Investing in Entrepreneurs: A Strategic Approach for Strengthening Your Regional and Community Economy
• Offers a new, systematic way of thinking about economic development that puts entrepreneurs and their enterprises at the center• Shows how a community's portfolio of business assets can be strategically managed like a financial portfolio• Introduces the concept of the pipeline of entrepreneurs and enterprises, giving economic developers a way to segment the "market" of entrepreneurs and allow for a truly strategic approach to economic development• Offers a clear and understandable discussion of entrepreneurs' skill sets: what they are, how they can be differentiated, and how they can be developed• A unique tool for mapping and managing entrepreneurial activity in a community or region to permit the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of its economic portfolio• 50 examples from the field showing the development of entrepreneurial skills, the movement of businesses through lifecycles, and interventions to increase and improve entrepreneurial activity• Illustrations that explain the concepts graphically• Appendices with templates, plans, and more• A comprehensive bibliography of important reference sources in the enterprise development field