Retention & Expansion
Assisting existing businesses
With an estimated 80% of new jobs created by existing Acadiana companies, we understand that existing businesses are crucial to our region’s economic success.
Our Business Retention & Expansion Program is a critical element of our economic development toolkit. The program is focused on gaining knowledge and understanding about your business through a face-to-face visitation program, identifying challenges and opportunities for your business, and creating a path for your business success.
Through active dialogue with the business community, we are committed to growing businesses, capital investment, and employment opportunities in Acadiana.
What We Do
- We visit your business to hear from you. Information gathered in these confidential, face-to-face visits provides us with clarity about your company’s history, products, services, and workforce.
- We take the time to understand your business objectives, successes, and challenges.
- We work with you to develop an action plan and identify the resources and partners that can help you achieve your goals. And we will be with you throughout your project, ensuring its success.
- We create a follow up plan to maintain frequent communication with you to foster a long-term relationship with the business community.
What We Want to Learn
- Are you planning to begin construction or purchase new equipment?
- Do you have project financing needs to enable your business growth?
- Are there infrastructure, utility or other technical obstacles prohibiting growth?
- Are there obstacles to building a trained and qualified workforce?
We use information gathered from businesses to help shape regional business development policies and initiatives, incentives, and assistance to build a better business climate.
One Acadiana Offers the Following Professional Business Development Tools Free of Charge:
- Assist in the exploration of state and local incentives that are available to companies for job creation and expansion.
- Explore workforce training opportunities.
- Provide key data driven information businesses can use as they make investment decisions such as cost of labor, availability of labor, demographics, retail market reports.
- Perform site location assistance.
To Learn More, Contact:
Megan Duhon
Director, Economic Development
Megan@OneAcadiana.org
337-408-3669
Contact One Acadiana if you:
- Are beginning construction or hiring new employees.
- Want a single point of contact for local, regional and state issues that hinder business growth.
- Need an advocate who can walk you through necessary approvals and permits.
- Are looking for information on regional, state and federal programs to improve your business.
Additional Resources
Acadiana values its entrepreneurial spirit and is ready to support the growth of your business and your network. Below are additional resources available through our friends and partners around the region.
Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC)
The LSBDC at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of 10 centers across Louisiana. It offers free, ongoing support and assistance and can help with modern business solutions, access to capital, advice, and other needed resources, such as assisting with development of a business plan. LSBDC’s website also includes several useful online resources.
The Opportunity Machine
Better known as “theOM”, the Opportunity Machine is an entrepreneurial acceleration and incubation center focused on rapid-growth startups utilizing automation, delegation and elimination strategies to achieve their goals. TheOM offers training and services in the areas of deal making, technical delivery, and administration.
Special Programs for Small Businesses
Among several Special Programs for Small Businesses, Louisiana offers experienced teams to provide technical assistance and research tailored to strategy, challenges, opportunities, and marketing through its Economic Gardening Initiative. Similarly, the Small and Emerging Business Development (SEBD) Program resources address training and technical growth issues like skill sets, business planning, and needs assessments.
Procurement Technical Assistance Center
The Procurement Technical Assistance Center was established to generate employment and improve the general economy of Louisiana by assisting business firms in obtaining and performing under the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies, state and local government contracts.
Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana
MEPOL focuses on providing Louisiana manufacturers with value-driven, best-practice solutions. The experts at MEPOL provide targeted needs assessment, consulting and technical assistance to strengthen and enhance your manufacturing business. We collaborate with public and private resources to provide smart, innovative and sustainable solutions that allow our clients to work and compete smarter. Most importantly, MEPOL is rated, graded and funded on impact; we are committed to a high return on investment.
LED CEO Roundtable
The CEO Roundtable is a program that brings together key decision makers from small businesses 10 times over the course of a year for collaborative, growth-oriented roundtable sessions that support a trusting environment in which CEOs can safely explore business and personal issues with the guidance of an experienced facilitator.
In coordination with Louisiana Economic Development (LED), One Acadiana coordinates and produces the CEO Roundtable in the Acadiana Region.
AT&T Small Business Solutions Guide
How the world connects, communicates, and conducts business has fundamentally changed. AT&T understands that small businesses around the world face their own set of challenges. We are here to help you take care of business. Use this guide to explore and find the technology solutions you need today.