Economic development efforts in small towns should focus on the birth, expansion, and retention of small enterprises. A consistent and rational policy towards new growth and an enthusiastic development team composed of individuals with knowledge of or access to others with knowledge of industrial sites, financing, utilities, labor, transportation, construction, insurance, local government, taxation, media, and environmental considerations are essential. Initial efforts of the development team should include a community inventory of existing firms and follow-up visitation to the firms to report findings and address problems or concerns. An action plan should be implemented to improve the local economic environment through development of regular business management/development courses, improvement of access to business development capital, identification and classification of industrial sites, evaluation of the need for new buildings for existing firms, examination of alternative ways to enlarge or remodel existing structures, and review of the need for vocational training and retraining programs. Economic development strategies should emphasize planning for the use of money; helping smaller, existing firms expand; assisting new firms, particularly in the areas of recordkeeping, financial planning, and management; and offering retail and service firms the same assistance available to manufacturing firms. An interviewer's survey form is included. (NEC)