The City of Cape Coral is the only city in Southwest Florida to fund its own Economic Development Office (EDO) fully focused on overcoming the Cape’s unique challenges as a very new city that was pre-platted with a very small amount of land set aside for business development.
The Cape Coral, Florida Economic Development Office (EDO) is responsible for attracting new investors and businesses to the city, promoting the expansion of existing businesses, creating new and improved employment opportunities for residents, and promoting and developing tourism for the city.
This Florida economic development office provides these services:
- Global publicity and advertising for business development.
- Market research
- Financial Incentives
- Business ombudsman and advocacy
- Small Business Development Center
- On-line business location assistance.
In a unanimous vote late in 2007, the City Council created a new Economic Element of the city’s comprehensive plan. The Economic Element defines the EDO’s policies and objectives, which are brought to life in its strategies. (Click here for the Comprehensive Plan Economic Element.)
Like a good business, the Economic Development Office is driven by a strategic outlook. It conducts research to establish the most effective plans for business growth. It establishes benchmarks for success and tracks its performance.
The following links provide detail on EDO’s strategy and performance.
The Economic Development Office resides in the city manager’s office – emphasizing its strategic importance to the City. The EDO is staffed by four people. In addition to their work as city employees, the EDO funds the Cape Coral Satellite Office of the FGCU-SBDC that provides free personalized business counseling and out-sources marketing services to private-sector firms in the area. (Click here for the EDO Organizational Chart.)
In addition, the EDO creates leverage through other city departments, such as Public Works, Community Development and the Community Redevelopment Agency, to improve the business environment through process streamlining and regulation reform.