickly find the relevant property
listing services for their interests.
- On the other hand, it would generally be
inappropriate to use this feature to promote specific properties, as if
it were a place to post advertisements.
- This can also be used to highlight special types of
developments, such as business incubators, science and technology parks,
foreign trade zones, or other unique resources of potential interest to
specific investor groups. These can otherwise be hard to find in
many cases among general listing services which focus on property
attributes (size, location, building features, etc.).
- "Industrial and Office
Building Projects" Group
- This group is to discuss the process and services
involved in the design and development of business facilities, including
project management and the work of architects, engineers, construction
firms, interior design specialists, etc.
- It is not intended to promote specific development
projects or service providers, but examples from past or current
projects can highlight important planning considerations of common
interest to potential investors and their advisors, or share knowledge
of innovative practices.
- In other words, shared knowledge about the process
and specific project examples can highlight the capabilities and
specialization of the member, but should not simply be an advertisement
for the service provider (see Google constraints on the marketing use of
Google Groups as above).
|
Examples of
inappropriate usage One very basic constraint,
as explained further below, is that Google imposes limits on the marketing
use of the Google Groups feature. Inappropriate usage would thus
jeopardize the availability of this service for the benefit of all other
members.
This is explained directly on the Google site, but here
are two examples of what we would regard as inappropriate, not only because
of the interest of Google (advertising sales), but because of the importance
of maintaining the practical value and relevance of the Group discussion for
all members and visitors to the archives. Content should be of wider
interest than to exclusively serve the promotional interests of one
participant as if it were an ad.
- "Corporate Project News"
Group
- This is not a local newsletter service or e-mail
distribution service for local area representatives or service providers
to broadcast promotional messages to everyone in the group, and all who
may explore the Group discuss archives. The content which is
posted should be selective, relatively succinct, and provide an easy
path for those who are interested to find more information on the topic.
The content should clearly be of interest to others, rather than just
self-interest.
- It is very appropriate to have a topic about
investment in a specific area or industry, or involving a specific type
of service or type of project - but such content should be selective and
well-organized for reference by others by grouping similar announcements
together under a common topic heading.
- For example, "Investment Projects in Lake County,
Illinois - 2004" could be a valid topic, with replies posted by county
representatives or local communities about specific project
announcements in the county and their progress.
- Some entries may logically fit into more than one
topic. The above example might also fit into "Projects in Illinois
- 2004", or "Projects in the Biotech industry - 2004", or "distribution
projects - 2004" as special groups by region, industry, and type of
project (which may cut across regions and industries).
- By contrast, it would not be appropriate to set up a
new topic about each such project announcement. These are postings
under the general topic. Otherwise, the Group would soon become a
massive list of press releases about projects, rather than a structured
discussion to help users find information by geographic region,
industry, or project type. Other services are available to publish
press releases online, and such announcements should typically reside on
member websites or elsewhere. It is not the purpose of these
Groups to republish such content, but rather to to make people aware of
major developments which may be relevant to their future business
interests.
- There simply needs to be some self-discipline in such
postings to avoid quickly making the content overwhelming and therefore
less useful.
- It would not be appropriate to set up a separate
topic heading for every project which is announced in every town, or to
broadcast every project announcement in every area worldwide to everyone
else in the Group. Instead, by categorizing the content in this
simple manner through the consistent use of topic headings, it can be
easy for users to quickly find relevant discussions, such as recent
investment in a particular part of Illinois or an industry in the above
example.
|
| This is a
free service, although Google also sells related advertising.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Google
displays ads through the Google Groups feature, so that relevant advertisers
can show up in response to searches and content.
It is therefore possible, for example, to plan advertising
with Google to target specific Groups (not just Group members as they use
the service, but any visitor who explores the archives of Group
discussions).
Google can make money through increased advertising sales
by providing this service, so their policy for Group members restrains
direct use for marketing purposes. If you want to target the Group's
audience, then consider investment in relevant Google advertisements.
Just as we do not profit directly by the creation and
maintenance of such Groups, or by any of the advertising which appears in
connection with such Groups (over which we have no control), we expect all
Group members to respect the appropriate usage of these new channels.
The quality and relevance of the content provided by all
members should benefit the entire Group and those who are expected to have
an interest in the discussion topics, rather than just promote the exclusive
marketing interests of a given member in lieu of advertising. |
We do not
profit directly from these Groups. This is not a money-making scheme.
Unlike private websites which accept the placement of Google
advertising within their own websites (as opposed to what Google displays
when a user searches for relevant sites), there is no compensation to the
Group or to us for developing such a targeted audience for ads.
We receive no compensation at all from Google for creating
open, relevant discussion groups in this niche which can then be targeted by
Google advertisers. The only way we make money is through the various
services we already offer to area representatives and professional service
providers. We earn nothing from Google Groups, because we accept no
Google or other advertising on our website.
We may gain some extra visibility in this market, but the
same is true of any other Group members who contribute useful postings or
replies on topics of potential relevance to others.
We could certainly create more exclusive or private
discussion groups or special events among our many contacts in this niche,
but we believe there is a need for such a free and open forum for relevant
professionals to discuss investment project considerations worldwide.
This should help executives and advisors to find the
resources they need in this specialty. That is the value of it - not
as a new target for advertising, nor for any compensation to us. |
|
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