During the 1960s and 1970s, the primary economic development strategy of local governments in the United States was to attract manufacturing industries. Unfortunately, this strategy was usually implemented at another community’s expense: many manufacturing facilities were lured away from their moorings elsewhere through tax incentives and slick promotional efforts. Through the transfer of jobs and related revenues that resulted from this practice, one town’s triumph could become another town’s tragedy.
On the 1980s the strategy shifted from this zero-sum game to one called “high-technology development,” in which local governments competed to attract newly formed high-technology manufacturing firms. Although this approach was preferable to victimizing other geographical areas by taking their jobs, it also had its shortcomings: high-tech manufacturing firms employ only a specially trained fraction of the manufacturing workforce, and there simply are not enough high-tech firms to satisfy all geographic areas.
Recently, local governments have increasingly come to recognize the advantages of yet a third strategy; the promotion of homegrown small businesses. Small indigenous businesses are created by a nearly ubiquitous resource, local entrepreneurs. With roots in their communities, these individuals are less likely to be enticed away by incentives offered by another community. Indigenous industry and talent are kept at home, creating an environment that both provides jobs and fosters further entrepreneurship.
二十世纪六七十年代，美国地方政府主要的经济发展策略是吸引制造业。而这一策略的实施使其它地区付出代价。由于税收刺激和促销努力许多生产设备被转移到了其他地方。由此带来的职业转变和相关财政收益使得一个市镇的成功可能成为另一个城镇的不幸。
在八十年代，政府战略从以前的零和对策变成所谓的“高科技发展”策略——当地政府争相吸引新成立的高科技生产公司。虽然这种方法比夺取其它地域工作使其利益受到损害的方法更可取，它还是有缺点的。高科技生产公司只雇佣那些经过特殊培训的生产工人，并且没有足够多的高科技生产公司来满足所有地域的需求。
最近，地方政府日渐意识到第三种策略——推广本地小型企业——的优势。小型当地企业由当地企业家建立，拥有近乎无所不在的资源。这些企业家植根于自己所在的地区中不太可能被其它地区吸引走。当地的产业和人才都被留住了，这为工作岗位的提供以及未来企业家的培养创建了环境。
