App State / Advantage West

Building Regional
Entrepreneurship

Pam Lewis, AdvantageWest Economic Development Group
Julia Rowland, Appalachian State University

© AdvantageWest Economic Development Group

Western North
Carolna
• Regional Approach to Economic Development
• 23 Counties/10,000 square miles
• Two major interstates with easy access to three more
• 1 million citizens
• Extraordinary arts, music and crafts - local food movement
• Biologically diverse eco-system
• 1300 mfg. firms – 17% of workforce
• More than 300 IT companies
• Entrepreneurship higher than state – 17.5% workforce

AdvantageWest
Region


Higher Education
11 Community Colleges 3 Universities
•McDowell Technical College •UNC-Asheville
•Haywood Community College •Appalachian State University
•Western Piedmont Community •Western Carolina University
College
•Blue Ridge Community College 5 Private Colleges
•Tri-County Technical College •Brevard College
•Southwestern Community College •Montreat College
•AB-Technical Community College •Lees McRae College
•Isothermal Community College •Warren Wilson College
•Mayland Community College •Mars Hill College
•Wilkes Community College
•Caldwell Community College


Program of Work

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Agri-Business
• WNC Film Commission
• AdvantageGreen
• Entrepreneurship


Entrepreneurship

• Established BREC pilot project through funding from
Appalachian Regional Commission - 2004

• Create network of entrepreneurs (BREC)

• Established Angel Investors Network (BRAIN)

• Valuable lessons learned

• Entrepreneurship must be done on local level

• Established CEC SM program to expand BREC to
community level


Certified
Entrepreneurial
Community Program SM

To create communities of entrepreneurial
interest by promoting public and
governmental awareness of the need for
entrepreneurship through certifying
governmental bodies and local units of
government regarding their approach,
strategy and state of readiness with
respect to entrepreneurship


Certified
Entrepreneurial
Community Program SM (Process)

• Call for Letters of Interest through
EDAC
• Loosely defined community
• Contracted with Center for Rural
Entrepreneurship
• Developed Community Guidebook for
Leadership Team


Step One:
Community Readiness
• Apply for designation
• Submit letter of intent
• Assemble leadership team according
to guidelines set forth in program
• Statement of broadened economic
development policy

Step Two:
Community Assessment

• Baseline Assessment Report
• Community Visioning
• Mapping of Development Assets
• Identification of Current e-Talent
• Plan for targeting e-Talent


Step Three:
Community Strategy

• Baseline Assessment Report
• Community Visioning
• Mapping of Development Assets
• Identification of Current e-Talent
• Plan for targeting e-Talent


Step Four:
Community Capacity

• Scanning Community and
documenting capacity for business
and entrepreneurial support services
• Development of plan of action to
provide missing support services
• Establishment of Citizen and Youth
Engagement Plan

STEP five:
community evaluation

• Strategy for streamlining business
permitting and services
• Business Retention & Expansion
Plan for entrepreneurs
• Documentation tool for tracking
success


Juicy Ideas
• Create a venue for students to
experience the value of right-brain
skills, imagination, critical thinking,
leadership and the power of global
communication for a common cause
• Establish a direct connection to the
community through innovation and
entrepreneurship
• Instill a sense of social responsibility in
students and community leaders
• Innovative new marketing opportunity
“out-of-the-box” to work with global
internet company


Juicy ideas 2008/09
• Originality and Creativity

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Environmental Responsibility
• Critical Thinking Skills

• Team Building and Leadership

• 5 States/900+ Students

• National Winning Team - ASU


Juicy ideas 2009/10

• Scaled to over 300 schools
• 19 States – Google office
• Technology Focus
• Support from SBA
• Juicy Ideas Website


Mitchell county

A
Community
Taking
Action


Why…
• Ethan Allen
• Henredon Furniture
• Hampshire Hosiery
• Vision Legwear
• Taylor Togs
• Bassett Walker
• Lexington Furniture http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=100473

• OMC
More than 2000 jobs have been lost.

Mission and Vision
• Mission
To support and encourage the continued development of
local and regional entrepreneurial and small business
enterprises using community, local heritage, and current
technology resources.

