Entrepreneurial Focus Groups
Report
Entrepreneurial League System®
Advantage Valley, West Virginia
April – May 2006
Table of Contents
Background, Purpose and Design
Page 3 - 4
Summary of Focus Group One
Pages 8-9
Summary of Focus Group Two
Pages 9-12
Summary of Survey Results
Pages 13-16
Recommendations
Page 17
Attachments
A - Focus Group Protocol (Questions for Entrepreneurs)
B - Survey Instrument
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Background, Purpose and Design
Background and Purpose:
In December 2005 members of the Collaborative Partnership, a group made up of
representatives of the agencies who signed a contract with the WF Kellogg Foundation to
receive grant funds to create an Entrepreneurial Development System in the geographic
region known as Advantage Valley, and other identified stakeholders met to establish and
agree upon common principles for the creation and management of an Entrepreneurial
Development System in Advantage Valley. Advantage Valley consists of the West
Virginia counties of Wayne, Cabell, Mason, Lincoln, Putnam, Kanawha, Clay, and
Boone, the Kentucky counties of Greenup, Carter and Boyd and Lawrence County, Ohio.
Entrepreneurs are both the reason for and the focus of an Entrepreneurial Development
System.
In January 2006, the same group was invited to participate in a two-day meeting to
establish goals, measurable outcomes and milestones to indicate progress toward the
outcomes. Some of those outcome areas related to entrepreneurs’ needs and the role of
service providers in meeting those needs.
In March 2006, members of the Collaborative Partnership sought to collect information
to assist in establishing a baseline of entrepreneurs’ unmet needs in the 12 counties in
West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio that make up Advantage Valley. By identifying those
needs that have gone unmet in entrepreneurs, it is believed that the Collaborative
Partnership can work together to improve services to entrepreneurs to increase successful
entrepreneurial ventures in Advantage Valley. Advantage Valley, the organization that
serves as the lead agency for the Kellogg grant, contracted with Stone Strategies to
design and implement the focus group project.
Design:
While it was recommended that focus group participants represent both urban and rural
settings and that a minimum of five groups be conducted, due to the limitations of time
and funding, it was decided that two focus groups would be held, one in Charleston and
one in Huntington with attempts made to contact entrepreneurs in neighboring counties.
Parameters for the selection of focus group participants included; entrepreneurs not
currently being served by existing public service providers in Advantage Valley, and
entrepreneurs not currently engaged in the Entrepreneurial League System® coaching
and peer networking opportunities. 119 entrepreneurs were contacted by Advantage
Valley staff via the telephone. Of those entrepreneurs, 45 were called twice. 17 of the
businesses called were no longer operational, 22 stated that they were too busy and 24
confirmed attendance and were mailed follow-up letters. 36 hours was spent identifying
and contacting participants for the focus group.
A series of questions was designed to explore entrepreneurs’ perceived needs, their past
experiences with service providers, their descriptions of the ideal service experience, and
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their attitudes and beliefs about supports and services for business owners. A survey was
also developed for completion by participants prior to leaving the focus group venue.
The survey provided specific demographic information and additional information related
to service needs, experience and attitudes not covered in the focus group forum. A copy
of the questions and survey instrument is included at the end of this report as
Attachments A and B.
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Summary: Focus Group One
Focus Group L-1
Location: Charleston, West Virginia
Number of Participants: 7
Date: April 19, 2006
Description of Group
The group was made up of seven entrepreneurs that owned small businesses. Some of the
group members knew each other while others were meeting group participants for the
first time. All participants offered opinions during the session and took part in the
discussion of the focus group questions. All participants operated businesses in either
Kanawha or Fayette counties. A survey was completed by each participant at the close of
the focus group session in order to gather information about the group demographics and
give each group member an additional opportunity to respond to questions of interest.
In response to an introductory question about what the group members liked about
owning their own business, entrepreneurs seemed to focus on the freedom that their
situation offers them – flexibility to do what they need to do, being their own boss,
freedom to choose who they work with, and the freedom to do something that they are
passionate about. Another theme that emerged had to do with the satisfaction of
providing others job opportunities. One participant talked about how she enjoys knowing
that she is providing employment to others: “I also love employing other people”. “I
started this thing from scratch and now I have employees who support their families (by
working in my business)”.
