Some of the tools available include:

Promoting an enabling environment by:

• Development of an economic strategy;
• Improving the local business climate eg improving processes and procedures for business;
• Appropriate egistration, taxation, etc., within the Municipality;
• Privatisation to improve services;
• Grants/rebates to attract inward investment;
• Grants/rebates to attract local investment/expansion/ retention;
• Encouraging local people to invest in their own area, eg through an LED Forum.

Promoting infrastructure:

• Investment in hard strategic infrastructure. eg: transport infrastructure, utilities;
• Investment in industrial and commercial sites and premises;
• Expecting rates income and employment multipliers in return.
• Investment in hard strategic infrastructure. eg: transport infrastructure, utilities;
• Investment in industrial and commercial sites and premises;
• Expecting rates income and employment multipliers in return.

Fostering an entrepreneurial culture, supporting SMMEs and communities:

• Support existing SMMEs, as well as creation of new SMMEs (there are high failure rates but they are important for livelihoods and experience so an investment in the future);
• Contract business support services as municipalities are very poorly equipped to promote entrepreneurship;
• Training and awareness raising around entrepreneurship, including for schoolchildren;
• Supporting SMMEs and community groups to recognise and mobilise local resources for reinvestment locally;
• Support for procurement by SMMEs from large organisations.

Targeting groups/areas:

• Development of specific sectors (and business clusters) ;
• Schemes to support the informal sector;
• Schemes to support urban agriculture;
• Schemes to support value-adding;
• Schemes to support particular groups, eg disadvantaged groups/workers, women, youth;
• Special employment schemes eg public works programmes;
• Special development zones such as intensive development zones, business improvement districts.

Providing support in:

• Research and information about economic development;
• Support for export/marketing/quality;
• Marketing of the area;
• Non-financial support in promoting inward investment.