• Vision
To advance our local and regional economy by becoming
a state prototype of rural economic development by
creating an environment conducive to entrepreneurial
and small business sustainability.

Our Goals
To:
• identify local talent and resources that will support
entrepreneurial and small business development.
• integrate local heritage and current technology into careers and
businesses.
• enhance and market community assets that will attract a broader
business and customer base.
• promote diverse entrepreneurial opportunities and “out of the
box” thinking.
• provide access to educational opportunities that will encourage
entrepreneurial and small business development.
• provide general community awareness regarding the importance
and possibilities of entrepreneurial enterprises.

OUR 2010 Objectives
To:
• provide start-up entrepreneurial training for 10 to 12 women
with products in the Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree
project.
• provide 2 new marketing venues for 20 entrepreneurs in the
construction and landscape trades.
• establish partnerships with Avery and Yancey counties to
establish a new tourism sector focused on outdoor recreation
in the three county area.
• distribute 300 brochures to economic organizations,
permitting facilities and local lending institutions.
• visit 3 entrepreneurial businesses, existing and start ups, each
month and utilize information obtained for future planning.

What’s been going On?
• Surveys
• High School
• Community College
• Community
• Business and Industry
• Business Opportunity Summit
• Alternative Agriculture
• Creative Economy
• Green Technology
• Broadband Expansion
• Regionally
• Locally

What’s been going On?

• Entrepreneurial Education Curricula
• Appalachian State University
• Mayland Community College
• Mitchell High School
• NC Agriculture Extension Office

• A Resource Guide

• Editorials and News Articles

And the list goes ON…

Community Sourcing Events

• sS

What Comes Next…
• Continue quarterly meetings of the Leadership Team with committees
created as needed.

• Update the database of entrepreneurs each March.

• Continue the Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey Counties partnership in the
Toe River Economic Alliance.

What Comes Next…
• The Mitchell County EDC , County, and Chamber will
provide links to the Toe River Economic Alliance
Website and list resources available to entrepreneurs in
the area.
• Community members, students, businesses and industry
needs and engagement will be assessed annually.
• A youth mentoring program is being considered in
partnership with ASU, MCC, and the Mitchell County
Schools.
• Develop an Artisan Business Support Center.

What comes next…

• Implement a visit plan with existing entrepreneurs.
• Create an Entrepreneurship Award in collaboration with the
Mitchell County Chamber and Economic Development
Commission.
• Create an entrepreneurial scholarship program.
• Continue to implement broadband expansion.
• Develop a Home and Garden Show.

Anticipated Outcomes

• A Local Knowledge Industry
• Increased Alternative Agriculture
• Access to Virtual Learning and Communication
• Increased Entrepreneurial Education Opportunities
• Expanded Broadband Partnership
• More Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs
• An Artisan Business Support Center
• A Print and Online Home and Garden Resource Guide

Advantagewest
Commitment to CEC
• Co-op Marketing Opportunities
• Leadership Training
• Community Signage
• Assistance for last-mile telecom broadband
• Advantage Opportunity Fund
• Continued technical assistance
• Speaker’s Bureau for networking


Entrepreneur
benefits

• Improved and ensured access to telecom
broadband
• Improved access to capital/AOF
• Simpler business permitting
• Improved access to people including partners,
employees and customers
• Intangible benefits of customer support


Current Status
• Appeared before Congress twice in
2008/2 National Conferences for best
practices in Entrep. Dev.
• SBA funding
• Received service mark approval
• 7 Communities and 1 Indian Nation
have successfully obtained certification
• Engaged in fulfillment pieces for
communities
• Preparing for Round Two in WNC


CEC Communities
Alleghany
Ashe

Wilkes
Watauga

Mitchell Avery

. Caldwell
Yancey
Madison

Burke
McDowell

Eastern Band of Haywood
*
Buncombe

Swain
Cherokee Indian
*
Graham Henderson
Rutherford Town of Black Mtn.

Jackson Polk

Macon Transylvania
Cherokee
Cherokee

Clay


Creating Entrepreneurial
Leaders for the 21st Century

Center for Entrepreneurship
Appalachian State University
2009 - 2010

Expansion of Entrepreneurship Outreach Services in
Northwestern North Carolina

Rural Entrepreneurial Outreach was funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. The Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation was established in 1936 as a memorial to the youngest son of the founder of R.J.
Reynolds Tobacco Company. The Foundation has now made grants totaling more than $432 million to
recipients in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties. The Foundation currently gives special attention to
certain focus areas: community economic development; the environment; democracy and civic
engagement; pre-collegiate education; and social justice and equity.