Summary of Themes and Issues Identified
The general theme expressed by focus group participants throughout the session was one
of self-reliance and the need for support and learning from other entrepreneurs. The
predominant source of information, training, and support for group participants is other
people who have experience in starting a business. One group member observed: “I’m
always looking. I feel like we never stop learning from people out there doing a good
job”. These entrepreneurs generally seemed to feel that what they learn from other
business owners, particularly people operating similar types of businesses is more
valuable than services provided from professionals or support agencies. All group
members deal with lawyers, accountants, etc. but it is the ideas and solutions that come
from colleagues that is most valuable to them. One participant expressed his credo as:
“Be a sponge – suck up all you can”.
Several specific questions were discussed by the group and group comments are
summarized below:
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Challenges and concerns:
Related to challenges and concerns, these entrepreneurs mentioned a wide range of
issues. Financial issues are a concern for entrepreneurs. Managing payroll, raising
capitol, managing loans, taxes, and other issues related to financing the business were all
seen as challenging. Other issues related to financing and budgeting that are challenging
are issues related to providing employee benefits. Affordable healthcare coverage was
mentioned as a particular concern. Another area of concern is personnel management –
finding good employees and dealing with personnel issues that may arise.
One group member found it difficult to secure sufficient warehouse space to keep
inventory while another talked about his frustration with competitors. This participant
was concerned with what he sees as under-handed business practices by his competitors:
“They don’t like me, they don’t want me, and they lie about my business”.
Finding support and services needed to support the business:
When the group was asked how they find support and services the responses returned to
the general theme repeated throughout the session that the best source of support was
other entrepreneurs. “People need to have walked in my shoes”. These business owners
learn from others that have experienced the issues they are dealing with. There was
discussion about how most training classes and workshops provided by support agencies
are pretty elementary – useful for someone wanting to start a business but not very useful
for the business owner who is trying to grow and deal with day-to-day problems.
Focusing training on compliance issues such as taxes is not seen as useful for established
business owners. These group members found seminar type situations where they could
interact with others that had experience in running a business most beneficial.
Group participants expressed that they are generally reluctant to engage in any in-depth
discussions about their business with other local business owners or providers when those
discussions focus on business practices, marketing, branding etc. since there is a
legitimate need to protect “trade secrets”. They did seem to feel comfortable discussing
these issues with and learning from people outside the local area. Several participants
have had excellent experiences interacting with people at conferences or seminars outside
the local market to get new ideas and discuss strategies. These opportunities provide for a
free exchange of ideas with people who have successfully built a business or who have
developed a particular area of expertise with little fear that local competitors may use the
information against them.
Another method of support some group members see as particularly valuable is bringing
in “good speakers” who are knowledgeable about a particular topic such as branding to
speak to a group of local entrepreneurs. A recommendation was offered that public funds
should be available to support this type of presentation by high quality people who can
give local entrepreneurs new ideas or present information about the state of the art in a
particular area of interest.
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Information needs:
When asked about what specific types of information would be useful, group participants
identified three areas:
 A simple reference that condenses changes in state or federal law, rules and
regulation that effect small business owners updated and available on a regular
basis. As one participant said: “Small business owners may not know about new
requirements, worker’s comp. for example, until it is too late”.
 Best practices related to personnel issues – how to deal with personnel problems
and employee relations.
 Information about new technologies that might be useful to the business
Characteristics of good services to support entrepreneurs:
Group members were asked about their ideal experience in seeking information or
services they need and several characteristics of such experience were identified through
participant comments. Entrepreneurs identified the same factors as important to them in
seeking information and support services that they identified as important in dealing with
their own customers. Entrepreneurs want the following experiences from their service
providers:
 Personal contact -face-to-face interactions.
 Response time - need access to service or information quickly.
 Communication - effective communication about a particular issue.
 Confidentiality - need to feel comfortable that their business issues will be
discussed confidentially.
 Flexibility in seeking assistance that is seen as relevant - ability to go to the
services and supports that will benefit me.
This question again precipitated a number of comments about how important it was that
people providing information, advice, and ideas had entrepreneurial experiences and
understood the issues from the perspective of the small business owner. State programs
that pay for entrepreneurs to visit resource people or attend conferences are seen as a
good thing.
