Most small- to medium-sized planning departments across the United States have put off getting involved in GIS because of the perceived cost and complexity of the technology and a general lack of data. Times and the technology have changed - radically. Today there is a wide variety of available data readily available from many government and commercial sources. Custom software lets you use the GIS without the need to know how everything works "under the hood." Hardware prices have plummeted, while functionality and capacity have skyrocketed. The potential to take advantage of this technology and leverage it in day-to-day planning practice is here now. Several "focus groups" consisting of planning directors and their staffs are participating in the testing and refinement of "GIS QuickStart for Planners." This is a prepackaged kit of GIS software, custom applications, GIS data, tools, and an implementation methodology to help the small- to medium-sized planning department set up an initial GIS and create visible, useful results immediately while adopting a logical and practical strategy for expanding and refining the municipal GIS incrementally over time. This presentation covers what has been learned in this process and presents useful and practical tips for others.