Fort Myers economic board backs outsourcing lead generation to boost business recruitment

The Fort Myers Economic Development Advisory Board voted Oct. 2 to back a plan to pursue a contracted lead-generation firm for the city’s economic development office, a tactical step members said is needed to increase the volume of qualified business leads.

Economic Development Director Steve Weathers told the board that the department’s current annual budget is roughly $300,000, with a travel line of about $10,000, and that staff do not have capacity to make the many outbound calls and site-selector contacts required for proactive business recruitment. Weathers said outsourcing would allow the city to pay a fixed fee and measure results; he cited two examples discussed in the meeting: a retail-focused firm proposing $50,000 per year over three years and another lead-generation option at about $75,000 for a…