Other issues:
Several other issues were raised that were not specific to the needs of entrepreneurs for
training or support but are nevertheless important in their success as small business
owners.
When asked about electronic commerce, participants had somewhat different
perspectives. One group member was a big supporter and had grown his business through
internet sales. Others seemed to see the internet as a competitor and rely on the World
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Wide Web primarily to advertise their business or list products available in order to
attract customers to the store. A website seems to validate the business as a viable
alternative to other competitors. The group seemed to generally agree that internet sales
are price driven – “You need a product that you can competitively market”. One
participant offered the following on this topic: “Most of our business owners use the
internet more to advertise local business than they do to fish for other business”.
The entrepreneurs making up the focus group identified business opportunities in a
variety of ways. They emphasized “word of mouth” as a predominant strategy. They talk
to people who have need for the product and develop relationships with potential
customers. One participant talked about “embarking on the free lunch circuit”. He has
developed a presentation about his business that he makes at local civic and fraternal club
meetings – Lion’s, Kiwanis, etc.
Characteristics identified by the group of a good entrepreneur included:
 Customers need to know you care about them
 Need to have a personality that communicates with the customer
 Instill in employees that caring attitude
 Must be willing to take risks
The focus group participants were also asked about managing their business and
balancing work and family issues. Comments related to management focused on two
themes – pay attention to the business every day. Group participants seemed to feel that
they had to constantly be working on the business not just working in the business. The
other theme identified was the frustration expressed by some related to trying to deal with
manufacturers who would only sell to larger businesses or distributors. Buying clubs was
offered as a possible strategy to alleviate this management problem.
When asked about balancing work and family the group agreed that it was difficult.
These entrepreneurs spend a great deal of their time thinking about their business. One
person said: “The entrepreneur’s business is who we are”. Another offered: “It (the
business) got to be such an obsession that I knew I had to get office space that was not in
my house”. Participants seemed to agree that there was not much that others could do
about this issue – “everyone has their own solution”. Some businesses were family affairs
and several group members emphasized the importance of having someone you could
trust to manage things if you were away. The ability to delegate seemed to be critical to
having some degree of non-business related time.
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Summary: Focus Group Two
Focus Group L-2
Location: Huntington, West Virginia
Number of Participants: 4
Date: April 20, 2006
Description of Group
The group was made up of four entrepreneurs that owned three small businesses in the
Putnam and Cabell County area. Two of the group members tended to carry much of the
discussion. All participants offered some opinions during the session and took part in the
discussion of the focus group questions; however, the session was dominated by one
individual who did more of the talking than any of the others. The tone of the group was
generally quite negative. The negativity of the dominant member in particular may have
tainted the responses of the other group members to some degree.
All participants operated businesses in the Putnam/Cabell Counties area. A survey was
completed by each participant prior to the focus group session in order to gather
information about the group demographics and give each group member an additional
opportunity to respond to questions of interest.
Group responses to the introductory question about what the group members liked about
owning their own business were very similar to the responses offered by the focus group
held in Charleston the evening before (April 19th). Again, the entrepreneurs focused on
the freedom that their situation offers them. These respondents like the flexibility of
owning their own business. They like being their own boss – “not depending on The
Man” as one person said it. One group member offered that the freedom of owning his
own business included the freedom to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.
Another group member said they enjoyed the “thrill of success”.
Summary of Themes and Issues Identified
The predominant theme expressed by focus group participants was that West Virginia is a
difficult state in which to operate a business due to government policies and regulation
and general bureaucratic burdens. A secondary theme running throughout the session was
focused on too little assistance and support for the small business owner and a perceived
preference by government sponsored programs for serving larger corporations and
meeting the needs of politicians. There was also a theme of self reliance and the necessity
of building one’s own support system expressed by the participants in this session.
Comments focused on what was seen by these entrepreneurs as a very negative business
climate in West Virginia. Issues related to high tax burdens and high Worker’s
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Compensation rates were identified as prime examples of the poor business climate in the
state. One group member said “The barriers to business in West Virginia are incredible”.
A group member observed that when he is asked for advice about starting a business he
tells people: “The first thing you need to do to start a business is get in your car and go
across the river [referring to Ohio or Kentucky]”.
