Entrepreneur Ready Community Certification

Greg Clary, Chairman - Email: gclary@ag.tamu.edu Phone: 903.714.0232

The Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship (TCRE) energizes rural entrepreneurs to start and grow economically successful businesses, creates entrepreneurial supportive communities within which businesses can flourish and provides value-added services to those assisting rural entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur Ready Community (ERC) certification is a results-oriented program that focuses on creating local systems supporting entrepreneurship and business development within a community-based economic development plan. To view the program agenda, please click here.

Critical resources to build entrepreneurial communities are discussed by experts in a variety of publications. Most conclude that three behaviors or activities are necessary:

1. The community possesses a critical mass of entrepreneurs who are actively engaged in capturing new market opportunities;
2. There is a group of entrepreneurs that comprise a distinct and recognizable community within a community;
3. The community as a whole is entrepreneurial. There is community recognition and support for entrepreneurs.

Certification is based primarily on community self assessments and documentation of support system development prepared by local representatives with guidance from a TCRE Technical Assistance Provider (TAP). It is strongly suggested that the TAP be involved in or at least informed of most of the steps listed below so he/she can monitor the community’s progress, make suggestions for improvements and better represent the community during the certification review process. This does not mean the TAP needs to be present for all meetings and activities. In some cases the TAP can be called on to facilitate meetings, provide educational programs or suggest ways of accomplishing the steps based on previous experiences.

The package, completed and submitted to TCRE for consideration, must illustrate how the ERC has prepared itself to embrace entrepreneurship as an economic development strategy. Criteria include possessing selected community characteristics, providing training and technical assistance, networking with support from outside the community, and supporting efforts of TCRE. Communities have the latitude to accomplish many of the steps in creative and innovative ways that might not be mentioned or used previously. However a few of the assessment tools will be required.

There is a certain amount of subjective judgment and flexibility in the certification process that allows for the uniqueness and the differing goals of the community. Certification will occur after several consultations between community representatives and reviewers. It is suggested that the following steps be completed in the order listed. Required documentation includes items listed in the following action steps:

Step 1 – Form Leadership Team

Objective: create leadership and organizational structure to insure all management functions are accomplished and to challenge community residents to embrace entrepreneurship as a community resources and economic development strategy.

The Leadership Team (LT) will champion the initiative, help with program planning and insure accountability. The LT should include members that are representative of the designated community (defined locally) including municipalities, K-12 education, college/university, downtown development, minorities, city and county government, small business owners, financial services, faith-based, non-profits, and other entities that have a stake in the local strategy (agriculture, healthcare, SBDC, Department of Labor, youth services, newspaper, etc.). Provide names and contact information for the LT to the TAP and schedule a program orientation session which will be conducted by the TAP or someone from TCRE. This organizational step could be best accomplished with a one-day workshop organized around the Capturing the Entrepreneurial Energy in Your Community course which is included in the Invigorating Communities and Local Economies resources available from the TCRE. An action plan to guide further deliberations and tasks may be a valuable product of this workshop.

Step 2 – Complete a Community Assessment Matrix

Objective: Encourage project leadership to assess the current status of community readiness and develop an action plan to create systems for entrepreneur support.

LT members with assistance from the TAP will complete a Community Assessment Matrix (CAM) which assesses the existing level of community resources and economic development in the community. The CAM contains criteria that will help participants identify strengths and weaknesses that may guide development of a local system to support entrepreneurs.

Step 3 - Community representatives complete Entrepreneur Ready Community Assessments.

Objective: Encourage a cross section of the community to assess the current status of community readiness and develop an action plan to create systems for entrepreneur support.

Each member of the LT and a sample of entrepreneurs and other community representatives (see suggested criteria below) will complete Entrepreneur Ready Community Assessments (ERCA). The TAP will facilitate compilation of completed assessments if requested. Results will be reported to the community in a town hall meeting or other public forum. Summaries of profile responses likely will help focus discussions to determine the current state of readiness and how residents might wish to transform their community to create more effective sustainable support for entrepreneurs. This meeting very well could result in action plans to begin work on taking advantage of strengths and addressing areas that need further development.

The suggested number individuals to complete an assessment:

Community of 20,000 or less - minimum of 25
Community of 20,000-50,000 - minimum of 35
Community of over 50,000 - minimum of 50

Step 4 - Prepare a market study of local entrepreneurs to determine needs and challenges

Objective: Survey local entrepreneurs (potential, existing and growth) to determine the types of resources and technical assistance they currently need or required as they started or grew their businesses. Results will be used to shape the course of support system development.