The original goal was to expand entrepreneurial outreach in northwestern
North Carolina, focusing on the following rural counties:
Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Wilkes, Caldwell, Mitchell, Yancey and Alleghany.

We have met with representatives from all eight counties in our region to define projects that the Center
for Entrepreneurship could develop or support to encourage entrepreneurial development. Center for
Entrepreneurship staff members have initiated several new major projects and have supported others. It
is anticipated that more than 450 community members, most of whom own businesses, plan to become
entrepreneurs or support entrepreneurial development, will be directly impacted by these activities
through the end of the year.

Porch Sitting

We met with representatives from all eight counties in our region to define
projects that the Center for Entrepreneurship could develop or support to
encourage entrepreneurial development.

It is anticipated that more than 450 community members, most of whom own
businesses, plan to become entrepreneurs or support entrepreneurial
development, will be directly impacted by these activities through the end of
the year.

Programs and Initiatives
• ―Start Your Own Business in Ashe County‖ workshop series, West
Jefferson, May 19 - June 16, 2009, in partnership with Wilkes Community
College, Ashe County Economic Development Commission, and Ashe
County Chamber of Commerce. 19 people registered for the workshops.
15 people completed them. 4 participants operated an existing business
or non-profit and were seeking ideas on how to expand. The others have
plans to develop new businesses.

• ―Start Your Own Business in Wilkes County‖ workshop series, North
Wilkesboro, October 27 – December 1, 2009, in partnership with Wilkes
Community College, the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, the Wilkes
Country Economic Development Commission and JobLink. 29 people
registered for the workshop, with 15 in attendance for the first 2, and 13
completed the series. 5 participants operated an existing business or
non-profit and were seeking ideas on how to expand and re-tool their
businesses. The others have plans to develop new businesses.


―Re-powering our Region: Building Profit by Being Green‖ in Boone and Lenoir, August 6-7, 2009, co-sponsored
by Appalachian State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp., Caldwell
Community College and Technical Institute, Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce, Duke Energy, Economic
Development Commission of Caldwell County and Google.

On August 6, approximately 80 policy makers, business leaders from Caldwell County and Watauga County, and
Appalachian State & Caldwell Community College faculty and staff came together for a renewable energy tour
and dinner at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in Boone. The tour included visits to the first DwellBox
home, the E-3 House, Raley solar panels, Frank Hall solar water heating, and the new wind turbine at the Broyhill
Inn. Harry Wingo was the keynote speaker for the dinner. Harry serves as the policy counsel for cybersecurity
and energy at Google in Washington, D.C. His speech was structured to raise awareness of energy efficient
practices, so that consumers, businesses and area leaders can work together to build and train a greener
workforce and increase savings. The dinner was held with the goal of increasing awareness among local leaders
and have conversation on why it is important for the community to embrace this initiative and how we can work
together to help bring more jobs and opportunities to the area.

On August 7, an all-day conference open to the public was held at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. 200
participants and vendors attended. The day-long event featured expert panelists who discussed responsible
energy use, local and global perspectives on the green economy, the area’s existing green business and various
resources for education and economic development. The event was designed to connect business leaders,
entrepreneurs, educators and policymakers to create a more sustainable economic future for the region. David
Waechter, small business coordinator and instructor at CCC&TI, and co-sponsor of the event, in a post-event
interview, stated he ―heard people discussing new business opportunities, new business relationships and even
the possibility of locating an expanding industry in Caldwell County all because of this event.‖