Several specific questions were discussed by the group and group comments are
summarized below:
Challenges and concerns:
Financial issues were identified as the predominant concern for these entrepreneurs.
They were concerned about their financial obligations to themselves as well as to their
employees. Operating capital, accounting, payroll obligations, etc. were all areas that
seemed to be constantly on the mind of these small business owners. Other concerns were
related to government regulations and tax policy that is perceived as not supportive of the
small business owner. One participant observed: “The state makes stupid decisions about
taxes that do not support small business”.
Finding support and services needed to support the business:
One member immediately mentioned the Internet as a source of useful information in a
variety of areas; however, these focus group respondents (like the group held in
Charleston) primarily rely on other small business owners and trusted professionals
(accountant, lawyer, etc.). They talked about their “network” and defined that as friends,
family, and necessary professional services that they rely on for help and support. These
small business owners did not see government sponsored agencies and programs as
useful to them. One group member stated: “In West Virginia the only way you can get
the support you need is to rely on your network”. When asked about what makes
someone credible as a network member the following characteristics were mentioned:
successful (a good track record in small business development) and they already have a
support network in place. The group seemed to agree that it was largely a “trial and error”
process.
A participant offered the following about getting financial support: “Banks in West
Virginia are only willing to accept a certain level of risk”. He felt that money (capital)
was generally not very available to un-established businesses.
When asked specifically about whether they were aware of several private and
government sponsored programs to assist small business, all of the group members said
they were aware of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and three of the four
had sought assistance there. Two persons were aware of the Service Corps of Retired
Executives (SCORE) and three knew about Unlimited Futures, Inc. (UFI). There seemed
to be less awareness of Enterprise Zone (EZ) tax credits, the Regional Contracting and
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Assistance Center (RCAC), and the Center for Economic Options, although at least one
member of the group was aware of each of the programs. Comments offered about these
services were generally negative. The group seemed to think that many of these support
services do not have a grasp of the real problems encountered by small business owners “Agency services are based on theoretical and not real perspectives”. Another comment
spoke to what was perceived as a rather simplistic perspective: “These providers think
business is black and white”. The message is often: “if you open a business and do it this
way you will be floating in cash”. Another group member offered this: “Number one,
when you refer to the Toyota plant that’s who they really help out or a politician with lots
of power”. The following comment was also made: “The focus (of these providers) is
not on developing small business but on validating their existence”.
Information needs:
There was little discussion of any specific information needs by the group. In general,
group members felt anything that helps them do a better job was useful.
Characteristics of good services to support entrepreneurs:
Group members were asked about what they would see as their ideal experience in
seeking information or services they may need. Comments about this question centered
on the importance of dealing with someone that has experience in starting a small
business – someone who has tried even if it was not successful. These group members
also wanted someone who can “break barriers” or put them in touch with a support
network and down to earth advice about what issues and problems they may encounter.
One perspective expressed was that most providers have a “pre-conceived idea about
what we need”.
Help with employee issues:
The group was asked where they get help with employee issues they may encounter.
They generally tend to rely on “their network” or deal with issues that come up as best
they can. One participant offered: “Personnel are always a major headache”. Another
group member took the opportunity to talk about what he saw as a disconnect between
the education system and business. “Schools are telling young people their employment
options are much better than they really are – they are creating unrealistic expectations”.
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Balancing work and personal life:
When asked about balancing work and family the group initially seemed to ignore the
question and continued to talk about their frustrations. Eventually, several comments
were elicited that indicate the difficulties encountered by small business owners in
maintaining a healthy balance between their business and other priorities. One group
participant stated: “You need the support (from family and spouse) or there is no
balance”. Another recognized that there are responsibilities outside the office and
emphasized that the entrepreneur needed to understand that there was more than just the
business. “One affects the other – if you have problems outside the business it will affect
the business”. Another comment offered stressed the importance of getting away from
the business – “You have to get away and re-charge; after a while it is like walking in a
daze”.
