1. Erik R. Pages
EntreWorks Consulting
VCEN Conference
Roanoke, VA
June 3, 2014

2.  The Good News: Our Message is Being Heard!
◦ What’s Happening in the Field Now
 The Bad News: Sustaining Momentum is
Tough!
 What Can You Do in Your Community?
June 3, 2014

3.  Washington embracing entrepreneurship in
multiple forms:
◦ Regional Development: StartUp America, Regional
Innovation Clusters (EDA), etc.
◦ Social Innovation: White House Social Innovation Fund
◦ Foreign Policy: State Dept. Global Entrepreneurship
Program
 States
◦ NGA Initiatives on:
 Growing State Economies
 Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Manufacturing
 Local Level
◦ Huge boom in economic gardening
◦ Traditional business attraction models losing favor
June 3, 2014

4.  Regulatory Reform
 Promote Entrepreneurship as an
Economic Development Priority
 Invest in High-Quality Support Services
 Build the Pipeline of Future
Entrepreneurs
 Access to Capital
June 3, 2014

5.  Many innovative programs cut or eliminated
from public budgets
◦ GrowFL
◦ Pipeline (Kansas)
 Meanwhile, long-standing support programs
are starved for funds
◦ SBDCs
◦ Microenterprise
◦ Capital access programs
June 3, 2014

6.  New approaches still not well understood
 Definitional Confusion: Entrepreneurship
vs. Small Business
 Goals Confusion: Empowerment vs.
Prosperity
 Clash between political cycles and
business cycles
 Attribution Issues: How do you claim
credit?
June 3, 2014

7.  Stress Inclusion and Opportunity
◦ Exclusive focus on gazelles may backfire
 Entrepreneurship as Transformational Tool
◦ For Individuals and Communities
 Specialized programs for target markets
 Realism about Program Impacts
◦ “Sell” the program as part of larger portfolio
June 3, 2014

8.  Must Serve the “Whole” Market
◦ Avoid targeting if you can
 Community transformation does not
occur through government programs
 But, comprehensive solutions are hard
June 3, 2014

9.  Learn from the experience in other regions
 Build on existing assets
◦ Link to Current Existing Business Retention and
Expansion Programs
 Create a focus on entrepreneurs
 Move forward with a systems approach to
entrepreneurship development
◦ Policy Emphasis Shifting toward Innovation
June 3, 2014

10.  Become an Information Resource
◦ Expert on your Small Business Sector
 Catalyze the Local Support Network
 Provide a Safe Meeting Space
◦ Pay for Coffee and Doughnuts!
 Broker Services
◦ Link Support Providers to Local Businesses
June 3, 2014

11.  Screen Deals
◦ Help review business plans for awards or new
investments
 Engage Educators
◦ Partner with Local Schools
 Introduce New Programs
◦ Targeting Special Markets (e.g Latinos)
◦ Targeting New Issues (e.g. health care)
◦ Sector Strategies (www.qb3.org)
June 3, 2014

12. Erik R. Pages
EntreWorks Consulting
703-237-2506
epages@entreworks.net
www.entreworks.net
BLOG: www.entreworks.net/blog
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP:
http://www.entreworks.net/Newsletter.php
June 3, 2014