Certified Entrepreneurial Community Team, Mitchell County – Mitchell County
pursued the Certified Entrepreneurial Community designation through the
Advantage West Economic Development Group. Advantage West developed
the CEC program to create communities of entrepreneurial interest by
promoting public and governmental awareness of the need for
entrepreneurship through certifying governmental bodies and local units of
governments regarding their approach, strategy and state of readiness with
respect to entrepreneurship. Julia Rowland, Assistant Director for the Center
for Entrepreneurship, served as an active Leadership Team member for the
CEC project in Mitchell County. Other members of the team represented
Mayland Community College, AMY Regional Library, Mitchell County Economic
Development Commission, Mitchell County High School, Mitchell County
Commissioners, Spruce Pine Town Council members, MAY Coalition, United
Way, and the Chamber of Commerce. The Leadership team worked to design
and support the implementation of the Certified Entrepreneurial Community
project goals and objectives to improve the economic health of Mitchell County
and its citizens. The CEC final presentation to the AdvantageWest board of
directors took place December 10, 2009, and the CEC team was awarded the
CEC designation.


Community assistance in Mitchell, Avery and Yancey counties – Center staff
members have met with various representatives of Mayland Community
College, including the president of Mayland, the Economic Development
Commission, Chamber of Commerce, and regional library system director, to
discuss potential projects Appalachian State can assist with.

Ideas generated include:

• High school mentoring program
• An area-wide needs survey of students, community members, Home of the
Perfect Christmas Tree artisans, resort community members, and area
business owners.
• These surveys will be followed up with interviews and write ups on major
homegrown success stories (PR campaign).


Speaking with regional Rotary clubs and other civic organizations –
multiple presentations throughout the region (Spruce Pine, Black
Mountain, Blowing Rock) to help educate business leaders and policy
makers about the importance of entrepreneurship education and the
impact it can have on local economies.

Family Business Forum – October 20, 2009 targeted family owned
businesses in the region to help them deal with unique issues family
businesses face regarding growth and transition.

Consulting – planning assistance to numerous regional businesses and
non-profit, e.g. Charleston Forge (Boone), Sparta Teapot Museum of
Craft and Design (Sparta), WJ Office City (Boone), Profit Path (Hickory),
Transportation Insight (Hickory), Music on the Mountaintop (Boone),
Boone Barr (Boone), Orphans to Ambassadors (Boone) and others.

Regional Economic Development Initiative (R.E.D.I.) – The Center has
begun development of a regional plan to support green business
incubation, market development and workforce development.


Ashe, Wilkes, and Watauga county youth outreach activities – Thanks
to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal stimulus funds,
approximately 160 young people ages 16 to 24 in the seven High
Country counties got jobs this past summer—jobs that pay above
minimum wage and lasted for 6 to 8 weeks. Julia Rowland led 5
workshops as part of this classroom component for the Get Real
Youth participants to explore entrepreneurship opportunities and
expand entrepreneurial thinking in Watauga County, Wilkes County
and Ashe County. Julia has provided mentoring plus assistance with
mock interviewing and resume writing to numerous program
participants.

Lessons Learned

As we reach out to communities in the region, we find that many
organizations want to partner with the Center for Entrepreneurship to
help spur economic growth. While these partnerships are good and help
to insure the long-term success of projects, it can be challenging when
you have ―too many cooks in the kitchen‖. We have to be very careful
that the university is not seen as coming into an area and telling locals
how to do things, but at the same time it is important for there to be clear
project leadership. In the future, we will continue working with as many
local partners as possible, but early on in projects we will more clearly
define the leadership responsibilities to help insure better
communications.

Entrepreneurship at Appalachian State

Innovative
Community
courses
Outreach
ASU students
Faculty and staff
Community members
Regional businesses
Community colleges
K-12

International Co-curricular
Collaborations Programs

Start Your Own Business
Community Workshops
• More than 450 participants so far in Watauga,
Ashe, Wilkes and Burke counties.
• Surveys show that of those who completed the
series, 84% had businesses up and running.

• Western NC Creativity competition in Fall 2008
was sponsored by Advantage West, Google and
others.

• Hundreds of college students from across western
NC participated. Task: Create value from
recycled plastic water bottles.

• Top ASU team built a bike out of water bottles and
went on to win national competition.

Realizing Green Business
Opportunities
Conference and networking event attracted more than
240 community members and students

Thank You
Pam Lewis, AdvantageWest
Sr. VP Entrepreneurial Development
plewis@awnc.org

Julia Rowland, Appalachian State University
Assistant Director, Center for Entrepreneurship
rowlandja@appstate.edu

App State / Advantage West

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