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Advantage Valley – ELS
Summary of Survey Responses
Survey of Entrepreneurs Participating in Focus Groups
Charleston - April 19, 2006 and Huntington - April 20, 2006
Background:
Two focus groups were held with entrepreneurs and small business owners in order to
explore several issues related to the Advantage Valley - Entrepreneurial League System
project. A focus group was held in Charleston on April 19th and a second focus group was
held in Huntington on April 20th. A total of eleven persons participated in the two focus
groups. Each of the focus group participants completed a survey at the conclusion of the
group session. The purpose of the survey was to gather further information in four areas:
(1) Basic demographic characteristics of the group,
(2) Information about the businesses owned by the entrepreneurs participating in the
focus groups,
(3) Information about services used by these entrepreneurs, and
(4) Attitudes about entrepreneurship and small business development.
Characteristics of the Focus Group Participants:
Seven male and four female business owners participated in the two focus groups. Eight
of these persons are over the age of 40 years and none were younger than 26 years of age.
Ten of the group participants are White and one is African American. Eight were
veterans.
Educational attainment ranged from high school to graduate degrees – nine of the
participants have some education beyond the high school level, six have college degrees
and three have graduate degrees.
Information about the Businesses:
Businesses owned by the focus group participants are located in Cabell County (3),
Kanawha County (6), Fayette County (2), and Putnam County (2). Most of the
entrepreneurs own just one business (9), one owns two businesses, and one person owns
three. The majority of the focus group participants are 100% owners of their business;
however, four people are part owners (ranging from less than 25% to 50% ownership
interest). Most of the businesses are relatively new. Of the fourteen businesses
represented by the focus group participants, ten have operated for less than five years.
The other four businesses have been in operation for longer periods ranging from 12 to
over 25 years. All participants started their own business. Primary reasons for starting a
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business included: because they worked in the field (5), they saw an opportunity (4) or
they were laid off from their prior employment (2).
There is some history of prior business ownership. Of ten persons responding to the
question: How many businesses have you owned in the past that you no longer own?,
50% (5 persons) had owned a business before their current business and two of these
persons had owned three prior businesses. Two of the prior owned businesses were sold;
the others were disposed of for financial or other reasons.
Most (7) of the business owners have annual gross revenues under $250,000. Three of the
focus group participants currently operate larger business ventures with annual gross
revenue ranging from $500,000 to $2.5 Million.
Use of Business Support Services:
All persons surveyed seek support from one or more sources outside their own business.
In response to the question: Where do you go for help with your business?, bankers are
most often mentioned (6 responses) followed closely by family and other business
owners (5 responses each). Two persons reported seeking help from the Small Business
Development Center; however, most responses indicate that help is sought from financial
professionals (bankers and accountants) and from informal support networks made up of
other business owners, family and friends. When asked: Who do you rely on the most
when you have questions about your business?, close friends or family are most often
mentioned (5 responses), followed by accountants (2 responses), banker (1), support
professional (1), business associate (1), and myself (1). Seven of the eleven business
owners indicated that they review their business plan at least every six months.
Seven of the eleven entrepreneurs reported that they have someone they can identify as a
“primary business support professional”. This primary support professional has referred
the entrepreneur to other services in only about one-third of the cases where a primary
support professional is used. When asked what instruction was offered by the primary
support professional, half of the responses provided indicated that the professional “gave
no help” (3 of 6 responses). The other responses included assistance with a business plan
(1), accounting (1), and “believing in me” (1). Four of nine respondents to a question
about how far they must travel to see a support professional indicated less than 10 miles
three must travel over 25 miles, and two don’t know since they have never sought such
assistance. Wait times once at the support professional’s office are minimal (less than 15
minutes in all cases). Of the nine persons who indicated they had seen a professional,
two-thirds (6) said their business has needs that cannot be met by their current business
professional. The majority of the entrepreneurs who have visited a professional (5 of 9)
indicated that the business professional discussed how their business was growing and
changing with them.
Sources of information cited by the survey respondents about available business support
services were quite varied. These included newspapers, television, e-mail, trade
publications, chamber of commerce newsletters, direct mail, meetings attended by
business owners, national publications, conferences for entrepreneurs, the internet, and
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other service providers. Key words used to search for information about business support
services include: advertising, accounting, marketing, branding, small business
administration, business support, small business loan, and small business.
Attitudes and Beliefs:
The eleven focus group participants were asked if they agree or disagree with a number
of statements related to attitudes and beliefs about small business ownership. A five point
Likert scale was used ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Significant
findings from this section of the survey are as follows:
 The entrepreneurs believe it is important to continually strengthen their skills
even when their business is doing well. Seven of the eleven strongly agreed with
this statement.
