When we believe we can be successful, we tend to be more successful.
Community capacity building is essential for all communities, big or small. In America, communities drive their own future, which is why entrepreneur-led development, done right, is so important. As an asset-based development approach to community development, the eCommunities program helps Nebraska’s rural towns strengthen and diversify their economies. Our eCoaches work with local leaders to build a more resilient, diverse economy that supports long-term prosperity. By creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem, communities foster growth, opportunity, and vitality, setting the stage for a thriving future.
ECOSYSTEM
Your community likely already has key entrepreneurial resources like banks, business centers, and local professionals. This puts you in a great position to identify, connect, and support those resources for entrepreneurs. By engaging in this process, your community will better understand the needs of its entrepreneurs, discover which resources have the biggest impact, and grow its entrepreneurial ecosystem—all geared toward helping current and future entrepreneurs thrive.
ENTREPRENEURS
Entrepreneurs are the heart of any entrepreneurial ecosystem, and your community has plenty of talent. Community members are in the best position to connect with entrepreneurs, understand their needs, and create opportunities that build on their strengths. eCoaches from the eCommunities program can help identify and cultivate resources that support local entrepreneurship and workshop what success looks like for your town. Since every Nebraska community is unique, its needs are, too. When communities support entrepreneurs, those entrepreneurs give back, boosting prosperity for everyone.
eCOACHING
Success moves at the speed of trust, and eCoaches fully embrace this idea. With backgrounds in entrepreneurship, business development, and public relations, they guide you in creating and realizing your vision—not doing the work for you, but coaching you along the way. Leveraging their expertise and experience, eCoaches help you tap into local, county, and state resources to grow businesses and strengthen your entrepreneurial environment. For them, it’s not a one-time effort but a long-term partnership aimed at creating lasting success for generations.
The Entrepreneurial Development System
START-UP
In ecosystem start-ups, your community gets organized, undertakes assessments, builds a “starter” strategy, and begins to work with entrepreneurs.
MATURATION
During maturing, your community collaborates with entrepreneurs, test-runs outreach, networks, discovers which resources matter, and explores how to sustain and grow your initiative.
SOPHISTICATION
Sophistication is when your community has made a long-term commitment to entrepreneurship, connected with partners, created a robust network, and seen results from local entrepreneurs.
Contact
SHAWN KASKIE
RPN Extension Educator
308-872-6831
shawn.kaskie@unl.edu