Don't Reinvent the Wheel!

1. Each community is differentand so no two entrepreneurial centers are going to be exactly the same in terms of the programsand services offered. Some schools need to have physical centersand others can operateas virtual centers that offer programs on-line. You should look for gaps in services thatare being offered to start-upand existing businesses in your region. Every region is different in terms of what'salreadyavailable from the state or local governments or other sources. Identify the gapsand deliver those services thatare most needed, recognizing that entrepreneurs need helpatall stages of development. To learn more, download the presentation, Building a Comprehensive Entrepreneurship Center by Tim Mittan and Tim Putnam http://www.nacce.com/?page=Pastwebinars

2. There are many ways to market a center, but the one big thing that will help is a well-researched marketing plan. Going through the process of exploring and creating a plan will help with the knowledge of all services offered, customer service expectations, and generation and implementation of marketing strategies that fit. This information will also assist you in the “planning the center” process. Read It's All in the Plan by Tim Mittan on Page 30 of the Winter 2008 NACCE Journal http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/journal_winter08.pdf

What is Involved in the Planning Process

3. Where does one begin in creating an entrepreneurship center? Read about the process one community college in rural Minnesota went through to create their entrepreneurship center on page 23 of the NACCE Winter 2008 journal. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/journal_winter08.pdf

4. An entrepreneurship center must involve an educated administration, engaged core group, and experienced advisory board. Read Growing a Comprehensive Entrepreneurship Center in a Small Town on page 15 of the spring/summer 2009 NACCE journal. http://www.nacce.com/news/27895/Growing-a-Comprehensive-Entrepreneurship-Center-in-a-Small-Town-.htm

5. Entrepreneurship Centers have to have an end result or consequence that makes sense to the community college mission and benefits the clients as well. Your future students and entrepreneurs will ultimately need to know what the outcomes will be and how they will benefit from them. Read Tim Mittan's article What's the outcome? on page 29, From the Summer/Fall 2007 NACCE journal: http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/journal_summer07.pdf

Incorporating Business Incubation

6. Many community college entrepreneurship centers house business incubators. Incubation is much more than a “space to rent”. Read more on page 20 of the spring 2008 NACCE journal. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/spring_2008_issue.pdf

7. At the intersection of learning and doing, Student Business Incubators allow students to put theory into practice. Student Business Incubators provide real life experiential learning opportunities, while supporting the entrepreneurial dreams of students through hands-on learning and business plan execution. Download the webinar - How to Set Up a Viable Student Business Incubator by Thomas Goodrow http://www.nacce.com/resource/collection/6DCA5FCF-F109-4B49-8369-B8D3FDCF2521/PreCon_Sharing_Success.pdf

Don't Go It Alone: Involving Partners

8. Looking for advocates, mentors, and/or partners in your region, and assessing your strengths are critical to the success of an entrepreneurship center. Read more in Articulating the Value You Bring to the Table by Cristobal Valdez, found on page 27 of the spring 2008 NACCE journal.

http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/spring_2008_issue.pdf

9. Partnering with agencies involved in entrepreneurship (universities, chambers etc…) in your region can go a long way in creating lasting impact. Read Partnering With a University Enhances Credibility on page 27 of the NACCE Summer/Fall 2008 NACCE journal.

http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/summ_fall_journal.pdf

10. Also, read about the resulting benefits of partnerships to your center in Joint Ventures: Using Both Institutions' Strengths for Synergistic Services, found on page 26 of the fall/winter 2008 NACCE journal. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/fallwinter2008_journal.pdf

Funding for the College

12. A chief concern for any new Entrepreneurship Center will be funding. Even modest program goals require financial support. Fortunately, the nature of entrepreneurship education lends itself naturally as a strong lure to capture funding. Read Entrepreneurship Education Is Strong Fundraising Lure. Read the cover story from the fall/winter 2008 NACCE journal. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/fallwinter2008_journal.pdf

13. Utilizing your center as a centerpiece for entrepreneurial activity for your region can result in unique funding sources and community outreach opportunities. Read Finding the Part of the University Model That Will Work for Your Community College by Cristobal Valdez on page 26 of the winter/spring 2009 NACCE journal. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/Journals/winter09_web.pdf

14. Apply for a Coleman Foundation elevator grant. http://www.nacce.com/?ElevatorGrants and check out how one college created a center with seed funding from last year's elevator grant they won at the NACCE conference: http://www.nacce.com/members/blog_search.asp?t=1&q=Bunker%20Hill%20Community%20College

Funding for the Businesses

15. It is critically important to package funding with a combination of business assistance services customized to meet each company's unique needs, this in turn can have a positive effect on the center itself. Read Tim Mittan's article from the fall 2007 NACCE Journal, Entrepreneurial Center as Financiers which can be found on page 20. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/journal_fall07.pdf

Some Additional Information to Consider

16. So, the faculty is on board, you've got the curriculum, the classes have been scheduled, and now all you have to do is fill the classes. Read Ready, Set, Go…Now All You Need Are Students by Shane Turner -on Page 30 of the spring 2008 NACCE Journal. http://www.nacce.com/resource/resmgr/journals/spring_2008_issue.pdf