The Economic Development Office assists businesses with all aspects of becoming a member of the community. Often, this will include assistance with City permits and licenses; becoming familiar with local suppliers and vendors; assistance with housing needs for their employees; coordinating job fairs and employee training programs; and coordination of incentives programs. The Ombudsman services are not limited to new businesses. The Economic Development staff also assists existing business with any issue that may be affecting their ability to remain in the City or expand their operations.

The Economic Development staff works with businesses to identify and obtain needed financial incentives from City, County, State and Federal agencies.

The Economic Development staff assists businesses in locating qualified staff by working with Job Services of Florida, Lake Technical Center, Lake-Sumter Community College, University of Central Florida and the Florida WAGES program. In addition, many businesses will require training programs for their employees. The Economic Development staff will work with local educational institutions to develop effective training programs.

The Economic Development office maintains an inventory of commercial and industrial land and existing buildings. The database includes information on zoning; land and building costs; and availability of utilities. In addition, the Economic Development staff manages the Leesburg Industrial Park, which has available industrial sites.