Many small towns are considering community-based start-up funds (SUF) to foster development and retention of small businesses. But whether a community is large or small, a group must be well-organized before it begins to make decisions concerning the design and purpose of a small-business SUF. This primer highlights some main points a community…

In order to maximize its resources to fulfill its action-oriented mission and strong commitment to community and economic development, El Paso Community College (EPCC) developed a Business and Industry Center as a rapid response system for meeting the needs of the business and industry community. The Business and Industry Center offers a…

This guidebook describes opportunities for the participation of postsecondary technical institutions in the economic and entrepreneurship development of urban, suburban, and rural communities. Section 1 describes the organization and format of the guidebook. Section 2 suggests these strategies for establishing a business incubator: organizational…

The recent decline in farm-related income in rural areas has prompted important questions about potential new sources of off-farm employment. The issue closely relates to vocational education in rural areas. This report examines sources of rural job growth and discusses the role of entrepreneurship in long-range rural economic development. The…

This guide is written for those seeking help from federal programs to foster innovative enterprises in agriculture and forestry in the United States. The guide describes program resources in value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry, sustainable land management, and community development. Programs are included based upon whether they…

The Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness Measures was formed by the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges of Arizona to develop a statewide plan for systematically demonstrating the degree to which community colleges accomplish their diverse missions. Two subgroups were formed in the Task Force on transfer and college programs and…

This manual is designed to help teachers, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and students start their own economic development activities and youth ventures. It describes a two-step plan to economic development through youth: development of an in-school student chamber of commerce program and development of a youth-owned venture. The first part of…