These four tools have been crafted to assist local practitioners in implementing regional approaches to economic development. Economic development professionals have long recognized that marketing an individual community is not the most effective means to long-term prosperity. Today, this is increasingly true. Whether considering new basic employer recruitment or workforce development, a regional approach has significant advantages. In the arena of new business recruitment, it is easier to gain a site locator’s attention by promoting a regional area. In a globalizing economy, site locators rarely restrict themselves to city or county boundaries. A sub- state or multi-state region is easier to.