Released on: May 21, 2008, 12:03 pm

Press Release Author: Montana Business Assistance Connection

Industry: Non Profit

Press Release Summary: Montana Business Assistance Connection\'s site selector is an
economic development website to assist your business site selection, expansion or
relocation analysis.

Press Release Body: HELENA, MT- The Montana Business Assistance Connection (MBAC)
recently launched MBACProspector.com making access to powerful business information
research only a mouse-click away.

The innovative website is an online program to attract and expand businesses and
jobs in the MBAC Region. A goal of the program is to simplify the process of
working with regional government when preparing for relocation and expansion
decisions. Now businesses will no longer have to leaf through reams of Census
Bureau reports for demographic information or contact multiple city departments for
basic data and documents.

It is the first program of its type in the State of Montana. MBACProspector.com
sends a clear message to potential business locators: We are open and ready for
business, on-line.

WHAT MBACPROSPECTOR.COM DOES

MBACProspector.com speeds up and simplifies the process of business attraction and
site selection for expanding and relocating businesses. It does this by efficiently
answering the main questions that businesses have when they are involved in the site
selection analysis process. These questions include:

. What buildings and land are available in our community?
. What are the market characteristics (demographics, workforce, spending)?
. What are the business synergies and opportunities in unique locations of our
community?
. What are the unique geographic characteristics and advantages?

All of this information is provided to website users in minutes using
MBACProspector.com interactive Internet GIS mapping technology. "MBACProspector.com
goes far beyond a simple database of available sites and buildings. It provides the
needed site selection analysis information that businesses require to identify the
unique geographic advantages and business opportunities in our community. Buildings
and sites are available throughout the nation; what makes the MBAC Region attractive
is highly related to our location-specific advantages. Expanding and relocating
businesses are able to access this information by leveraging the site-specific power
of GIS through the Internet with MBACProspector.com," said MBAC Executive Director
Terry Myhre.

In addition to these tools ZoomProspector provides dynamic mapping capabilities
including the ability to zoom in/out, move the map, identify information and view
geographic "layers" of information such as business improvement districts, aerials,
public lands, traffic counts, airports, and zip codes.

The importance of providing quality property and site selection information is
critical because over ninety percent of the initial site selection screening is now
done using the Internet.

Recognizing that cities are often overlooked for new job investments if they do not
provide quality information online, the MBAC responded effectively to this need by
creating MBACProspector.com to attract new businesses and to respond to existing
businesses\' needs.

MBACProspector.com strengthens the partnership between the MBAC and commercial real
estate professionals. "This site provides unique local access to commercial data
for businesses and investors and will prove invaluable to anyone seeking information
about the Helena business community" said Randall Green of Green & Green Realty
Associates, LLC.


HOW MBACPROSPECTOR.COM WORKS

At the heart of MBACProspector.com is powerful GIS (Geographic Information System)
technology called ZoomProspector developed by GIS Planning, Inc. that makes this new
Internet service more powerful than typical websites. GIS is an integration of
software and geographic data designed to efficiently display and analyze
information. In the case of MBACProspector.com, GIS allows visitors to rapidly
tailor maps and reports to suit their needs and access data that would normally take
weeks to collect and thousands of dollars to obtain from specialty data researchers.


For example, available properties can be viewed, along with size, use, cost,
development incentives, and contact information. Corresponding demographic reports
such as labor force, education levels, consumer spending, and age can be created. In
addition, businesses are mapped by industry showing their distribution and
concentrations throughout the area.


Web Site: http://www.MBACProspector.com

Contact Details: Sarah Lyytinen
Montana Business Assistance Connection
225 Cruse Ave, Helena MT 59601
406-447-1510
slyytinen@mbac.biz