Existing Business Retention & Expansion
The Existing Business Team, which focuses on business retention and expansion, is a partnership of Economic Development Professionals in the Birmingham region. These organizations work closely with the BBA and partner with utilities, government offices, and non-profit organizations to retain and expand small businesses.
EBT members sit down one-on-one with business owners to gauge the pulse of the business community. The purpose of the visit is to collect confidential information from a standardized survey form. Once all the data is collected, the BBA is able to see trends in sales, business expansion/decline, and issues of the companies, workforce and more through the use of this program.
For more information on specific aspects of the Existing Business Team, visit the following links:
To arrange a visit from the Existing Business Team, please contact the BBA's Manager of Existing Business Retention Jim Searcy.
EBT Mission
Our mission is to retain and expand small businesses in the Birmingham region. Our team of economic development experts is trained to visit with business owners to identify thematic issues across industries, inform business owners of business development opportunities and to help identify solutions for business challenges. We believe that 60,000+ existing businesses are a significant portion of our region's economic portfolio. Simply put, EBT manages our portion of that portfolio by identifying companies that may have the greatest influence on our tax base, number of jobs and overall economic impact.
EBT Visits
EBT members regularly visit with businesses to discuss issues, help find solutions, and to get a feel for the business climate in our region. The EBT generates an annual report which influences public policy decisions.
