What Is A Utah Smart Site?

“Utah Smart Site” is a designation awarded by the Governor’s Rural Partnership to small towns prepared to welcome companies that employ workers who use computers and the Internet to perform tasks for clients anywhere in the world. A successful Utah Smart Site has four elements:

A Smart Site Team: Utah Smart Sites are community driven and are directed by a local smart site team. Members of the team are determined by the community itself, but ideally should involve representatives from local economic development staff, elected officials, schools and colleges offering computer training, the Utah Department of Workforce Services, companies providing high speed internet access and small business development centers. Where possible, businessmen from technology-based firms, whether located in the community or not, make outstanding team members.

Smart Site Workers: Within one year after designation by the Governor’s Rural Partnership Office, the smart site must have access to at least ten workers who have demonstrated competency in basic technology skills. These skills include all elements of the Microsoft Office Suite; soft skill training such as customer relations; and basic Internet navigation. Workers may be required to learn more advanced skills tailored to the individual needs of businesses locating in the smart site. Workers do not necessarily have to be trained prior to.

A Smart Site Facility: For a town to earn Utah Smart Site designation, they must have identified at least one facility for sale or lease within the community where a business can employ ten or more smart site workers. This facility can be privately or publicly owned. It may be a separate building or may share space with other activities. The facility must be served by high speed internet access, typically at T-1 speed or higher. It will also have workstations and computer-related equipment. Internet access, workstations and computer equipment do not necessarily have to be available prior to identify a business to locate in the facility, but arrangements must have been made to deliver these resources in a timely manner.

The elements listed above are required for a community to be involved in the Utah Smart Site Initiative. The fourth element that ultimately makes the smart site successful is:

A Smart Site Business: Smart site businesses will be members of the computer, data processing or telecommunications industries. Through the use of the Internet, they will perform activities for their parent company or will contract for services with other companies or government agencies. The general term for this kind of work is “outsourcing”. The Rural Smart Site initiative is specifically targeting companies that provide jobs in the $10-$20 per hour range that require mid-level technology training.

In some instances, a smart site company may employ less skilled workers at a lower wage, but only with the goal of providing a career ladder to higher paying, more skilled jobs. Examples of the services offered by these company would include:

Website development
Database development and administration
Data entry
Help desk support for technology-based businesses
Software testing
Basic computer programming

A smart site business can be a new company recruited from outside the community to locate in the smart site facility, an existing business within the community interested in expanding or a startup business created to perform technology-based outsourcing activities.

Small towns are frequently surprised to learn the degree that local businesses are already involved in technology-based activities. Similarly, there are local residents who have been commuting to urban areas for technology-based work as well as past residents who have moved away for job opportunities who may be interested in helping start a business in a smart site.

Rural Smart Site Resources

The Governor’s Rural Partnership Office, working in conjunction with Governor Leavitt’s Utah Technology Alliance, has developed a variety of resources that, based on the characteristics and needs of individual companies, can help develop a rural smart site. These resources include:

Technical assistance for communities seeking Utah Smart Site designation
Computer equipment at incentive lease rates for eligible smart site businesses
Training funds to upgrade worker skills to the needs of each company
State job tax credits and investment tax credits
Technical assistance to access state and federal contracts
Involvement in targeted Utah Smart Site marketing initiatives
Utah Smart Site entrepreneur assessments by third party evaluators
Matching funds to attend industry trade shows
Local lease incentives and small business loans as developed in each town

The Utah Smart Site Value Proposition

Utah Smart Sites offer businesses the following unique value proposition:

Utah Smart Sites provide a single package of trained workers, low cost equipment, a facility and high-speed bandwidth. As a result, the time and expense of establishing a new location are minimized.
Utah Smart Site workers are committed to retaining their rural lifestyle. Consequently, companies will experience lower turnover and higher productivity.
The State of Utah offers a strong package of incentives to encourage firms to locate in a Utah Smart Site.
The Utah Smart Site initiative is a priority for state and local leaders. Even the smallest businesses, in fact especially the smallest businesses, receive red carpet treatment.