Business Resource Alliance
Background
Several dozen organizations provide technical support, education and financial assistance to North Carolina's small- to medium-size businesses, but entrepreneurs are often stymied as they try to understand which providers offer the right services for them. As it launched the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship, the Rural Center recognized the need to provide a clearer, more responsive system of business services. For this purpose, in November 2003 it convened the state's first Business Resource Alliance, a collaborative network of business service providers. The alliance now includes more than 50 members. The Rural Center serves as coordinator.
Mission and activities
The alliance has committed itself to developing a comprehensive, integrated network of business services and to identifying and filling unmet needs. Its stated mission includes three elements:
- To enhance and strengthen business development and assistance services and improve access to services across the state.
- To improve the quality and integration of services in underserved areas.
- To serve as the primary advisory and action body for the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship.
In April 2004, the alliance released its first position paper, "Building North Carolina's Economic Future through New Enterprise Creation and Small Business Development". In it, the alliance calls for an increased investment of at least $20 million annually to support North Carolina's entrepreneurial service organizations. The investments support a state economic development policy that better acknowledges the existing and potential contributions of entrepreneurship to the state's overall economy and helps balance the heavy emphasis on out-of-state business recruitment and large companies.
In April 2005, the alliance held a breakfast and exposition at the General Assembly in celebration of Small Business Week. The events, cohosted by Rep. Bill Daughtridge and Sen. Walter Dalton, were designed to inform legislators about the alliance and to encourage them to support entrepreneurship as an economic development investment.
More than 20 alliance members are leading the development of a seamless network of business services that entrepreneurs may access through any cooperating agency. Tagged a "no wrong door" entry system, the approach will change the way these agencies welcome entrepreneurs. Each agency will continue to offer its own services and, if the entrepreneur needs other resources, will be equipped to identify the best agency to help and connect the entrepreneur with that agency. These efforts have been aided by a $2 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (To read more about this project, click here.)
Members
The following organizations are members of the N.C. Business Resources Alliance. Click on the name to visit the organization's website.
AdvantageWest
The regional economic development partnership serves 23 counties in Western North Carolina with marketing and services for new, expanding and relocating businesses.
Appalachian Regional Commission
The federal-state agency focuses on supporting economic development and quality of life in the Appalachian Mountains region, including western North Carolina. Its Entrepreneurship Initiative is a multi-year, $31 million effort to provide communities with the tools to assist entrepreneurs in starting and expanding local businesses.
Appalachian Regional Development Institute
This outreach arm of Appalachian State University makes faculty and professional staff available to address economic and business issues in northwestern North Carolina. The institute also convenes the new High Country Business Network.
Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council
An initiative of AdvantageWest, the council nurtures western North Carolina's entrepreneurs through education, networking and linkages with business capital programs, including the Blue Ridge Angel Investors Network.
Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
The center, an affiliate of the national Rural Policy Research Institute, conducts practice-driven research and evaluation of entrepreneurial development strategies in rural communities nationwide.
CFED
The organization combines community practice, public policy and private markets to expand economic opportunity. It concentrates on communities traditionally excluded from or limited by the mainstream economy.
Council for Entrepreneurial Development
The private, non-profit organization uses networking and focused programs to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle area. With more than 3,500 active members representing more than 1,000 companies, CED is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation.
Dogwood Equity
A private, limited liability company, Dogwood Equity manages the North Carolina Economic Opportunity Fund. It focuses on investment opportunities outside of the state's major urban areas.
ECU Regional Development Services
Business outreach programs of East Carolina University include an entrepreneurial initiative and the ECU Small Business Institute.
e-NC Authority
Based in the Rural Center, this authority is helping entrepreneurs in remote rural areas access and use information technology to improve their businesses, in part through Business and Technology Telecenters located in distressed counties.
Entreworks Consulting
The consulting company works with communities, organizations and civic leaders nationwide to design, implement and promote innovative economic development strategies, policies and programs.
Golden LEAF Inc.
Golden LEAF (Long-term Economic Advancement Foundation) was created with money from the national tobacco settlement to improve economic and social conditions in economically distressed and tobacco dependent communities in North Carolina.
Good Work Inc.
A nonprofit organization, Good Work helps people start and expand small businesses through business training and ongoing assistance.
The IDA & Asset-Building Collaborative of North Carolina
The collaborative conducts technical assistance and training for new and existing Individual Development Account (IDA) programs; fosters partnerships and networks among program partners, state policy makers and funders; and researches asset-building strategies that will build wealth for North Carolina families.
Institute for Emerging Issues
An outgrowth of the annual Emerging Issue Forum at N.C. State University, the institute focuses debate on critical issues and trends facing North Carolina and recommends policy alternatives.
Institute of Government
A component of the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the institute provides education, advice and research support for state and local government leaders. Economic development has been added as an area of special focus.
Junior Achievement of Eastern North Carolina
The largest economic-education organization in the world, Junior Achievement works with business executives to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise and understand business an economics.
Mountain Microenterprise Fund
The non-profit organization provides business training, loans and one-on-one support to Western North Carolinians who want to start, expand or strengthen a small business.
N.C. A&T State University
The agribusiness faculty at N.C. A&T State University help small-scale businesses ‹ primarily those based on agriculture ‹ to be more competitive. The school's International Trade Center provides assistance entering international markets.
N.C. Bankers Association
With more than 130 member banks, this statewide association provides educational and training programs and publishes the Carolina Banker magazine.
