New businesses turn to college for answers

An idea originated by Rep. Tom Osborne to streamline the state's approach to helping new businesses has blossomed to the point potential entrepreneurs in Southwest Nebraska are already calling Mid Plains Community College looking for answers to their business questions.

When Osborne introduced his NET Force Nebraska concept he was hoping to encourage entrepreneurship with a better support system. He gathered state agencies involved with economic development and small business startups and turned to the state's colleges. He asked them to assume more of a proactive leadership role in training and in establishing one-stop entrepreneurial centers to serve as a clearing house for all kinds of business startup questions.

The phones at McCook Community College are already ringing.

To ensure that small business owners all over the state were getting the same answers to their startup questions, NET Force Nebraska created a statewide curriculum for entrepreneurship and everyone from the University level through the community college level has recognized and accepted that curriculum.

"That was a huge step" said Sue Shaner, Area Dean of Economic Development and Training. "Whenever you can unify a plan like this and turn it into a road map with curriculum developed by the community college system, it speaks to the merits of a plan and we are excited to be a part of it."

Nebraska's residents have traditionally turned to community colleges for answers to business startup questions such as: sources for startup funding, tax advice, developing business plans, networking possibilities and marketing questions. Until now, every college would rely on its own resources for answers. Now that a network has been established, colleges will share resources. The mission of NET Force is to "identify and leverage educational resources to Educate, Engage, and Empower current and potential Entrepreneurs.

The goals of the group include increasing access to and utilizing entrepreneurship curriculum, education and training; identifying, coordinating and leveraging resources for ongoing support of Nebraska entrepreneurs, locating and securing funding to further the mission, and increasing the marketing and outreach of entrepreneurial programs and services in the state.

Shaner said the new system is in place and already working. She recently received a call from someone thinking about buying a business. He knew and believed in the product but didn't really know the market. Within a few days, the caller had an appointment with officials from the Rural Enterprise Assistant Program (REAP). Using the free service, the man compiled enough useful information and material to make an informed decision about the marketability of the product.

"It doesn't have to be a brand new business either," Shaner said. "In today's high-tech world, there are often existing businesses which expand and find themselves in an unfamiliar market."

She said NET Force Nebraska can help counsel existing business owners about the feasibility of expanding or selling their business or even retiring. Some existing businesses never had a business plan and find that developing one can provide new prospective.

"The Center for Enterprise at Mid-Plains Community College acts as a referral service, but that's just one aspect of what we do," Shaner said. "We'll also continue to be actively involved in training activities as well."

The Nebraska Edge program has been in existence for nearly 15 years and officials plan to continue its momentum. In Southwest Nebraska, the Tri-EDGE Coalition will continue its 12-week courses that steps business owners through the various aspects of owning a business. The communities of McCook, Cambridge and Curtis rotate training sites with the next Edge training set to begin in January in Curtis. EDGE has been offered in North Platte for a number of years, and other locations through the Mid-Plains area, as well.

"Anyone who has been through the training knows that it is an intense course," Shaner said. "It requires owners to do a lot of research on all aspects of business such as marketing, competition, advertising, hidden expenses, and cash flow."

Over the past three years, there have been 25 businesses that started in the Tri-EDGE area alone after the owner took the course.

"And sometimes these activities help a person decide their business is not a good business decision. Sometimes we help them decide the best business decision is not to pursue it," Shaner said.

College officials also believe they have made a concerted effort to develop the kinds of training area businesses are looking for. Shaner said this has been achieved by taking a proactive role in promoting the training resources the Center For Enterprise can offer to small and large businesses. Shaner said the CFE staff has conducted one-on-one interviews, written letters, distributed surveys and spoken to service organizations about MPCC's customized training.

"By getting out in the area and speaking with people whose businesses can benefit from additional training, we are able to build objectives and develop the resources that will give those clients the types of training they need. We are getting more and more requests and larger orders as well," she said.

In many cases, businesses save a great deal of time and money by staging their training sessions through MPCC rather than by having to travel to large cities for high-level training. For MPCC, this emphasis has resulted in increased Full-time student counts as well as an increased revenue stream.

Shaner said the college is anticipating being partners with the McCook Economic Development Corporation in supporting of the business incubation in the Keystone Hotel Project. When that project is complete it will be the one-stop center Osborne envisioned when he initiated Net Force Nebraska.

For now, the one-stop center for all business needs starts with a phone call to the Center For Enterprise at (800) 658-4343, ext. 8123 or (308) 345-8123.

"We are anxious to hear about potential entrepreneurs and area businesses who want to explore new avenues of potential," Shaner said.