Building Supportive Networks for Entrepreneurship



-1143000-716280Building Supportive Networks for EntrepreneurshipCurriculum developed in part with funding from USDA/RCDI Building Entrepreneurial Community Capacity ProjectLesson PlanThis curriculum consists of materials which can be used in whole or in part to help learners better understand how to engage in the development of a respectful, caring, cooperative relationship between a community and its business employers that can ultimately cultivate a more ‘entrepreneur-friendly’ community environment. The materials for this curriculum may include:Lesson Plan/Teaching Outline to teach a 2 hour session including:Introduction including purpose of session (how this supports building an entrepreneur friendly community)Teaching StepsMaterials to be distributed prior to and during the class (handouts)Overview of sessionWork sheetsReading listsPower Point slides and accompanying slide narrative Video podcast providing introduction to curriculum module topicAdditional Resources: to gain more depthWeb sites Additional reading materialsFor more information, feel free to contact the author:Myra Mossmoss.63@osu.edu614.292.8436Web site: sustainabledevelopment.osu.edu-7010401443355Author bio:Myra is currently an Educator with the Ohio State University Extension Program, Community Development unit. She also holds the faculty rank of Assistant Professor. Myra’s work involves providing education, research and service to peers in Extension and Ohio residents in the specializations of economic development/entrepreneurship, community planning and capacity building. Her work is all conducted within a framework of sustainable economic and community development.Primary Learning Objectives:Learners will:1. Gain an understanding of the importance and characteristics of networks supportive of entrepreneurship2. Understand and explore various roles that public officials play in creating and maintaining supportive entrepreneur networksSecondary Learning Objectives:Learners will:1. Gain an understanding and recognition of existing networks that support entrepreneurship within their community2. Assess the level of contribution of current networks within their community and identify gaps that need to be filledSupporting Materials – web based and other:Introduction to the Module:This curriculum module presents a two hour session on building networks. The target audience includes local leaders, both private and public sector, service and resource providers and existing and emerging entrepreneurs. The module teaches the importance of having a rich environment of local networks and provides guidance on their creation within the participant’s community and region. As with all modules in this program, the design is to build the capacity of local leaders so that they can provide the leadership needed to create and stimulate networks within their own communities. This module also introduces the Go Big Network, a virtual network for emerging and existing entrepreneurs. Purpose of Networks:The existence of networks within a community is critical in helping to create a fertile environment in which entrepreneurs can start up, grow and flourish. Entrepreneurs thrive when they are provided with access to the ideas, advice and opportunities provided by other entrepreneurs. Networks allow for a free flow of information and provide an effective environment for communication and collaboration. They are a necessary component of building an entrepreneurial community because they provide the connections among entrepreneurs and between service/resource providers who help entrepreneurs solve their problems and become works can exist in all sizes, types and purposes. They can be very informal to structured, special purpose or general, closed or open, short term or long lived, face to face or virtual. A variety of networks may already exist in the local community unbeknownst to the local leadership. There may be gaps among these existing networks, such as the lack of a network of service and resource providers that can benefit from initiation by local leadership. Identifying existing networks, understanding existing gaps and developing strategies to fill these gaps becomes part of the strategic planning/action step identification at the end of the curriculum series.Entrepreneurs in rural areas are often challenged by key factors that have to be addressed by rural communities in their efforts to become entrepreneur friendly. These include:Size of market: rural areas have smaller populations, therefore small local markets for goods and services. Entrepreneurs must find ways to broaden their market reach.Remoteness of resources: specific types of expertise, services and resources needed by entrepreneurs are often not available in rural communities. For example, patent attorneys, consultants, web masters may not be conveniently located. High growth entrepreneurs often need the availability and accessibility of specialized services because of the speed with which they are growing.Availability of venture capital: one of the most important variables in building entrepreneurs, these resources are often non-existent or unidentifiable in rural areas.Availability of technology: high speed, affordable broadband service is a necessary component of entrepreneurial success. Many rural areas still rely on dial up internet services.Technical/managerial knowledge: access to other entrepreneurs with managerial knowledge and employees with technical skills.Source: Building the Rural Economy with High Growth Entrepreneurs, Jason Henderson, Economic Review, 3rd Quarter, 2002. size, resource remoteness, venture capital and technical/managerial are all issues that can be addressed through networks that increase access to new markets and resources, provide information and expertise from knowledgeable sources, and develop relationships. Teaching Components/Steps:Step One: Power Point PresentationThe Power Point slide presentation that is part of this module along with the narrative for each slide included in the presentation should provide two hours of teaching time. There is an optional session on the use of the Go Big Network that may take additional time if the instructor decides to go online and walk through the steps and features with the participants.Go Big Network: The Go Big resource, a?web based “network without walls,” provides access without proximity, providing the benefits of personal introductions and close communications in distant geographic locations. It can be particularly valuable in rural communities where entrepreneurs are often not in close proximity with other similar entrepreneurs, service providers, consultants and qualified workers who can help them successfully grow their business.Step Two: Group Discussions Interspersed throughout the slide presentation are discussion sessions. The purpose of these discussions is to engage the participants in relating the key points of the curriculum to their own community, and to help them identify local resources already in place. Participants can be broken into smaller groups of 5-6 if the overall class is large and then can report out the results of their sessions to the entire group. Have participants record the results of their discussions on flip chart paper so that it can be saved for use in subsequent sessions and for goal setting/strategic planning.Additional Resources:The following article offered through the National Commission on Entrepreneurship is a good resource on the importance, creation and support of entrepreneurial networks.National Commission on Entrepreneurship“Building Entrepreneurial Networks” following web sites and publications are an excellent source of information on networks and networking for entrepreneurs:The role of Clusters and Bridges in Networks for Entrepreneurs: Summit Executive Summary: Kauffman Foundation and the International Economic Development Council – September 2008National Commission on Entrepreneurship“Building Entrepreneurial Networks” Network site: an entrepreneurial network in your community: See following resources provide information and research on the importance of networks to successful entrepreneurship:Prior research has shown that successful entrepreneurs have large networks of casual acquaintances that provide ideas, access to potential investors and access to potential customers (Aldrich, Rosen & Woodwasrd, 1987), and that there is a link between entrepreneurs’ networking behavior and the growth of a firm (Ostgaard & Birley, 1996). (You can reference/print the Ostgaard article from online Journals – Journal of Business Research, 1996 – Vo. 36, pages 37-50). ?Utilization of networks is believed to reduce entrepreneur’s transaction costs and to aid their competitiveness (e.g. Aldrich & Whetten, 1981; Jarillo, 1988, 1990). ?Entrepreneurs & social networks (Low and MacMillan, 1988; Hills et al., 1997; de Koning, 1999);?Outsider assistance can have substantial impact on new venture creation, survival, and performance (Chrisman & Katrishen, 1994). ?Businesses owned by teams of partners generally have wider social and business networks (Cooper, Gimeno-Gascon, & Woo, 1994) ................
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