University Community Partnership For Entrepreneurship

In the fall, 2003 several universities were partnered with the City of Anderson, Indiana to encourage entrepreneurship throughout central Indiana. Purdue University’s contribution was a course entitled “Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. Incorporated within this course were seminar workshops offered by the School of Business at Anderson University. These workshops were “How to Start a Business” “How to Develop and Organize your Company” “How to Market and Sell your Product or Service” “How to Manage and Operate your new Company” “How to Develop your Financial Plan” Another supporting entity was Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana through their Industrial Research Liaison Program. This university provided guidance for obtaining financial start-up help via the Small Business Innovative Research Grants program. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship course was designed to maximize available sources and resources. Rather than using a textbook, the course content was found at seven Internet websites concentrating on entrepreneurs and business start-ups. The material covered the necessary “What” and “How” Business Plan elements: the Executive Summary, the business/task/product identification, business management and marketing, customers and competition, go-to-market and expansion strategies, an exit plan, financial propositions, proposed transactions and funding. Several agencies in the City of Anderson that were utilized as valuable resources included the Flagship Enterprise Center, the Corporation for Economic Development, the Anderson Public Library; Research Department, Service Corps of Retired Executives, Twilight Venture Partners, LLC. And, from Indianapolis, advisors were available from the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center, the Small Business Administration office and the Venture Capitalist Club.