Where Do We Begin?
Member Basics
Programming
Enrollment
Issues
Cross Campus Support
Grants and Crowdfunding
Where Do We Begin?
Q: Where do we start?
A: It all depends on
two main questions:
- "Where are you right now?”
- "Where do you want to go?”
If you do not have any
entrepreneurship offerings at all and want to create two certificate programs,
a two-year degree and full-featured, and a one-stop entrepreneurship center with
multi-use incubator — then you’ve got some work cut out for you. Regardless of
your goal or the distance you are from that vision, it can be done. You just
need to use NACCE to help you make the most of your time and efforts.
Our member colleges
save time, money, and are most effective in their efforts because we share our
best practices, ideas, and feedback.
The Basic Steps:
A) Explore your
options through NACCE resources. Use the Presidents for Entrepreneurship action steps as a framework in building your strategy. Our quarterly
journals
and our webinars are great places to learn how other colleges are approaching entrepreneurship.
B) Examine your
college culture and local economy to determine what kind of offerings make
sense for your school and community.
C) Identify and gather
your local allies (both on and off campus) and use them to help you create and
then implement your plan.
QuickTip: To speed up the process of creating a plan for entrepreneurship
education and training in your community check out the Quick Start
Guide series and the Entrepreneurship Specialist Certificate Online Course.
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Q: How do we begin to utilize NACCE resources?
A: The very first thing to do is to understand what we have and how to find it.
At various times you’ll likely go through three basic stages
Stage 1: Gathering
If you are very early in the planning phase you will probably want to peruse our
resources to gather ideas of what is possible by hearing how other colleges have
put their programs together. Schedule a coaching call with a NACCE team member to share goals and learn more about NACCE resources.
NACCE Resources:
NACCE’S
Quarterly Journal: Community College Entrepreneurship: (Members
Only)
Webinars:
(Members Only)
Conference Archives
Curriculum Examples: (Members Only)
Stage 2: Reaching Out
At some point you will find that the NACCE site does not appear to have what
you are looking for. Do not worry, there is another resource to draw from – your
fellow members.
If you have not
already done so go here and sign up for First-Word, the NACCE members-only
list-serv. See the next question below for more information on our list-serv, First Word.
Q: What is a
List-Serv?
A: List-serv is a group email list. When creating a List-Serv email, compose a subject line and message. When sent to the list-serv email address (given once you sign up) the email will be
automatically stamped with "[NACCE]” at the beginning of the subject line. The name of NACCE's list-serv is "First Word".
First word enables you to post questions for the network to respond to or offer feedback. It is a great way to get answers, ideas and help in solving challenges related to your entrepreneurship plans, projects, and programs. It is also where we post messages about funding, conference and publicity opportunities. When posting a question, make sure the subject line is brief but descriptive.
Each reply by a member will appear as a separate email unless you opt for just one daily email by checking the "Digest" option when you sign up.
The NACCE main office can give you overviews and trends, but your fellow educators can be more specific and may have more relevant examples and suggestions.
Member Basics
Q: How do I change my
Password?
A: Below are step by step instructions:
- Go to NACCE
homepage and select "Sign In”
- Under "My Profile” Select "Manage Profile”
- Under the top section marked "Information & Settings” select the
"Edit Bio” option
- You can then select "(change)” in the password field to select and submit
a new password. You may need to first re-enter the old password.
If you have not done so already, please also take some time to fill out your
profile and upload a picture. You can always add more to it or change things
later.
Sidenote: I’ve lost my password or I cannot remember my username.
A: Your username will be your email address (unless you have changed it.)
To get a reset-password link emailed to you just request it here.
Q: What if I
cannot find what I’m looking for?
A: If you cannot find
what you are looking for, please contact the NACCE main office and we will be happy to assist you.
Q: Who can I
add to my membership?
A: Each
organization’s membership allows for up to 11 members, the President, a key contact (key member) plus 9
more members (also called Sub-Accounts).
The key member can
assign member seats to faculty, administrators, staff or community partners; anyone active and/or interested in your
entrepreneurship program (foundation, board, trustees, workforce development, etc.).
Each seat enables
that member to access all the member benefits.
Q: How do I add someone to our membership?
A: The college's key member is the person who can make member additions and changes.
To add new members to the membership, the key member should log in under the organization's record, click on Manage Profile under Membership (in main navigation). Next, click on sub-accounts where you will be able to add and delete members. You will need an email address to add members. If you are unsure of how to log-in, please call the NACCE office at 413-306-3131 ext. 302.