 Almost half (6 of 11) had no opinion about whether or not “good business support
services are available to them”.
 Many of the entrepreneurs agree that at times they put off thinking about what
their business needs because they are too busy. Seven persons agreed or strongly
agreed with this statement.
 These small business owners worry about whether or not their business will
succeed yet they are generally sure it will. Seven of them agreed or strongly
agreed with the statement, “I worry about whether or not my business will
succeed”. Nevertheless, seven of them strongly agreed with the statement: “I am
sure my business will succeed”.
 Eight of the respondents indicated that they worry about whether they can pay
their bills.
 This group of entrepreneurs believes that business owners need help from others
and they generally tend to agree that help is needed from accountants and
business support professionals. Yet, they do not believe that business support
professionals give them good advice about what to expect as their business
develops and most of them expressed no opinion or a negative opinion about
having someplace in their community where entrepreneurs and first time business
owners can go to get good information and services.
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Conclusions from the Survey Responses:
Statements and opinions offered during the two focus group sessions are generally
supported by the survey responses from the focus group participants. The general theme
of relying on other business owners (peers) and informal networks for advice and
problem solving that emerged from the focus groups is reinforced in the survey
responses. Very few of the eleven focus group participants express any significant degree
of confidence in the formal business support service system. These business owners
acknowledge that they need assistance in a number of areas if their business ventures are
to succeed but, for the most part, they do not believe that government agencies or
traditional providers of business support services are helpful to them.
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Recommendations
The following recommendations are based on the results of the focus groups and survey
data, in addition to the consultant’s experience over the last nine months working with
service providers charged with supporting entrepreneurs and over a decade in crossdiscipline efforts at creating and managing systems of service.
It is essential that members of the Collaborative Partnership and interested stakeholders
focus on working together to adjust current practice in order to better meet the needs of
existing entrepreneurs and those that will attempt to start new businesses in the
Advantage Valley area if there is to be an increase in the number of successful
entrepreneurial efforts.
It is recommended that the Collaborative Partnership work together to:
o Host regional learning opportunities for entrepreneurs in West Virginia. Organize
and publicize the learning opportunities around different business sectors.
o Train public and private service providers in entrepreneurial needs and opinions
o Continue to provide training stipends to support entrepreneurs’ participation in
out-of-state training and learning opportunities
o Conduct additional entrepreneur focus groups and publish results in local and
national media
o Provide locally sponsored seminars on specific content of interest to entrepreneurs
o Continue to provide individual performance coaching and peer networking and
learning opportunities among entrepreneurs, like that currently being offered
through Advantage Valley’s Entrepreneurial League System®
o Consider revising the content of the current public service provider repertoire to
include issues beyond those related to small business legal and financial
compliance
o Provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and public and private service providers
to interact with one another and learn together
o Promote referrals of entrepreneurs among public and private service providers
o Utilize a variety of media to promote training and learning opportunities for
entrepreneurs
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Attachment A
Entrepreneur Focus Group Protocol
April 2006
Introduction:
Thank you for coming tonight to talk about your business and your role as an entrepreneur. I am Leslie
Stone. I have been hired by Advantage Valley, Inc. to collect information about entrepreneurs and their
needs. We are interested in learning more about the supports and services that you need to create and
sustain successful businesses in the Advantage Valley area. The ideas and information that you share this
evening will be used to improve supports and services available to entrepreneurs and their businesses.
There will be two focus groups conducted at this time, one in Charleston and one in Huntington. You will
also be asked to complete a survey before you leave tonight. This will provide additional information
about the types of businesses represented in the focus groups and their needs. Once you have turned your
completed survey in to Joyce and the focus group is complete, you will be given your stipend for attending.
Again, thank you so much.
We will use first names only in our conversations. We ask that any specific information that you might
hear tonight be kept confidential. Each of you will have different perspectives based on your unique
experiences. We are interested in all your perspectives, even if they are not consistent with those of the
other participants. Often, those differing view points can be the most valuable.
The general themes from your discussion around each of the questions will be used in a report to inform
service providers about the needs of small business owners. While quotes from the session will be used to
highlight certain points, names will not be identified. If you would like a copy of the final report, please
leave your contact information on the sign-in sheet, so that one can be sent to you.
