A new report on self-employment published by the Rural Sociological Society includes some fascinating findings. For example, since 1969 the number of self-employes rural workers has expanded by 240%.....and during this same time period the number of rural wage and salary workers increased by only 61%. The full report can be found here.
Many communities around the U.S. are adopting the Entrepreneurial League System (ELS) to assure their local and regional communities are supportive of the formation and growth of new business enterprises. ELS is based on two major assumptions: first, that successful entrepreneurship hinges upon the possession of a set of skills, and second, that no two entrepreneurs come to entrepreneurship at precisely the same level of skill. With these assumptions in mind, the ELS is patterned after the professional baseball league system. There are seven elements to the ELS model:
One region in West Virginia is using the model and has posted an introductory video on YouTube. You can view the video here.
Purdue Extension Economic and Community Development is offering a new resource to support entrepreneurship in Indiana. The Economic Gardening model, established in Littleton, Colorado addresses several fundamental barriers faced by those wanting to start and grow a business. One of these big hurdles is access to good business information. Entrepreneurs need to answer some fundamental questions:
Purdue Extension's new program is designed to help adress this need. e-Bin (Entrepreneurship Business Information Network) can help entrepreneurs find the answers they need. e-Bin is a unique partnership of Purdue Extension Economic and Community Development, the Purdue University Krannert Management and Economics Library (MEL), and the Greater Lafayette Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
MEL subscribes to a vast array of business data resources vital in developing business ideas and launching new businesses. Until now, these resources have only been available to Purdue faculty and students on campus. But through special arrangements, many of these same resources are coming to a select number of Purdue Extension offices.
Entrepreneurs will be able to go to a local Purdue Extension office and use the e-Bin Enterprise Center—a specially designed computer station with access to MEL’s business information resources. In addition to the databases, e-Bin users can also get help, via instant messaging and telephone, from MEL’s specially trained business library staff, who can help point users in the right direction to find the answers they need.
MEL staff will also conduct workshops at the Purdue Extension sites to help entrepreneurs understand the basics of business research and how to use e-Bin. Users can also connect with SBDC, which provides in-depth counseling and support to small business owners.
e-Bin is a project of Indiana WIRED, a North Central Indiana initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. One of Indiana WIRED’s goals is to make North Central Indiana the best place in the Midwest to start and grow a business. e-Bin is one of several projects designed to support entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.
e-Bin is being piloted first in Frankfort, Indiana at the Purdue Extension’s Clinton County Learning Network (1111 S. Jackson Frankfort). A ribbon cutting is scheduled for sometime during the week of November 5-9, 2007, Indiana Entrepreneurship Week. For now, this program is being rolled out in the 14-county North Central Indiana region. Other's interested in the program should let us know.
To learn more about e-Bin contact Don Koverman.
The Burton Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at Purdue has a great Wiki for entrepreneurs. There is some terrific content about developing great elevator pitches including a video from Guy Kawasaki.
