The Natchez-Adams county Economic and Community Development Authority is doing a little housekeeping in an effort to improve its ability to market our community to potential business developers.

The EDA is using a grant from Entergy to upgrade the marketing material available to help entice new businesses to our community.

Updating the information may seem like simple housework, but it’s crucial.

Such information is one of the first steps a business or business locator uses to size up our community. Information is key to offering such business developers an accurate picture of our area – demographically speaking.

And in economic development, demographics is a vital piece of the pie.

We’ve often said the Miss-Lou sells itself.

From its abundance of history and charm to its friendly people and easy-going lifestyle, our area has much to offer a potential new business or industry.

But none of our positives can help a bit, if we don’t fit what the potential new business needs demographically. If our community meets their demographic needs, the rest should fall into place.

For years now, we’ve heard cries from the community about needing our EDA to provide jobs for our area – and no one will argue with the need for an economic shot in the arm.

The EDA, under the leadership of Executive Director Michael Ferdinand and the revamped, and more efficient, EDA board is working to do just that as evidenced by the new marketing information.

And it’s only the first of what looks to be many improvements in our economic development effort.

We, like many others, are anxious to see what the future holds and how we can all contribute. Economic development requires a unified community with a single goal in mind.