I will be taping the session to make sure that I have accurate information from which to write the final
report. The tape recorder is not on now. What questions do you have before we begin?
Introductions
- With your permission, I will turn the tape recorder on now. May I?
Turn on the Tape Recorder.
Entrepreneur Focus Group Questions
General Questions:
Let’s start by talking a little bit about you and your business.
What do you like best about owning your own business?
What concerns you most about owning your own business?
If you started your own business, what was most challenging?
Supports and Services - Access and Attitudes:
How do you find the support and information you need to meet your challenges?
How do you know what supports and services are available to support you and your
business?
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How many, by a show of hands, have heard of SBDC, SCORE, Unlimited Futures, CEO,
others?
How many, by a show of hands, have used SBDC, SCORE, Unlimited Futures, CEO,
others?
Talk about a time when you went/called for help? What happened?
What kinds of information do you need to be confident your business is growing and
developing in a successful way?
Financial Management
Business Support/Services Options
Balancing work and family
Marketing
Marketing
Personnel Issues
Industry Trends
Electronic Commerce
Understanding the Competition
Shared business functions
Loans
How would you know that that the person working with you is credible and that you can trust
the information that you are given?
How would you like to be treated?
What does the ideal service experience look like? (Face-to-Face, 1-on-1, their office,
your business)
May Stop Here – Continue if time permits.
Now, let’s talk about some specific parts of running your business.
Entrepreneurial:
How did you/do you identify opportunities for your business?
Who helps you do this?
Managerial:
What kinds of financial support and services would be useful to you?
What kinds of personnel assistance/information would be useful?
Technical:
How do you know what is going on in your line of work, the industry trends?
What kinds of information would help you stay on top of industry trends?
Personal: Talk about balancing work and family.
How do you do this?
What would be helpful to you?
How do you feel about making mistakes?
How do you learn from/process mistakes?
Is there anything else you would like to say about any of the issues we have talked about today?
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Attachment B
Advantage Valley
Entrepreneurial Development System
Focus Group Survey
April 2006
Group Number: ____
Date: __________
Time: __________ AM / PM
Location: _____________
Thank you for taking the time to complete this anonymous and confidential survey. The information you
provide will help us improve services for entrepreneurs in Advantage Valley.
SECTION 1: INFORMATION ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS
Please make the appropriate selections to tell us about yourself and your business.
How many businesses do you currently own?  1  2  3  4  5  6  >6 (How many? ____ )
What is your percentage of ownership in each?
Business 1: ___ % Business 2: ___ % Business 3: ___ % Business 4: ___ % Business 5: ___ % Business 6: ___ %
How many years has your current business been in operation? If you own more than one business, please use the line
provided to write the number of businesses in operation for each time span.
 <1 ____
 1–3 ____  4–5 ____  6–8 ____  9–11 ____  12–15 ____  16–25 ____
 >25 ____
What circumstance led to your owning your current business? If you own more than one business, please use the line
provided to write the number of businesses acquired in that way.
 Started it ____  Bought from family ____  Bought from non-family ____  Took over from family ____
 Other _______________________________________________________________________________________
How many businesses have you owned in the past but no longer own?
1
2
3
4
5
6
 >6 (How many? ____ )
Of the businesses you no longer own, what circumstance led to your no longer owning them? If more than one, please
use the line provided to write the number of businesses let go in that way.
 Sold it ____  Closed for financial reasons but did not sell ____  Closed for other reasons but did not sell ____
 Other _______________________________________________________________________________________
Why did you become a business owner? (Check all that apply)
 Worked in the field and wanted to do it on my own  Saw an opportunity  Job lay-off forced me to do something
 Other (please describe)______________________________________________________
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What is your approximate gross annual (total yearly) revenue?
 <$100,000  $100,000–$250,000  $250,001–$500,000  $500,001–$1,000,000  $1,000,001–$2,500,000
 $2,500,001–$5,000,000  >$5,000,000 (Amount? ________________ )
In what county and zip code is your business located? If more than one, list all that apply.
Business 1: County _______________; ZIP ________
Business 2: County _______________; ZIP ________
Business 3: County _______________; ZIP ________
Business 2: County _______________; ZIP ________
Business 5: County _______________; ZIP ________
Business 6: County _______________; ZIP ________
What is your gender?
