Destination Wyoming: How Wyoming Can Open The Door To the Web

Transcript

1. Destination Wyoming How Wyoming can open the door to Web 2.0 The conditions are right for Wyoming to position itself as a hub for web startups.
2. 2 OUR PLAN DEVELOP A STATEWIDE WEB STRATEGY: Wyoming has a unique opportunity to become a leader in e- government services at the state, county and municipal level, because of its relative lack of population, yet its large services which make providing certain services for individuals in remote areas very difficult in-person, especially for disabled persons and seniors. We have the contacts and the relationships to make it happen. EDUCATE THE STATE: Many people have questions about social media tools, how they work and how best to use them. By educating people, they understand how to refine their efforts and can save money using techniques outlined in these workshops; it will also spark local businesses that emerge to serve the needs of local communities on the variety of social media tools, development and implementation. Workshops should focus on these key constituencies: - state agencies - local schools and community colleges - small businesses looking to branch out and ship their goods nationwide - cities and town governments - chambers of commerce and local business councils INTEGRATE IT INTO WHAT WE DO: The Wyoming Business Council’s December 18th 2008 draft strategic plan made mention of many goals of helping the state. Many of the outlined goals and strategies within the draft plan were areas where a web strategy would be critical to many of the efforts listed to include: - Expand and attract target sectors and existing niche industries to diversify employment opportunities based upon communities’ prioritization. - Help retain, diversify and expand existing businesses and entrepreneurs. - Promote youth entrepreneurship. - Expand state, national and international opportunities for Wyoming businesses. By encouraging the use of web to Wyoming businesses and giving them the skills to utilize these tools effectively, we can help businesses expand their reach beyond the state’s borders. IF YOU BUILD IT…: Create a critical mass for web developers, software engineers and other would-be entrepreneurs to get their start in Wyoming. We also use them to train our farm team. Envision these possibilities: - Creating partnerships with web companies to make the University of Wyoming the leading institutions in the world for web programming. This would open doors to internships, work opportunities and entice those same companies with the other benefits the state has to offer. Use the WaSP Curriculum Framework to start. - Build an innovative summer program that brings students in Grades 7-11 from around the state to Laramie to learn web programming. In exchange for small grants, startup developers teach these classes to Wyoming students and meet with experts from around the globe to help discover the possibilities.
3. 3 DESTINATION WYOMING: THE EFFECTS STOP THE BRAIN DRAIN: We can stop Wyoming’s brain drain in its tracks, but only if steps are taken to change the perception and to create success stories through the state. If the stories are happening and no one knows them, do they matter? We propose: - In 2009, organize a Wyoming Social Media Symposium. Attract social media experts from the around the country and have them tell you why social media can help the state. Do it when school is in session and bring UW students to listen and participate. - Take the Wyoming 10k Business Plan Competition to the next level and make it more technology focused. Recruit more computer science majors, web developers and scientists to participate. Give the teams video records, turn it into a “reality” series that gets broadcast on the web and use it to stimulate interest in Wyoming. WIN THE PR WAR: The funny thing about marketing in the Web 2.0 is that it doesn’t cost millions to change the perception of your brand. Smart businesses – both major ones and startups – are learning this and have engaged themselves in the business of engaging people and influencing them. By embracing social media and the changing tide of communication, Wyoming can: - Effectively communicate the message that the state is truly “open for business.” - Change the perception of the state not just amongst motivated millennials outside of the state, but to those who are already here. - Highlight the innovative work already being done in the state by companies that are already here and help them grow and thrive. BUILD A CRITICAL MASS: As we see it, Wyoming’s main selling points for a startup team considering relocating there would be: - Affordable place to live. - Inexpensive to incorporate and get your business off the ground. - If based in Laramie, access to mentorship and support. The goal here isn’t to invite carpetbaggers to come to Wyoming, use it for all they can and then head back where they came from. The idea is to paint the picture that if you can change the image of Wyoming, you can create a critical mass of young, talent and motivated entrepreneurs from within our midst. But the conditions have to be in place and right now, they do not exist at all. DIVERSITY THE MARKETPLACE: All of these solutions go hand in hand with what’s already being done around the state. We’re not talking Facebook here, we’re talking useful tools like Basecamp, ConceptShare, Skype, RememberTheMilk. Computer giant DELL made $1 million in revenue using micro-blogging site Twitter in 2008. There’s money to be made and a lot of useful applications that can be made in a geographically separated, small population state like Wyoming. It’s happening every day on the web. Another group of college kids get together and develop a site in a weekend, throw it on the web and timing turns them into the next “big” thing. We have no illusions here that Wyoming will become the next Silicon Valley. But to illustrate how much further behind the state is than everyone else, here’s a picture. Boulder has over 100 tech startups in a city of less than 150,000 people. If the rest of the country is using cable to tune into television, Wyoming is still using rabbit ear antennas. Embrace the tidal wave of new media and transform the state into a digital media leader.
4. 4 CONCLUSION Innovative web startups do not much of an incentive to base itself in Wyoming. We’re not talking about VC- dependent high tech boom startups that are looking to do billion-dollar exits. We’re talking about small, bootstrapped businesses that you hear college kids all over the country doing. We’ve often heard people talk about the difference between being “good enough” and “good enough for Wyoming.” It’s always seemed like a harsh distinction to make, but today’s web users are savvy and they can tell the difference between a site made by hapless amateurs and those made by people who are serious. It’s not just about web design. It’s about tactics, execution and awareness of the pace of the Web 2.0 marketplace. We believe by educating audiences – entrepreneurs, policymakers and youth – you can stimulate growth of an in- state industry centered around building web applications that make the lives of people around the world a little better, right in Wyoming. WEB 2.0 AND SOCIAL MEDIA ARE WYOMING’S BLIND SPOT. We can visualize an entirely new industry that excites people, create new jobs and fosters a culture of innovation that reaches ordinary people, as well as entrepreneurs and leaders of commerce. The timing is right and we possess the vision and the will, to help key players make this plan a reality. The 2004 Wyoming Workforce Report indicated that: - Only 13 of the TOP 100 growth jobs in Wyoming require a 2 or 4 year degree. - From 1990-2000, about 10,000 people ages 25-44 left the state of Wyoming. - Wyoming was the only state to experience a net loss in the percent of population with adults 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree. DESTINATION WYOMING IS ABOUT THE STATE’S FUTURE Institutions of all stripes – educational, state and non-profit should be leading the way on Web 2.0 and social media in Wyoming. Millions of dollars are leaving the state, as well as good jobs for Wyoming youth. It’s not enough to talk about it, there has to be an understanding of what’s at stake, what’s happening in other places and how to make it happen in Wyoming. By educating leaders of commerce and government statewide, integrating web strategy into the work already being done and being savvier about getting the message of Wyoming out in a digital world; we believe that Wyoming can become a destination for 21st century web companies.