Why Would I Enroll an employee in the Entrepreneurial Mindset class at ICC?

Most companies know that to survive in the ever-changing global marketplace, they are going to have to be more entrepreneurial and innovative in constantly improving how they offer their goods and services. It's not enough to have the top managers and owners do the thinking about this; all employees need to be involved in the thinking and innovating.

For many people, the term "entrepreneur" implies business ownership or business "start-up". Certainly, that is true sometimes, but entrepreneurship can be interpreted as the practice of finding new ways to solve problems for others, many times with limited resources.

The overarching objective of Entrepreneurial Mindset, featuring the Ice House Entrepreneurship curriculum is to learn how successful entrepreneurs recognize problems as opportunities and figure out creative ways to solve them. Since successful businesses have learned to recognize the problems of their customers and solve them in better ways than their competition, it stands to reason that having employees on your staff with the "Entrepreneurial Mindset" would better equip them to help solve the problems of your customers both internal and external.

So, while we do talk about business start-ups in this class, what we really emphasize is how to become better problem solvers. Entrepreneurs can be at work both within other companies and organizations as well as owning their own businesses.

 

(From:  http://www.ibrcenter.org/Employee-Enrollment-63924.asp)

New Finance Funds Available for Northern Montgomery County (KS) Entrepreneurs

The Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC) has received $90,000 to use in a revolving loan fund to provide gap financing for area start-ups and existing businesses with expansion or other improvement projects. The funds became available as a result of a competitive application process by IBRC. Late in October, Network Kansas announced that Northern Montgomery County was named a Network Kansas Entrepreneurial (E-) Community. Seven other communities were designated as new E-Communities in 2012.


With the designation as an E-Community, IBRC received and sold $75,000 in tax credits in order to raise the $90,000 in proceeds to use for the gap-financing loan pool. "Gap financing is used to fill the gap in funding that sometimes occurs as entrepreneurs finance start-up or improvement projects." says Jim Correll, executive vice-president of IBRC. "An entrepreneur might invest in a project and obtain conventional bank financing, but still need "gap" funds to finance the whole project. These E-Community funds can be used for loans to fill those gaps." Loan decisions are made locally. The IBRC board of directors will review loan applications and make the decisions to loan the funds.

Montgomery County Action Council (MCAC) aided IBRC in submitting the application and will service the loans.

"In today's challenging economy, communities need to be vigilant in promoting small businesses in any way that is available to them. The E-Community program provides the tools that our small rural communities need to promote the growth and development of our small businesses. The future of Cherryvale and Independence is dependent on the development of small businesses, and we look forward to helping foster this commitment to small business development thanks to the E-Community Program, and ensuring a strong future for our communities,” said Trisha Palmer, Interim Director of MCAC.

"Creating the E-Community loan fund is a wonderful opportunity for Independence and the surrounding area. Promoting small business development and encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs are great ways for our community to expand and prosper. The funds from this grant will provide financial opportunities to spur growth in Independence. Just watch us grow!" said Lisa Wilson, President/CEO, Independence Chamber of Commerce.

Correll, who also heads the Successful Entrepreneur Program at Independence Community College added, " Each component we add to aid entrepreneurs helps us build our entrepreneurial support community. We are very pleased to become an E-Community for both the Independence and Cherryvale areas in northern Montgomery County." Cherryvale is within the ICC service district.

The funds will become available as of January 1, 2013 so applications for loan funds are being accepted now. Those interested in knowing more or applying should contact Correll at 620-332-5470 or jcorrell@indycc.edu.

About Innovative Business Resource Center

The Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC) was created in 2010 with a primary mission to provide business mentoring, incubation and other resources for area businesses.

Mentoring is provided by local/area volunteers experienced in general and specific areas of business while special entrepreneurship curriculum is provided by the Successful Entrepreneur Program at Independence Community College. Other resources are offered as they become available.

Incorporated in February 2010 as Independence Business Resource Center, the board of directors changed the name in November of 2010 to better reflect the purpose of the organization and allow for a wider area of scope.

IBRC is a 501c3 Kansas corporation. Board members and the executive vice-president serve without pay. Contributions of money, equipment and/or materials are tax deductible. See www.IBRC.org for more information.

About Network Kansas E-Community.

Since 2007, NetWork Kansas E-Communities have loaned or granted $2.1 million to businesses in their communities through this funding source and leveraged an additional $11.9 million dollars, for a total investment of $14 million dollars into businesses in E-Communities. This funding has spurred the creation or retention of nearly 551 jobs in these same communities and has immeasurable positive effects on the entrepreneurial ecosystems of these participating areas.

The E-Community partnership, now in its sixth year, has grown from six communities in 2007 to thirty-eight in 2012. The NetWork Kansas E-Community partnership allows a town, a cluster of towns, or an entire county to raise seed money for local entrepreneurs through donations from individuals or businesses within the community. During the first five years of the E-Community partnership, more than $6 million have been raised. These funds are estimated to generate more than $34.1 million of investment in rural businesses across Kansas. See www.NetworkKansas.com for more information.