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What
We Offer > MyEntreNet
MyEntreNet
A Rural Business Accelerator Program
Rural
Entrepreneurship and the Model Behind MyEntreNet
What Is MyEntreNet?
Phase
1 - Community Empowerment
Phase 2 - Business Empowerment
Phase 3 - Sustainability
MyEntreNet
- The Web Application
Economic Impact
Who Applies?
RBAP Sponsors
Rural
Entrepreneurship and the Model Behind MyEntreNet
The University of Northern Iowa's Regional Business
Center believes innovative entrepreneurship development will become
the hallmark of rural prosperity. Entrepreneurship can stabilize
regional economies, localize decision-making, and generate rural
wealth.
According
to the Center for the Study of Rural America, small, locally owned
firms diversify a community's economic base, insulating the region
from economic flux.
Policymakers
throughout the United States have identified three guiding principles
to encourage entrepreneurial activity:
- Building
and strengthening a community culture for entrepreneurs.
- Improving
the skill set of individual entrepreneurs.
- Creating
entrepreneur networks.
The Regional
Business Center has simultaneously developed all three: community
culture, skill set and network - packaging them in an innovative
program called MyEntreNet.
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What
Is MyEntreNet?
MyEntreNet is a rural based business accelerator
program which creates community-based support networks for entrepreneurship,
provides startup and existing companies with advanced technical
assistance and training, and connects entrepreneurs and resources
in rural regions nationwide through technology.
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Phase
1 - Community Empowerment
The
first phase of MyEntreNet empowers community leaders with
the skills they need to grow entrepreneurship locally. The needs
of each community are identified, local teams set program objectives
and guide implementation, and an advisory team develops a local
incentive plan to support entrepreneurship. All community partners
will have access to online resources and networking opportunities
through the MyEntreNet web application.
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Phase
2 - Business Empowerment
MyEntreNet gives both new and existing business owners
the confidence and tools they need to be successful. MyEntreNet
couples onsite, comprehensive and topical trainings with online
resources and networking opportunities on the MyEntreNet
web application.
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Phase
3 - Sustainability
We don't stop once the onsite trainings are over. We
continue working with businesses and communities up to two years
after launching MyEntreNet in a given area. Our
cutting-edge web application provides participants access
to resources, one-on-one counseling, local news, and interaction
with other entrepreneurs nationwide through chats, email, and
discussion forums. In addition, we offer onsite networking opportunities
such as MyEntreClub and Entrepreneur Exchange program.
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MyEntreNet
- The Web Application
At the heart
of MyEntreNet is a highly interactive, individually customized
web application created by Darning Pixels, Inc., which includes
the following components:
- An online
learning community, bringing rural entrepreneurs and community
leaders together to problem solve, share ideas and jointly participate
in learning activities.
- Individually
customized web pages, tailored by industry, business stage,
region of residence and gender to provide a unique look and
specific resources designed to meet the needs of each individual.
- A Business
Resource Center, featuring articles, self-directed research
and business information of interest to rural small businesses.
- Online
classes and workshops in a variety of forms, ranging from video,
power point, or html documents.
- Online
local news, email newsletter and live chat rooms.
- Live online
counseling assistance from professional business consultants
in small group and confidential chat forums.
- Moderated
discussions on topics of interest presented by a host of business
experts.
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Economic
Impact
In
the first year of delivery, 98 participants from 5 rural counties
in northeast Iowa took part in the MyEntreNet program.
Within these counties, MyEntreNet fostered the creation
of 24 new or expanded businesses. This resulted in a total of
82.5 new full-time jobs and over $2 million in new capital investment.
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Who
Applies?
The MyEntreNet program is available to communities,
counties and/or regional economic development groups who wish
to approach entrepreneurship development from a new perspective.
Please contact Mike Hahn at mike.hahn@uni.edu
or at (319) 236-8123 for more information and pricing.
Entrepreneurs
who wish to enroll in a MyEntreNet program are encouraged
to contact their local economic development organization.
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MyEntreNet
Sponsors/Partners
University of Northern Iowa
United States Department of Agriculture
Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments
Iowa Department of Economic Development
Buchanan County Economic Development
New Hampton Economic Development
Fayette County Economic Development
West
Union Chamber of Commerce
Oelwein
Chamber of Commerce
City of Parkersburg
Bulter
County Economic Development
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