Capabilities
Your Business Resource Center
When you set your sights on Glen Ellyn, you’ll have a business partner with you all the way. As your business becomes established, Glen Ellyn Economic Development is always on call as a resource for you. Some of Glen Ellyn Economic Developmentls special projects include the Glen Ellyn Style branding campaign, cooperative marketing with retailers, downtown parking signage, a pocket shopper’s guide, pedestrian-oriented store directory kiosks, and seasonal banners branding Glen Ellyn Style in the business districts.
For the business owner, owner representative or developer, Glen Ellyn Economic Development facilitates your community research and site selection process through the following services:
- Provides demographics and trade area profile
- Maintains comprehensive list of available commercial properties
- Assists with site selection and evaluation
- Provides onsite tours
- Works with Village staff to identify commercial redevelopment opportunities
- Identifies potential business opportunities and links parties together for negotiations
- Points entrepreneurs to resources to help them make initial planning decisions and develop a business plan
- Facilitates link up with appropriate Village staff for consultation on proposals
- Guides business owners through the local process of opening a business in Glen Ellyn
- Connects business owners with appropriate Village staff for the Village permit process
Once your business is located in Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn Economic Development continues to work for you as follows:
Networking and Communication
- Maintains contact with business and property owners to keep a pulse on the business climate
- Updates business owners on activities and topics of interest
- Sponsors networking meetings focused on timely issues
- Informs Village Trustees, Village staff and the Chamber on status of pertinent business topics
- Networks with economic development officials in other communities for ideas/information
- Provides feedback from business visits to Village officials and staff as appropriate
Facilitator and Voice for Local Growth
- Initiates appropriate activities to address business needs
- Facilitates coordination among businesses for opportunities and common solutions
- Connects businesses with advisory resources to support their growth
- Assists businesses to understand the Village permit approval process
- Links businesses up with Village staff for review of plans and permit assistance
Marketing and Attraction
- Directly recruits complementary new businesses to improve store mix
- Promotes "Glen Ellyn Style" brand identity
- Attracts shoppers through image advertising and cooperative group merchant advertising
- Provides press releases, media relations and interviews for editorial coverage of businesses
- Identifies and assists businesses with opportunities to work together for shopper attraction
- Manages the light pole banners program within business districts for image building
- Promotes local shopping to support businesses
- Promotes consistent and expanded store hours
Customer-Friendly Improvements
- Implements way-finding signage, pedestrian directories and pocket guides for parking and shops
Commercial Appearance
- Offers facade grants and loan assistance as incentive for building appearance improvements
Parking
- Markets the availability and location of parking to customers
- Promotes message to employers/employees about saving on-street parking for customers
- Assists business owners to locate the best parking options for themselves and their employees
- Provides feedback from business owners on parking management to the Police Department
- Suggests parking management improvements to the Police Department
Relocation Assistance
- Helps find viable expansion sites for existing businesses