DC Business Connections Reaches Out to Corporate Community

When Mayor Williams created the DC Business Connections (DCBC) program more than three years ago, the vision was for the program was to directly connect District-based businesses to the city’s government agencies.

The innovative program was charged with assisting businesses at risk of leaving the District for the surrounding areas.

Three years later, the DCBC program continues to make strides within the District of Columbia business community. Most recently, the programs’ Corporate Relations Specialists (CRS) met their annual goal of 500 consultations. The programs’ two full-time staff members and manager accomplished this laudable feat by restructuring methods of outreach and by more precisely targeting companies in need of assistance from local government.

To make the program more successful and outreach to those businesses in need, DCBC used the following methods:

• In 2004, located and contacted 400 tenants in the market with 100 of them responding and participating in the program
• Focusing on the Top 200 Employers in the District, the team has seen over 100 of the 200 Top Employers in DC. Additionally, 50 of those consultations were held in 2004 alone.
• Focusing on companies in DC with 50 or more employees. 163 of the consultations have been with larger companies with 50 or more employees.

The DCBC team is committed to maintaining a successful program and has developed several goals to accomplish this mission. In the near future they hope to identify and assist new District businesses before any problems occur and to provide a direct link to District government agencies. The team continues to strengthen relations with real estate professionals and property managers and considers support from key sponsors like DC Government, Pepco and HQ Global Workplaces as a means to maintaining the healthy relationship with the DC business community.