The TAP will facilitate this activity and will prepare interviewers to collect responses from entrepreneurs, if requested. Once entrepreneurs are selected for interviews, the LT will send a letter and business profile to each business owner, describing the initiative and asking for an interview. Interviews will be scheduled by phone calls and all individual company information will remain confidential.

The suggested number of entrepreneurs to interview:
Community of 20,000 or less - minimum of 25
Community of 20,000-50,000 - minimum of 35
Community of over 50,000 - minimum of 50

Interviews should be conducted face to face by members of the LT to insure completeness and accuracy of information. Face to face meetings will also begin to demonstrate local support for entrepreneurs. After results are compiled, copies of completed interview forms should be submitted to your TAP.

Step 5 – Identify and catalog local resources, programs, organizations and people prepared to support entrepreneurs

Objective: Increase community awareness of and support for strategies, needs and resources; educate the community about the benefits of developing “homegrown” business and fast-growth companies.

LT will identify and catalog the unique assets, characteristics, and clusters of the community that support and foster entrepreneurship and small business. For example, attributes may include tourism, agriculture, historic features, location and geography, nature-based venues, and educational specialties.

Create a “How to Start a Business in (Your Community)” booklet, webpage, and/or other resources. One suggestion for accomplishing this objective is to create one or more Community Entrepreneurship Center(s) featuring local, TCRE and other resources. This may include gathering baseline data and creating systems for gathering and monitoring job growth, investment, and new businesses. The LT should document all efforts, such as press releases, business plan competitions, entrepreneur spotlights, youth entrepreneur programs and recognition, capitalization seminars, presentations to civic organizations, and any other activities supporting entrepreneurs. Include updates in all news & media opportunities and meetings. Send copies to the TAP so they can monitor activities and insure a solid case on behalf of the community during the certification process. Providing access to entrepreneurship curriculum (available from TCRE) directly supporting entrepreneurs with emerging and growth ventures may add value during this step.

Step 6 – Develop larger network of resource providers that can bring value to your community and its programs

Objective: Enhance relationships with regional, state and federal resource providers during educational sessions that help local leaders learn about sources of support for entrepreneurs.

Invite a variety of resource providers that may provide support required by entrepreneurs to present information about their organization and the services they provide. Invitees may include representatives from government officials, Chamber of Commerce, SBDC, state and federal agencies, community colleges and universities, banks and other lending institutions, nonprofits, and any other individuals or organizations that support business development. Participants should spend their time sharing information about their products and/or services and how entrepreneurs can access their resources. Organizers should emphasize to speakers they are participating for the purpose of education, not sales.

Step 7 – Provide program orientation workshop for all participants

Objective: Build local capacity to support entrepreneurs by providing an in-depth entrepreneurship program orientation workshop for local assistance providers.

The LT will organize and provide support for an entrepreneur program orientation workshop delivered by a TCRE entrepreneurship practitioner and other selected presenters. Participants completing the workshop will meet one of the requirements for Entrepreneur Guide Certification. This is a hands-on workshop designed to provide an appreciation for the venture development process and to prepare more fully members of the local support team. Workshop topics include business opportunities and ideas, feasibility analysis, business models, business plans, capitalization strategies, marketing, financial statements and others.

Step 8 – Formal unveiling of local entrepreneur support system to community.

Objective: Implement processes and programs to develop local entrepreneurs.

The LT will sponsor and present business development programs and will work directly with local entrepreneurs as they develop business ventures. Evaluations and documentation of all efforts will be included in review materials for certification.

Step 9 – Final review and certification received

Objective: Complete the certification process.

The TAP and LT will submit all documentation to TCRE upon satisfactory completion of Steps 1-8. Following a review of the community application package, a TCRE officer will visit the community visit with the TAP and LT to discuss current activities and make recommendations for possible new programs or strategies based on the community’s unique opportunities.

Step 10 – Celebrate becoming an Entrepreneur Ready Community.

Receive the “Entrepreneur Ready Community” designation! The community may begin using the certification in marketing programs, business recruitment and other appropriate venues. It is entirely appropriate to organize a community celebration for this noteworthy achievement and to take the opportunity to explain the benefits and operations associated with it in press releases, feature stories and other media. A feature story and photos of each certified Entrepreneur Ready Community will be included on the TCRE web site.

Step 11 – Develop longer term action plans and broader support for entrepreneurship in Texas through TCRE and other organizations

Objective: Insure sustainability by developing longer term action plans and implementation schedules for local programs, by continued capacity building and by supporting TCRE and other organizations.

The certification process is expected to culminate in the development of a sustainable local entrepreneur support system that continues to offer opportunities for professional development, educational conferences and sharing of best practices. It is also expected to initiate participation in regional and statewide programs and support for institutions providing value back to the local ESN.

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