Week
of November 3-7
Welcome
to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship and E-News, an electronic
newsletter sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City for
followers of the entrepreneurial economy. Through E-News, we bring you
short summaries and analyses of various trends driving the innovation
economy. Please feel free to share this with friends and colleagues. To
subscribe, visit www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde/join/
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Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship Unveiled
North Carolina is aggressively embracing entrepreneurship as a rural development strategy. As part of this effort, the North Carolina Rural Development Center has announced the creation of the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship. This Institute will serve as a statewide center that will disseminate best practices and also coordinate programs designed to stimulate the growth of new businesses in rural North Carolina. The Institute’s first initiative is the New Opportunities for Workers (NOW) program that provides entrepreneurship training to workers displaced by the closure of manufacturing facilities around the state. The Institute will also manage the Rural Entrepreneurship Development Program, a $600,000 grant program designed to encourage innovative community-based entrepreneurial development programs. The Institute plans a multi-pronged program to bring new jobs and prosperity to the state’s rural regions.
To learn more, visit www.ncruralcenter.org/entrepreneurship
EU Entrepreneurship Initiatives
As readers of past E-News editions may recall, the European Union (EU) has been involved in an ongoing internal debate on how it can best nurture entrepreneurship within its member states. Earlier this year, the EU’s Enterprise Directorate released a “Green Paper” designed to stimulate debate on how the EU should proceed in this area. Formal submissions and debate have now concluded and a new EU document (aptly called “Summary Report: The public debate following the green paper, ‘Entrepreneurship in Europe’”) summarizes the results. Public reaction to the initial Green Paper was fairly supportive, but several areas for further action were noted. For example, the EU should examine whether its existing rules discriminate against the self-employed. Other efforts to streamline tax and labor regulations are required. These findings and others are now being incorporated into a final EU entrepreneurship action plan to be unveiled later this year. Watch this space for further details.
The report, “Summary Report: The public debate following the green paper, ‘Entrepreneurship in Europe,’” and other supporting documents are available at
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/entrepreneurship/green_paper/index.htm
Upcoming Book Issue: Request for “Must-Reads.”
Twice a year, E-News summarizes new books that cover topics related to entrepreneurship, business trends, and the like. Our “Holiday Books” issue is coming out in the next few weeks, and we’re looking for your ideas on stocking stuffers for the holiday season. All recommended books must have been published in 2003. If you have suggestions or ideas, please send them to
books@pfidc.org
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The
State of Kentucky
Mountain Association for Community Economic
Development
Berea, KY
Kentucky Science and Technology
Corporation
Lexington, KY
Kentucky Entrepreneurial Accelerator Network
Cumberland, KY
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A soon-to-be-released report by the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation and the Corporation for Enterprise Development shows how states and communities can act to nurture rural entrepreneurs.
Kentucky offers one interesting case study in Mapping Rural
Entrepreneurship; the state now hosts a number of interesting organizations focused on promoting entrepreneurship as an economic development strategy. Some examples include:
Mountain Association for Community Economic Development: MACED (www.maced.org) provides loans and technical assistance to new businesses in 51 counties of Eastern Kentucky.
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation:
KSTC (www.kstc.com) runs a variety of programs focused on rural development. For example, its Rural Innovation Fund provides grants for business plan development and patent creation for Kentucky-based technology start-ups.
Kentucky Entrepreneurial Accelerator Network: Housed at Southeast Community College, KEAN is a network of the state’s service providers (e.g. Small Business Development Centers, the state’s Center for Rural Development) who meet regularly to share best practices, coordinate services, and introduce new types of technologies and services into the region.
If
you have suggestions for future SPOTLIGHTS, please send an e-mail
to spotlights@pfidc.org.
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