Dispatches from the Frontier
Musings on Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Friday, August 13, 2004
What Rural Entrepreneurs Need
Musings on Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Friday, August 13, 2004What Rural Entrepreneurs Need
From Economic Development Futures Web Journal:
While [survey] participants often cited challenges unique to their business, region or industrial sector, there were four problems cited by entrepreneurs in every focus group session:
- The sense of isolation plaguing rural business owners
- Lack of access to capital
- Difficulties in accessing outside resources and support services
- Need for more training and education programs for entrepreneurs
Indeed, the challenges of being a Pioneer Entrepreneur are substantial. Even as it becomes easier to transmit information across distance, the importance of localized knowledge becomes increasingly important. Risk capital, too, tends to rely on "optimal parochialism" in order to mitigate risk.
Even so, there are signs that networks of entrepreneurial resources are accumulating in places outside of the urban coasts (e.g., The Innovation Group in Kentucky and Technology Ventures Corporation in New Mexico). We're trying to do our part here in Bozeman, too.
7:16:19 AM 