Why We Started Townfolio
- Czarina Catambing
- May 10, 2018October 02, 2018
A few years back, our Co-founder Davie was working abroad as a site selector doing the dreaded work of sifting through stacks and piles of paper, combing through outdated pdf’s, trying to make sense of multiple excel sheets and tracking down any current data that was available on any of the many data source sites available today. He knew there was a lack of economic development software on the market, especially solving his pain points.
*sigh*
Even just describing that process is frustrating and exhausting. So from there came the most famous and typical entrepreneurial line there is: “There has to be a better way”.
And so began the journey of Townfolio.
We knew how cumbersome, outdated and honestly unrealistic this process was for anyone to go through just to obtain accurate data on communities. So we wanted to hear that straight from the those that deal with that daily and began asking over 100 Economic Developers what their experience was trying to get accurate information on their community, visualizing that data, and having it readily available and updated to show investors, site selectors, companies and others that are interested in their municipality. Their answer?
Attracting new investment from businesses is their number one pain point and the number one requested need by a wide margin. Market data is the runner up and a very common need as well. Basically they don’t have the budget, technical skills or the resources to attract new business investment in a very digital and globalized economy.
And that’s our why.
Almost our entire team is from small towns. We see that younger generations are leaving the town and not returning after further education. We see that the older generations are starting to retire and don’t have successors for their businesses. We see that economic developers are tasked with the impossible challenge of providing a solution to both of those realities often by themselves.
Economic Development Week recognizes those professionals that are promoting their communities. It “aims to increase awareness for local programs that are creating jobs, advancing career development opportunities and increasing overall quality of life.” -International Economic Development Council
We recognize you, Economic Developers, and all community members that are working towards building a strong municipality, and we’re here to help make your job easier by providing automated, customizable, community profiles.
So why do we do what we do?
What is Townfolio’s mandate? It’s simple.
- To improve livelihoods and decision making by getting public data to the citizens, businesses, and governments
- To many public data as public as possible
- To connect people to data
- To connect entrepreneurs to opportunities
- To help municipal governments be more efficient
- To help entrepreneurs find the right opportunity
- To help small towns attract new business
- To help immigrants find the right place to move
- To help under-resourced communities better compete
- To help governments be more transparent
- To give non politically motivated data to be displayed for unbiased and opinionated decision making
To help communities be a better place.
It’s what drives us every day.
-Always yours, Townfolio
#EcDevWeek