Municipalities competing for businesses have a toolkit of enticements at their disposal. The most effective of all is the ability to point to a large pool of excellent workers to draw from, according to the CEOs and business leaders on the COMPAS business panel. Financial incentives can play a role. Good schools as well as good restaurants and entertainment are at the bottom of the list.

These are the key findings from this past week’s Internet survey of CEOs and business leaders on the COMPAS panel. The weekly business survey is undertaken for Canadian Business magazine under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.