A Case on University and Community Collaboration: The Sci-Tech Entrepreneurial Training Services (ETS) Program

S. Ann Becker (Florida Institute of Technology, USA), Robert Keimer (Florida Institute of Technology, USA) and Tim Muth (Florida Institute of Technology, USA)
Copyright: © 2010 |Pages: 90
EISBN13: 9781609603151|DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-609-4.ch003
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Abstract

Small businesses are viewed as the backbone of America and integral in the recovery of any economic downturn. Creative approaches to university and community collaboration are being explored to achieve high rates of success in launching, sustaining, and growing small businesses. One such approach, the Entrepreneurial Training Services (ETS) program, is being studied by Sci-Tech University as a means of technology innovation and regional economic development. The ETS Program has several unique features including: the entrenchment of a large number of adults in the program, an intensive training approach that is implemented in a short time frame, personalized mentoring offered to each entrepreneur in the program, and the leveraging of resources with a large, diverse group of community partners. The case profiles the region using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis, identifies an ETS framework on which the program is based and explains the process of implementation. The case concludes with challenges facing the university and local community in offering the ETS Program to a large and diverse group of entrepreneurs. It also summarizes benefits and successes from initial implementation efforts.
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