 Male
 Female
How old are you?  <21  21–25  26–30  31–35  36–40  41–50
Are you a veteran?
 Yes
 51–60  >60
 No
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
 Elementary  Middle School  Some High School  High School/GED  Some Community College
 Community College  Some College  College  Some Graduate School  Graduate School
What is your race or ethnicity?
 African American  Asian  American Indian  Latino  White  Biracial/Multiracial
 Other (please describe) _____________________________________________________________________________
SECTION 2: INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR USE OF BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES
Respond to questions in this section based on your experience with operating your own business.
Where do you go for help with your business (check all that apply)?
 Banker  Accountant  Lawyer  Family  Friends  Chamber of Commerce  Other business owners
 Mentor  Small Business Development Center (SBDC)  Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
 Consultant  I do not seek help  Other (please describe) ______________________________________________
Do you have a primary business support professional (e.g., accountant, lawyer, SBDC, Chamber, SCORE)?
 Yes  No
If yes, has your primary business support professional referred you to other professionals if he/she is unable to help?
 Yes  No
What instruction has your primary business support professional given you? (Check all that apply)
 Take a class  Complete a business plan  Read a book  Visit a website  I can’t help you
 Referral to another business support professional  Made appointment with another business support professional
 Other (please describe) _____________________________________________________________________________
How often do you review your business needs?
 At least every six months  At least once a year  When prompted by a situation  Only in emergencies
 I don’t; I am too busy working
How many miles must you travel to see a service provider or other business support professional?
 <1  1–10  11–25
 26–50  >50  I don’t know; I’ve never been
How long do you usually wait to see the business support professional once you get to the office?
 <15 minutes
 15–29 minutes
 30–60 minutes
 >60 minutes  I don’t know; I’ve never been
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Does your business have support needs that cannot be met by your current business support professional?
 Yes  No
 Not Applicable; I don’t have a business support professional
Does your business support professional talk to you about how your business is growing and changing?
 Yes  No  Not Applicable; I don’t have a business support professional
Who do you rely on the most for advice when you have questions about your business? (Choose only one)
 Parent(s)  Family member  Close friend  Banker  Accountant  Lawyer  Mentor
 Business support professional (SCORE, SBDC, etc.)  I have no one but myself to rely on
If you want information about available business support services, where would you look? (Check all that apply)
 Newspaper  Television  Email  Local trade publications (e.g., WV Inc., WV Executive, State Journal)
 Chamber newsletter  Direct mailing  Meetings with other business owners  National publications
 Local and Regional Conferences for Entrepreneurs  Internet  Other ___________________________________
If you chose “Internet,” list the top three keywords you would use to search Google or Yahoo:
1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
SECTION 3: INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORT FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Respond to questions in this section based on your experience with operating your own business.
Disagree
Neither
Agree
Nor
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Business support services are available in my community.
1
2
3
4
5
At times I put off thinking about what my business needs
because I am too busy doing the work that my business does.
1
2
3
4
5
I worry about whether or not my business will succeed.
1
2
3
4
5
Business support providers give me good information about
what I should expect as my business grows and changes.
1
2
3
4
5
I worry about whether or not I can pay my bills.
1
2
3
4
5
It is important that business support providers ask questions to
help me figure out what I really need to improve my business.
1
2
3
4
5
I am sure that my business will succeed.
1
2
3
4
5
There is a place in my community where first-time business
owners can go to get good information and learn how to be a
successful business owner.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly
Disagree
I need to continually strengthen my skills even when my
business is doing well.
Good business support services are available to me.
Indicate your level of agreement with the following statements:
Business support professionals (e.g., accountant, attorney,
SBDC) spend time talking to me about how my business is
growing and changing.
My business support professional talks to me about how I can
develop my personal skills for running a business.
Information about how businesses like mine grow and develop
is available to me.
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Business owners that know what they are doing don’t need help
from other people.
There are good services available in my community for
entrepreneurs.
First-time business owners need to depend on family and
friends for advice instead of relying on lawyers, accountants,
and other professionals.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Please share any additional comments about services for business owners in this space:
THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THIS SURVEY!
Advantage Valley Entrepreneurial Development System
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