New members will receive an invitation with a link to create a NACCE member profile (good for 30 days). Once they've completed their member form and profile they'll receive a brief note that their record is established and awaiting approval.
Programming
Q: What is an
entrepreneurship center?
A: An
entrepreneurship center is any point where current and/or potential
entrepreneurs (clients/students) can access information and other resources.
It can be a simple as
a web page with a scheduled time and place where clients/students can
speak with instructors and/or advisers. It can also be as
elaborate as a dedicated building with multi-use incubation space, access to
business development organizations along with a busy calendar of organized
events such as business plan competitions, classes, seminars, workshops and
entrepreneur/student club meetings.
Q: What kind of program has the fastest return on investment?
A: Below is a brief
list of the four most common types of entrepreneurship programs we see. They are
listed starting from the shortest to the longest in terms of ROI.
The goodwill, alumni and track record that comes with these offerings can help
you establish firmer support from the business community (especially from
entrepreneurs) and assist you with building longer-term investment
projects such as a cross campus or other academic programs.
Types of
entrepreneurship programs:
Academic/Business: 2-year
entrepreneurship or (Small) Business Management/Administration degree with
entrepreneurship emphasis. This one usually takes the most time and resources
to develop. It was where colleges typically started about a decade ago, however current and potential entrepreneurs can be found in any discipline, therefore, NACCE recommends building cross campus support and integration of entrepreneurship rather than stand-alone entrepreneurship degrees.
Cross Campus: (These
can be either Academic or Non-Credit depending on your state definitions):
Generally these are anywhere from 15-30 credit hours or 45-90 contact hours and
yield an entrepreneurship certificate designed to be integrated with or
compatible with 1 or 2 year degrees, diplomas or certificates.
These can give a
faster ROI than standard business/entrepreneurship degrees, but their big
strength is diversity. They can appeal to anyone who sees their program as a
foundation for starting their own business – but do not necessarily identify
themselves as business students.
Popular
entrepreneurship certificate pathways include: Automotive, Cosmetology,
Construction, Trades, CDL/Trucking, Digital Design, Graphic Arts, HVAC, IT, Welding, Culinary, or programs that are natural portals to
venture creation in your community.
Accelerated Programs:
These are generally offered as non-credit, but can be offered as credit courses
as well. There are many different types of programs, with one of the most common being a 9-12 week accelerated course focused on helping students take
their current skills and re-market them.
Business Growth or
Improvement: (for current entrepreneurs) These are generally non-credit however
they can be offered for credit programs as well. These are designed to help current business owners expand and/or increase profitability or simply gain better by understanding standard business practices.
Enrollment Issues
Q: How can I increase
enrollment in our entrepreneurship program & how can I ensure that we have
the enrollment needed to sustain our program?
A: Enrollment issues
usually focus on three basics:
-
Selection: Offering the right options for your community
- Promotion: Getting
the word out in the most effective and cost-efficient manner
- Tracking:
Documenting your success to ensure referrals, favorable publicity and
capitalize on opportunities for funding.
In brief, selecting
the right offerings that meet your community’s needs and desires will set the
foundation for all your entrepreneurship efforts.
Once you have made
the best selections as possible you will need to promote them throughout your
entire community. Not only will you want to reach those that are already
considering starting a new venture, but you will also want to create awareness
within your whole population as to the possibilities of pursuing an
entrepreneurial path. Some will discover that it is not the path for them or will
discover that they are not ready yet to take the plunge. You will want to
figure some attrition with each class or course cycle.
Once your program is
running you will want to document your successes in various ways so you can:
A) Share testimonials
with prospective students
B) Share stories,
numbers (self-created jobs, additional jobs, revenues, etc.) and any data that
makes the case for maintaining and expanding your entrepreneurship efforts with
potential funders and supporters.
Selection: Offering
the right options for your community
Whether discussing
individual classes or certificate or degree programs, the key questions are:
"Who is our target audience”?
If your college’s key
service areas are rural towns with high job losses from a declining industrial
base, then your main population is likely to be older, less interested in
longer credit options and probably looking for training that can give them
modest but immediate results.
By contrast if your
service areas are more urban, affluent and young they may be more interested in
an in-depth entrepreneurial path that culminates in a 4-year degree from a
prestigious or nearby university.
Most likely you will
have multiple potential markets to address, in which case you will have to
consider which you want to address first and plan for the rest.
Next, try to
determine which markets are likely targets for your college and community. If
you are concerned about enrollment, amassing the largest group of potential
students will help you build critical mass and then reveal richer niche areas
of demand. To appeal to the widest span of demographics, try to offer as many
pathways to completion as possible. The more choices students have for how long
and how deep their education is, the wider your range of potential students/customers
will be. If your population is often dependent on financial aid, you will also
need to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of your state’s particular
rules and restrictions.
