Professional Development
Certified Louisiana Economic Developer
Learn best practices in economic development to grow business, jobs, and capital investment in your community!
Economic Development Training....
with emphasis on Louisiana's assets, laws, incentives, workforce.
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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This multi-faceted course explores the core aspects of entrepreneurial and small business development including value-add partnerships, technical assistance programs, financing, business incubation and more. Entrepreneurs and small businesses stimulate job creation, develop crucial innovations in both products and services and promote the diversification of the economic base. In this course, you will learn the financial and managerial tools economic developers use to create a climate that encourages entrepreneurial and small business development. Also, practitioners will examine the barriers they face and how communities can leverage their economic development resources to build highly integrated networks to help businesses thrive in the global economy.
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Course Highlights:
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• Identifying and addressing the needs of entrepreneurs
• Defining urban v. rural-focused entrepreneurial and small business strategies
• Managing technical assistance (e.g., economic gardening) programs
• Development and management of business incubators
• Understanding federal and state government resources (e.g., SBDCs)
• Financing programs including micro-lending, venture capital, and angel networks
• Creating a technical assistance tracking system to measure job growth and etc.
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About LIDEA Program Sponsors
The Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA) is a non-profit trade organization whose mission is to increase the effectiveness of individuals involved in the practice of economic development in Louisiana through education, public policy advocacy, and collaboration; LIDEA is the voice of the profession in Louisiana.
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LIDEA started the Certified Louisiana Economic Developer program in 2008 to help practitioners become the best in the nation at growing economies in their communities.
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Our partners include LED (Louisiana Economic Development), USDA Rural Development and the Delta Regional Authority. We are able to offer affordable, best in nation training due to their generous support!
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We also enjoy generous support from AEP (American Electric Power) and GNO, Inc (Greater New Orleans, Inc.), who have both been supporters of helping community leaders learn economic development best practices for many years!
