What Makes Next Move Group’s Strategic Planning Different?
Rolling Economic Development Strategic Plans are updated annually to create buy-in, alignment, and long-term impact.
Many economic development organizations invest heavily in five-year strategic plans. The plan is often solid — the challenge comes later.
As board members and elected officials change, clarity fades. Priorities get questioned, goals lose context, and economic developers are left re-explaining the strategy instead of implementing it. This is where traditional strategic plans break down.
Next Move Group’s Rolling Economic Development Strategic Plans solve this problem by maintaining a five-year outlook while being updated annually to reflect new leadership, updated data, and evolving community priorities.
Each annual update includes refreshed data, refined strategies, and input from new decision-makers — creating ongoing buy-in, continuity, and alignment. The result is a living strategy that stays relevant, costs less over time, and actually gets used.
5 Ways You Will Benefit As The Economic Developer:
1) You Will No Longer Be Judged By “Did You Land A New Industry This Year?”
2) You Will Have Realistic Goals And Implementation Strategies Written By Practitioners Who’ve Been In Your Seat
3) You Will Gain Control Over The Tasks Your Organization Pursues
4) You Will Have Action Items To Defend Your Budget Asks
5) You Will Prioritize What You & Your Staff Work On As Opposed To Being Expected To Chase Every Little Thing At The Whim Of Your Board Or Elected Officials
Bismarck, ND, Testimonial
Nathan Schneider, VP Econ Dev, Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota
More Testimonials
Next Move Group’s 11-Step Strategic Planning Process
- Community Tour
- One-on-One Cup Of Coffee Meetings With Stakeholders
- Economic Research Into Growing Industries, At Risk Industries, Occupational Wages, etc.
- Next Move Group's Staff Compiles & Researches Every Idea From The Stakeholder Meetings & Economic Research
- Halftime Eye Doctor Meeting (Ideas Gained From The Stakeholder Meetings & Economic Research Are Tossed Out In A "Better or Worse" Sticky Note Session)
- Survey Monkey To Stakeholders To Vote 1-5 On All Ideas Which Passed The Halftime Eye Doctor "Better or Worse" Test
- All Suvery Monkey Ideas Which Recieved At Least A 4 Out of 5 Vote By The Stakeholders Now Are Researched Heavily For Funding Alternatives, ROI Calculations, etc.
- Presentation Of Draft Strategic Plan To Strategic Planning Committee Via Zoom
- Finalize Draft Into Final Strategic Plan Version
- Build Implementation Plan
- Deliver Strategic Plan Via 2 Meetings One With Board + One With Community As A Whole
3 Levels Of Plans:
1. Comprehensive 5-Year Rolling Strategic Plan
2. Vision Now Mid-Level Strategic Plan
3. Spark Plan Introductory Service
Why Choose Next Move Group?
- BUILT FOR COMFORT— we don’t intimidate stakeholders with jargon; we help them contribute meaningfully.
- WE'VE SEEN IT ALL — over 600 clients in 40 states gives us a practical perspective most consultants can’t match.
- REAL WORLD INSIGHT — our team has sat in your chair, led executive searches, and worked with site selection — so we understand boards, elected officials, and investors.
- YOU ARE IN CONTROL — we structure the process so your board and community feel heard and empowered.
Call 1-800-764-3105
