Creating an Entrepreneurial
Culture/Community
Dr. Deborah M. Markley
Co-Director
RUPRI Center for Rural
Entrepreneurship
7th Annual National
Value-Added Ag Conference
Indianapolis, Indiana
June 16-17, 2005

Unique Challenges to Rural
Entrepreneurship
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Culture often does not support entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs are isolated from peers and mentors
– networking difficult
Entrepreneurs fly below the radar screen of local economic development officials
Rural communities “waiting to be saved” – dependency alive and well
Need to take a portfolio approach to investing in entrepreneurship - challenging

Why create an entrepreneurial culture/community?
 Entrepreneurs thrive in a supportive environment
 In a supportive culture, leaders accept losses that WILL occur but continue support for entrepreneurship anyway
 Outcomes from entrepreneurship occur over the long term – need a culture of entrepreneurship to stay in the game for the long haul

How to create an entrepreneurial culture/community
 Leadership
 Youth engagement
 Celebrate Success
 Learning from others

Leadership
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Broad based: immigrants, women, new arrivals, young people
Involve entrepreneurs: “by and for entrepreneurs”, engage them where they are
Engage community in strategy development: seek input; share results
Policy change: entrepreneur-friendly policies send a message (e.g., zoning for homebased businesses)

Example: Georgia’s Entrepreneur
Friendly Communities
 Statewide, community-based Entrepreneur
Network (ENet): GA Tech in partnership with state ED
 Community process to establish entrepreneur support program: review visit to determine E Readiness; strongly focused on assets
 Learning network of E Friendly communities

Example: Home Town
Competitiveness
 Leaders are made, not born
 Ord Nebraska: Leadership Quest program
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Formal, skill building program: 20-25 people annually (including youth)
Meet monthly for 9 months
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More people running for office, working on community projects, serving on boards
Recognized by Nebraska as top rural development strategy in 2003

Youth Engagement
 View youth as change agents
 Leadership (as in HTC)
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Entrepreneurship education in schools, after school programs
Need to move from “teacher driven” to institutionalized approach
– Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education national standards

Examples: Curriculum and WV
Dreamquest
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Rural Entrepreneurship through Action
Learning (REAL): curriculum for K-16; experiential learning
(www.realenterprises.org)
Mini-Society: 8-12 year olds; experiential
(www.minisociety.org)
WV Dreamquest: high school business plan competition (www.wvdreamquest.com)
– 1 st year, over 150 students participated

Celebrate Success
 Celebrate to reinforce cultural change (news stories about entrepreneurship)
 Celebrate to maintain and build momentum
(highlight successful entrepreneurs, E of the year)
 Celebrate to influence policy makers (joint ribbon cuttings)
 Encourage innovation (business plan competitions, youth entrepreneurship awards)

Example: Fairfield Iowa’s
Entrepreneurs’ Association
 FEA created in 1989 – by and for entrepreneurs (mentoring, networking, seminars, “boot camp for entrepreneurs”)
 Celebrate E of the year, E Hall of Fame, new start ups
 Over 20 years: created 2,000 jobs; tripled per capita income; rank in top 5 in per capita charitable giving; “Silicorn Valley;” headquarters location for 50 companies

Where do you begin?
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Important to get started – don’t need elaborate strategy to write a story or feature entrepreneurs at a chamber dinner
There are tools and resources available – coming soon! E 2 Energizing Entrepreneurs:
Charting a Course for Rural Communities
Visit our website – www.ruraleship.org

Right now…
 Start by networking
– Find one person in this room who you DO NOT
KNOW
– Introduce yourself and ask what is happening in his/her hometown to encourage entrepreneurship or to build an entrepreneurial community
– Share what you are doing in your community
– Exchange business cards, follow up!

For More Information
 Deb Markley
– dmarkley@nc.rr.com
 Don Macke
– don@ruraleship.org
 Brian Dabson
– brian@rupri.org
 www.ruraleship.org