The Record:
The Business Case Management Team spent the early weeks of the program building a database that would create a record of the business interaction that occurred. Two database systems were initially created to assist in creating the record needed for the program.
1) Business Contact Manager (BCM)
Microsoft Business Contact Manager was implemented within the first 30 days of the program and served as the “Client Relationship Management System”. In the summer of 2010, the team upgraded to the 2010 version which allowed additional information to be recorded into the system.
The database tracked items including:
- Dates and type of contact, except phone contacts
- Contact information of business
- Type of business by – industry
- Billing transactions
- Survey data relative to business information
2) Custom Access database
This database was built specifically to record the business data collected from the initial assessment. The Business Contact Manager system served the purpose, but lacked essential program functions such as:
- Limited import/export capability
- Limited the ability to integrate data systems such as grant status, city assessor data, online survey data and others.
- The system also operated with server and offline laptop versions which required periodic synchronization and necessitated special security precautions with data on mobile laptops.
The Clients: An early priority in forming the Business Case Management program was to develop a comprehensive list of flood-affected businesses and contact information. The list generated from sources such as JumpStart Business recovery efforts, Chamber of Commerce, community meetings and outreach efforts by a grass roots effort that was formed after the flood by Cedar Rapids businesses called the Small Business Recovery Group.
The Process: The first days of activity were spent developing the database and crafting an initial assessment tool used in one on one business meetings. Within the first three weeks, meetings had been conducted with 29 business owners in their place of business, testing the initial assessment process. The initial assessment was further refined based on business feedback.
The Business Case Management Team utilized an initial assessment to determine the needs of the business at the time of their first meeting. The assessment made it possible for the Case Manager and business owner to focus on immediate needs and services or mentorships available. The meetings allowed Case Managers to discuss the businesses financial situation, discuss flood recovery programs and evaluate eligibility. Per the initial assessment, data revealed that businesses that had long range strategic plans, flood insurance, little or no debt, available cash reserves or had a national customer base generally fared better after the flood.
Surveys:
A web based survey tool was used at various times to get quick feedback from the flooded businesses that the Business Case Management Program was assisting. The encryption module was used to assure participants that their information was secure over the Internet. Participation generally ranged between 200 and 350 of a target list of 900+ businesses.
Workshops: The workshop series was designed based on business’ expressed needs. The most significant need from businesses was marketing. Business owners continued to struggle with the significant loss of revenue as their business model had changed. The use of Social Media was foreign to many business owners and there was a growing need for tax planning as businesses anticipated receiving assistance through the JumpStart Business programs.
In virtually all cases, workshop presenters were owners of flood affected businesses.