N.C. Business Incubation Association
Local business incubators formed this association to exchange information and promote best practices. For information, contact:
Paul Briggs, Babcock Demon Incubator, Wake Forest University; paul.briggs@mba.wfu.edu; 366-655-4010.
N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry
The statewide chamber of commerce boasts 2,000 members and is the largest and most influential business group in North Carolina.
N.C. Community Development Initiative
The initiative helps local community development corporations statewide improve their organizational capacity and productivity in the areas of affordable housing and business development. A subsidiary provides loans for community economic development agencies.
N.C. Cooperative Extension Service
The modern "ag extension" service, managed by North Carolina State University, provides educational materials and advice to farmers, agribusinesses and citizens through offices in all 100 counties. Many of its staff are now receiving more comprehensive training in business development, including entrepreneurship.
N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
The state's lead agency supporting farms and agribusinesses includes offices for marketing assistance and agritourism development.
N.C. Department of Commerce
The state's lead agency for economic, community and workforce development operates the Business ServiCenter, a call center that provides information on starting a business in the state. It also is hiring a small business ombudsman to help North Carolina businesses resolve issues with state agencies.
N.C. Department of Secretary of State
The secretary of state's office provides guidance for various forms of incorporation and maintains legal documents filed by more than 400,000 corporations, limited partnerships and limited liability companies.
N.C. Division of Community Assistance
A division of the N.C. Department of Commerce, the agency assists local governments with community development, economic development, smart growth management and downtown revitalization.
N.C. Economic Developers Association
The statewide association supports professional development, networking and advocacy for economic developers and related professionals.
N.C. Electric Membership Corporation
This utility company provides an array of support for businesses seeking to start, expand or relocate to North Carolina. Its statewide association includes all 27 of North Carolina's electric membership cooperatives.
N.C. Indian Economic Development Initiative
The statewide nonprofit partners with and builds the economic capacity of the 11 tribes and Indian organizations recognized by the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs. Two outreach specialists directly assist Native American business owners.
N.C. Industrial Extension Service
This manufacturing extension organization operates through 19 offices to help North Carolina's small and medium-size manufacturers apply the latest engineering technologies and management best practices to increase productivity, quality and profits.
N.C. Institute for Minority Economic Development
The statewide nonprofit represents undeveloped and underutilized sectors of the state's economic base. It operates three Minority Contractor Resource Centers and the Women's Business Center of North Carolina.
N.C. Military Business Center
A collaboration between the business community and the state community college system, the center works to leverage the presence of the military in North Carolina. This includes increasing military-related business going to existing North Carolina companies and supporting the development and recruitment of more defense-related businesses.
N.C. Minority Business Development Center
Part of the federal Minority Business Development Agency, this program fosters the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses of all sizes through one-on-one technical assistance and referrals.
N.C. Minority Support Center
The center provides technical assistance, training and financial assets for 15 affiliated community development credit unions.
N.C. REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning)
The non-profit supports entrepreneurship and small business creation through youth and adult training programs and curricula offered through high schools, post-secondary institutions and community-based organizations.
N.C. Councils of Government
County and municipal governments have formed 18 voluntary councils of government to provide services ‹ from programs for the aged to land-use planning ‹ on a regional basis. Some councils operate revolving loan funds and other small business programs.
N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
The center seeks to develop, promote and implement sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life in North Carolina's 85 rural counties. Its programs related to business development include the Microenterprise Loan Program, the Capital Access Program and the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship.
N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center
A service of the University of North Carolina system, the center offers general business and specialty market development services through 17 offices statewide. Its primary focus is improving the competitiveness of existing businesses through management counseling.
Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network
The organization provides a resource network and connections to capital for entrepreneurs in the Piedmont Triad region.
Research Triangle Regional Partnership
The economic development partnership supports 13 central North Carolina counties through marketing and other initiatives.
SCORE
Through eight offices in North Carolina, this nationwide nonprofit provides entrepreneurs with free business consultations and workshops run by retired business executives.
Self-Help
The economic development lender serves home-buyers, small businesses and non-profits, focusing on minorities, women, rural residents and low-wealth families.
SJF Ventures
The venture capital fund specializes in expansion-stage companies in clean technologies, business services and consumer product sectors.
Small Business Center Network
Small Business Centers are housed in each of the state's 58 community colleges and are often the first stop for rural business owners seeking professional assistance. Among the services they offer are education and training programs, business counseling, information and referrals.
Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
The commission funds economic and community development programs and projects that aid tobacco farmers and others dependent on or displaced from tobacco-related employment in North Carolina.
UNC-CH Office of Economic and Business Development
The office serves as a primary gateway to resources at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, matching North Carolina's communities and businesses with expertise in such areas as technology commercialization and small business assistance.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
UNC-Pembroke works on regional economic development, including initiatives focusing on American Indians, biotechnology and entrepreneurship.
U.S. Small Business Administration
The lead federal agency addressing small business needs, SBA offers a variety of finance programs and technical assistance.
WCU Center for Regional Development
The Western Carolina University center works for regional economic development, including bringing technology applications and entrepreneurship training to area business owners. The university also offers the state's only master's degree in entrepreneurship.
Contact
Alliance membership is open to other nonprofit and private business resource providers interested in working as a seamless entrepreneurship development system. For more information, contact:
Leslie Scott, Director
Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship
N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
4021 Carya Drive
Raleigh, NC 27610
Telephone: 919-250-4314
Fax: 919-250-4325
Email: lscott@ncruralcenter.org
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