Helping communities thrive with strategic guidance and modern tools.
Smart Solutions Group is a consulting firm dedicated to helping economic and community development organizations achieve their goals. We provide strategic advice, custom software solutions, and practical tools to enhance your effectiveness and impact.
Strategy
We lead communities and organizations through strategic planning that is grounded, collaborative, and results driven. Our process helps clients clarify goals, identify barriers, prioritize resources, and align stakeholders around a common direction. Whether you’re refining your mission, addressing workforce or development challenges, or building a long-term roadmap, we bring the structure, facilitation, and insight needed to turn big ideas into focused action. Our strategy work often includes economic development assessments, stakeholder engagement, incentive and funding approaches, BRE planning, and targeted implementation steps. Part of the strategic framework could include the examination and implementation of mergers and alliances involving mission-aligned organizations (Chambers, EDOs, etc.). Smart Solutions Group has the expertise and track record to assist a client with all the details.
Executive Search
Smart Solutions Group conducts executive searches with one clear goal: finding leaders who fit your organization, your mission, and your community. We bring deep experience in economic and community development—along with a wide professional network—to identify qualified candidates who align with your vision. Our process includes helping you define the role, structuring the search committee, crafting the outreach and messaging, screening applicants, and supporting final negotiations. Because we’re not just search consultants—we’re practitioners—our insights reflect the real demands of the job and the strategic goals behind it.
Productivity
Economic development teams wear a lot of hats, and we help you work smarter, not harder. Whether you’re buried in spreadsheets, struggling with duplicate data, or just trying to get everyone on the same page, Smart Solutions Group offers practical, no-nonsense support. We help you clean and organize your data, streamline daily workflows, and align your tools and team around what actually needs to get done. It’s not about buzzwords—it’s about saving time and making your work easier.
AI
Smart Solutions Group helps you make sense of AI without the hype. We stay current in this fast-moving space and bring that knowledge directly to you—whether you’re just getting started or looking to take the next step. From exploring everyday AI tools to identifying use cases tailored to your team’s work, we meet you where you are. Our AI recommendations are grounded in real experience: we’ve been implementing and using AI within our own software platform, EDC Forge, and bring that hands-on expertise to every client conversation.
Custom Software Solutions
Smart Solutions Group has been building custom software for economic developers for over a decade. From mobile apps and data dashboards to workflow tools and integrations, we create solutions that fit the way you work. Our team understands the unique challenges of economic development and delivers tools that help you track, report, and manage your work more effectively. Whether you need a simple tool or a comprehensive platform, we can build what you need.
EDC Forge
EDC Forge is our flagship platform—a modern, web-based CRM and project management system built specifically for economic developers. Designed to be affordable, simple, and powerful, EDC Forge helps you manage leads, prospects, projects, contacts, sites, buildings, activities, and tasks. It includes features like email integration, surveys, forms, and reporting tools to streamline your operations. Whether you’re a small organization looking for an easy-to-use system or a power user needing advanced features and integrations, EDC Forge is built to scale with your needs.
