Building An Entrepreneur Friendly Community

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Building An Entrepreneur Friendly Community

• Building Supportive Infrastructure for
  Entrepreneurship

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Infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship

• People based infrastructure
• Transportation networks
• Educational infrastructure
• Connected community

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A Connected Community

• is critical to building an entrepreneur friendly
  environment in two ways
• Connections helps entrepreneurs to access
  information, resources customers
• Connections help to build a community wide
  entrepreneurial culture by enhancing networks and
  accessing new ideas

4
Connected Communities Have

• High speed internet infrastructure
• Community members who have skills and knowledge
  (ability) to use the internet effectively
• Community culture that understands social and
  economic benefits of digital connection

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Businesses Use Digital Tools

• eCommerce
• Telework
• Remote data back-up
• Receiving and submitting contracts
• Automating internal processes and procedures
• Out sourcing non-core activities
• Employee training

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Discussion Questions

• How do entrepreneurs in (name of community) use
  the internet?
• Are there business activities that entrepreneurs
  depend upon the internet to accomplish?
• What are your future plans for use of the
  internet?

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Ability to Use Digital Tools

• Access to courses, seminars, resources to learn
  new tools and competencies
• Existence of supportive networks to help in
  adopting new tools and competencies and solving
  problems

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Community Indicators of Broadband Effectiveness

• Penetration Number of subscribers per 100
  inhabitants
• Speed Kilobit per second
• Affordability Cost per kilobit/megabit

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Discussion Questions

• What are (name of community) current challenges
  to becoming a connected community?
• Who/what are the community members and
  organizations that have the skills and knowledge
  to use the internet effectively?
• What is currently being done to become a
  connected community?

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Web Resources for Entrepreneurs

• RUPRI Rural Entrepreneurship E-Newsletter
• To subscribe, contact
• Deb MarkleyNewsletter Editor and Managing
  DirectorRUPRI Center for Rural
  Entrepreneurshipdeb_at_e2mail.org 919-932-7762

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Web Resources for Communities

• Connecting Rural Communities A Guide to
  Community Information Technology
• The Southern Rural Development Center
• http//www.connectingcommunities.info/

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Contact Information

• Put your name and affiliation on this slide.
  Please also give credit to author and Ohio State
  University Extension.
• Adapted from an original presentation created by
• Myra Moss, Associate Professor
• Ohio State University Extension
• October 2008

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Broadband Penetration/100 Inhabitants (ITU)

• US Broadband penetration/100 inhabitants
• 2005 16th
• 2002 11th
• Canada
• 2005 5th
• 2002 3rd

US is falling behind - Potential loss of 1
trillion in economic productivity and more than
1.2 million jobs over next decade -Brookings
Institution
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Pew/Internet February 2006