For example, a simple
12-hour entrepreneurship certificate might stack into a variety of career and
technical programs, or into a business degree, or be complete by itself or even
be offered as non-credit for students not interested a formal studies program.
A non-credit seminar and workshop series might offer a certificate of
completion or competency for completing some or all of the seminars or
workshops offered.
Below are some
potential markets. Try to determine which ones are the best matches for your
community by talking to potential students, entrepreneurs and people who are
well connected with business and demographic trends in your service areas, such
as your local SBDC, economic development agencies, chambers of commerce,
Workforce Investment Board and micro-enterprise NGOs. Think about what
strengths your area has as far as talent as well as the critical needs.
Possible Target
Markets
-
Middle & High
Schools
-
Current Business
Students
-
Current CTE (Career
& Tech. Ed.)
-
Alumni Business
graduate
-
Alumni CTE graduate
-
Current/Established
Business Owner (There are many sub-sectors to this)
-
Nascent Business
Owner (pre-start)
An example of
multiple pathways would be the cross-campus, short entrepreneurship certificate
that usually ranges from 9-16 hours.
It could stack into a
variety of career and technical programs, a business degree, be
complete by itself or even be offered as non-credit certificate for students
not interested in a formal studies program.
A non-credit seminar
& workshop series might offer a certificate of completion or competency for
completing some or all of the seminars or workshops offered.
Cross Campus Support
Q: What is cross campus curriculum and what is an infusion model?
A: There are many
variations depending on the college. However the idea is basically to break
entrepreneurship out of the "business-only” box, distill it down to a core
message, then make it available to every viable learning path across the
curriculum.
Here are some CTE
programs that are likely candidates for starting a business:
Automotive
technology, building and construction trades, culinary, cosmetology, esthetics,
graphic design, HVAC, hospitality, interior design, IT services, photography,
web design, etc.
In recent years, the
emphasis has turned from long-term degrees to shorter term certificates that
stack into or add onto various career & technical programs. Two-year
degrees with established articulation paths to 4-year degrees are
still important and fill a specific need for advanced skills. However shorter
certificate and accelerated paths often offer greater accessibility for a
larger part of the community.
The infusion model
takes it one step further and includes addressing the administrative functions
of the college itself and making them more entrepreneurial by addressing the
culture and challenging convention.
Q: What are some
examples of programs that work with a cross campus curriculum approach?
A: Any learning path
(certificate or degree) that can serve as an independent business is
appropriate including: Agriculture, Automotive Technology, Construction,
Engineering, HVAC, Hospitality, IT, Cosmetology, Culinary, Graphic Design,
Manufacturing, Photography, Welding. In addition, entrepreneurship can be infused in non-CTE areas, such as fine arts and student success courses. We believe any discipline can benefit from an entrepreneurial focus.
Q: What's next?
Promotion: Getting
the word out about your program in the most effective and cost-efficient manner
By following the Presidents for Entrepreneurship Action steps, you will find the first step is identifying your internal and external team. This is key because when trying to reach
all your potential markets you will need to identify your allies both in the college and community.
Identify Your On-Campus Allies
Identifying and staying in contact with those at your college who have
an interest in entrepreneurship can offer great benefits to your growing
program. Besides preventing duplication of efforts, you might find natural
feeder paths to your program or possible referrals to
your students.
Ideally credit and non-credit programs should team up to promote their
unique strengths in marketing campaigns.
For example, a
brochure promoting your program might also promote one-day seminars for ‘Social
Media for Small Business’, ‘Understanding Cash-Flow‘ workshops, 'QuickBooks' or 'Email Marketing' making a simple
one-program brochure into a mini catalog of offerings. Presenting as many options as possible–
credit, non-credit, short training and longer programs, positions the college as
the go-to source for whatever kind of entrepreneurial training someone might be
looking for.
Identify Your Community Allies
Every community has a local business and business support organizations that
can act as messengers by repeating and amplifying your marketing messages. See
examples below.
Make a list of
contacts you have in these areas and ones you want to develop relationships with. Meeting and regular
communication with a community dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial
development is a great way to eliminate duplication, increase referrals and
collaboration. If a meeting isn’t possible, try to
start a monthly email, conference call or a social media private group (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).
Likely Supporters
-
All economic
development offices
-
All business support
organizations such as SBDC's (Small
Business Development Centers)
-
All SCORE chapters, Chambers
of Commerce and neighborhood CDC’s. Economic development offices can be at
city, county and regional levels
-
Micro-enterprise
development and micro-lending organizations. Check AEO for ones in your area.
