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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 1. What is Chatham Prospector? Chatham Prospector is a website that allows users to identify available property. The website also provides data including workforce demographics, business information, and interactive maps. The data is created and displayed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) that combines layers of information in order to better understand comprehensive details about a specific location and is powered by GIS Planning's ZoomProspector software. The website is provided by the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation, and is FREE. 2. How are properties listed in Chatham Prospector? Any commercial broker, property owner, industrial developer, or similar real estate entity can list available property. There is no cost to participate. Chatham Prospector serves as a free, dynamic and comprehensive listing system for brokers and interested companies. With their informed list of leads, website visitors can contact Chatham County Economic Development Corporation directly about specific properties. Linked to the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation frequently-trafficked website, Chatham Prospector promotes the properties listed. Chatham Prospector also provides critical business data giving enormous exposure to listed properties. 3. How do users access Chatham Prospector? The public can view and use Chatham Prospector by visiting the website at Chatham Prospector The easy-to-use, browser format lets anyone with an Internet connection use the Web to access Chatham Prospector maps, properties and GIS-based data. 4. How is Chatham Prospector different from other site selection sites/services? Chatham Prospector is unique. In addition to the property listings and the current-year demographic and economic information that is available, Chatham Prospector offers access to a breadth of important proprietary local data that is critical to relocation and/or expansion decisions. Economic Development site selection is not just about available buildings. The reason people say Economic Development is all about "location, location, location" is because it is. By using GIS, a business is able to analyze and evaluate the site-specific advantages and opportunities of each unique site location. 5. What type of properties will be listed? Commercial, industrial, and retail properties will be catalogued and displayed on Chatham Prospector. 6. What types of Industries are using Chatham Prospector? Manufacturing, warehousing, distribution centers, call centers, incubators, and retail firms large and small are taking advantage of this free service. 7. How often will data be updated? Chatham County Economic Development Corporation updates their data 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so the inventory of available properties can remain current. Demographic data, consumer expenditure data, business and workforce data will all be updated yearly providing the most up-to-date information available. Some data will be updated as frequently as necessary to maintain a current and robust database. 8. What kind of information can users access? Chatham Prospector offers site location data and demographic information. The asking price, square footage, property description, in addition to other vital information will be listed with each property. When considering a specific property, users can also query the demographics, workforce data, and existing market synergy and competition in any radial vicinity of the property. In addition, "layers" of information can be turned on and off on the interactive map display. Individual properties may also include other pertinent information. 9. Why is the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation investing in Chatham Prospector? The Chatham County Economic Development Corporation is therefore committed to the health of our economy by working closely with our existing industries and diligently recruiting new industries to our beautiful County. Current research suggests that 80 percent of the initial site selection screening is now done through the Internet. With the growing number of people who conduct business on the Internet, Chatham Prospector provides an invaluable, real-time service to the many companies who contact the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation seeking site selection information. 10. How will companies know about the Chatham Prospector GIS site? How is the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation marketing it? There is a link to Chatham Prospector on the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation website as well as a link on other frequently trafficked sites. The Chatham County Economic Development Corporation will promote Chatham Prospector in all marketing materials. 11. What is GIS? GIS is an abbreviation for the term "Geographic Information System". A GIS combines layers of geographic information about a place that provides better information about that location. In the case of Chatham Prospector, the Internet-based GIS allows businesses to identify optimal business locations based on available commercial property, location differences, demographic variations and business industry characteristics. Chatham Prospector allows website users to customize the analysis to their specific needs. Copyright © 2013   GIS Planning Inc. All Rights Reserved.