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Business Development

Training Guides Offer Help to Microenterprise Programs
The Aspen Institute offers six training guides for microenterprise organizations to help them adopt the most effective techniques for assisting entrepreneurs. The guides are based on the institute's best-practices research and address such topics as how to select effective business-planning curricula and how to best provide clients with coaching, mentoring, and consulting services. The latest volume focuses on how microenterprise organizations can foster networking activities that ultimately will benefit clients. The training guides are available on the Aspen Institute's FIELD Web site.

Best Practices in Rural Entrepreneurship
The National Center for Small Communities (NCSC) is offering best practices for entrepreneurial development in America's small towns and lessons learned from the winners of NCSC's Rural Entrepreneurship Award, which honors elected officials of small communities (under 10,000 in population) who have been exemplary leaders in crafting effective entrepreneurial development strategies. The winner and finalists of the 2003 GREA program were Fairfield, Iowa; Turner County, South Dakota; and Broadway, Virginia.

Successful, Innovative Practices in Rural Microenterprise Development
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity has developed the Rural Microenterprise Successful Practices Project, a two-year initiative supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to identify and disseminate successful practices in rural microenterprise development to practitioners throughout the country. The project "Learning Clusters" focus on sectors or topic areas where there is innovation and opportunity for substantial impact. The current clusters are the Food Sector, the Sustainable Tourism Sector, and Access to Markets for Artisans and Food Sector Entrepreneurs. Innovative practices identified through this project are available at www.microenterpriseworks.org.

The National Business Incubation Association's 2002 State of the Business Incubation Industry Report
NBIA's periodic state of the industry (SOI) reports provide snapshots of the incubation industry over time. Through both statistical and anecdotal information, the 2002 SOI report provides the latest statistics available on business incubation and demonstrates that the industry continues to thrive. Information included covers many incubation topics, including program types, square footage, financial information, and services offered.

Entrepreneurs are Key to Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation's Success, According to Case Study
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship published a case study of the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation (KHIC), one of oldest and most effective community development corporations (CDCs) in the United States. The report, Development of an Entrepreneurial Support Organization: The Case of The Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, offers a detailed history and review of KHIC programs. The authors argue that KHIC's emphasis on entrepreneurs has helped ensure that the organization does not stray from its core mission and effectively contributes to a positive business climate in the region. Visit KHIC to learn more.

Report Gives Insight into Community Development Financial Institutions
Intended as a snapshot of a diverse, dynamic sector, the report presents an overview of the CDFI industry; outlines the specific services CDFIs offer; looks at where loan fund capital comes from; explains the impact they can have on a community; and touches on the key trends, opportunities and challenges facing CDFIs on the road ahead. The report, a product of the CDFI Data Project, was released by the Corporation for Enterprise Development. Download the report.

Innovative State Policy Options to Promote Rural Economic Development
The issues brief "Innovative State Policy Options to Promote Rural Economic Development" addresses how states have built promising initatives for sustainable rural economic development through three approaches: adapting cluster-based strategies; promoting entrepreneurship outside of the agricultural sector; and reinvigorating the agricultural sector through diversification and value-added agriculture strategies. The brief was developed by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.
Download the issue brief (PDF). (Requires Adobe® Reader®.)

Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: One-Year Findings
The Microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination, (FIELD) published a report from its welfare to work learning cluster entitled Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: One-Year Findings. The findings provide evidence that self-employment is a viable source of work and earned income for TANF recipients. Study participants who enrolled in microenterprise programs doubled their rate of self-employment, and those already in business who entered the programs succeeded in increasing their sales, assets, and net worth. Furthermore, individuals who are self-employed showed strong growth in household income, as well as in household assets and net worth.
Download a free copy of the report or order a printed copy of the report for $5 from the FIELD Web site.

Revitalizing Rural Economies
The Appalachian Regional Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts released the publication Building Creative Economies: The Arts, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, produced by Americans for the Arts. The document summarizes the proceedings of a landmark conference held April 28-30, 2002, in Asheville, North Carolina, that enabled participants to share successful strategies for revitalizing rural economies using the arts, crafts, and heritage of local communities. The conference was also designed to increase collaboration and activities among key actors in this sector.