-
Local business/civic
groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Toastmasters and Young Professionals
-
Industrial Groups for
the industries that are strongest in your area
-
Real estate brokers
and developers
-
Banks and other
financial institutions
-
University affiliated
entrepreneurship based programs and organizations
-
Utility company
representatives focused on community and economic development
-
Local marketing,
accounting, advertising and legal firms
-
Local newspapers,
especially business editors and writers
-
Successful
entrepreneurs with an interest in rebuilding the economy
-
Research librarians
or economic data collection specialists
-
Local houses of
worship or any group concerned about the local economy
Marketing Methods
Besides printed brochures and social media,
you’ll need to draw a mental perimeter around your entire campus and community
and try to think of all the ways you can reach your target markets. Who
do they listen to? Where do they look for information?
QuickTip: The NACCE Quick Start Guides offer examples on how successful colleges have pulled their
local communities together to support their vision for supporting
entrepreneurial development and education.
Q: How can I find testimonials if we are just starting, or restarted our program?
A: If you are trying
to launch a new program or revitalize an old one you are not likely to have a
lot of success stories from former students. However, you may still have some entrepreneurial allies in your alumni community that will
be willing to come and speak to former students, or give an overall testimonial
about the college that highlights your program.
For Example:
"I received my technical training at Hampden County Community College and
now I have a successful business with 5 employees. I only wish I had an option to
get an entrepreneurship certificate like the one they are now offering. It would
have saved me a lot of time, money and frustration.”
Many entrepreneurs
are very empathetic to the needs of nascent and would be entrepreneurs and can
be tapped to speak to students, judge a business plan competition or fill many
other supportive roles. Some can also be tapped for potential funding.
Tracking: Documenting
your success to ensure referrals, favorable publicity and capitalize on
opportunities for funding of all the three
factors (selection, promotion and tracking), tracking is the trickiest. Loosing track of
students and what they will be doing in the future can be a
challenge.
One of the first
steps is to work with your alumni relations department to track former students and ultimately to recognize entrepreneurial outcomes for all alumni.
Example Questions:
"Are you working: full-time, part-time, unemployed” need another outcome
such as "self-employed” and "owner of a business with employees”.
Grants and Crowdfunding
Q: What grants are available for entrepreneurship programs and projects?
A: If you’re looking
to build financial traction for your entrepreneurship initiatives, we recommend
starting at a smaller scale while building organizational and community buy-in. Next, explore avenues for programmatic self-sustainability and eventually
look to external funders for additional support. A great resource in helping
you build a plan is NACCE's Entrepreneurship Specialist Certificate Online Course.
Q: What grants are available for NACCE member entrepreneurship programs and projects?
Federal grants:
NACCE is always working with federal agencies to
identify potential funding opportunities for our members.
Private foundations:
One of your first stops should be your college grants office so
that your efforts are aligned with the college. There are many funders
interested in promoting entrepreneurship, for example banks and financial institutions. Grant providers have a wide range of interests in
entrepreneurship including funding research, targeting certain geographic
regions, assisting certain kinds of entrepreneurs such as women and minorities
and spurring innovation and new technology. Be sure to subscribe to NACCE’s bi-weekly
e-news and to visit the NACCE website frequently to get funding updates!
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Q: What's crowdfunding?
A: There are two kinds of crowdfunding:
- Classic
crowdfunding or crowdfunding for contribution: This type of
crowdfunding is the simplest and has existed since ‘passing the hat’. In the
last few years online, platforms (such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo) have
provided a simple way to do this by connecting campaigns to people’s social
networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). In most offerings there is a
specific goal and target date as well as target dates for shipping products. If
the total is not met by the target date, the funds are returned to those who
had pledged them. The ideal
offering is considered to be an innovative or creative product that can be
showcased in a 3 minute video that can be shipped to potential contributors as
a premium (or ‘perk’ for their contribution. The contributor or customer holds
no equity in the company.
- Equity
crowdfunding A.K.A. investment crowdfunding, crowd financing: This was passed as a bill (part of the JOBS Act in 2012) to enable
businesses to offer shares of their business to the general public through an
online and socially integrated platform (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). Read this Forbes.com article for more information.
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Q: Who are the key players?
A1: For classic/contribution based crowdfunding, a few examples include:
However there are many more
and new ones sprouting up daily. Sign up for their emails and
you’ll get glimpses of their most interesting and successful campaigns. Read this article for more crowdfunding information and resources.
A2: For equity or investment crowdfunding:
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