The marriage of technology and the grass roots movement: part 1 Binding communities

Enterprise Facilitation is successful because it relies on community involvement in the entrepreneurial process. Like barn raising, concerned members of the community rally behind the entrepreneur, making sure s/he gets access to the resources needed to ensure long term business success. The facilitator acts as the flash point, connecting the community with the individual entrepreneur. How then, does the technology made available through the internet, fit into this very personal process?

Let’s look at how EF binds communities first. The Entrepreneur has an idea. S/he decides that the small town where they live is where they want to run their business. Traditionally, the resources available to them are located somewhere outside of the community, save a few concerned individuals who may be available as a resource. So how does EF augment and improve the availability of resources. We utilize a Resource Board, comprised of approximately 50 concerned individuals from the entire region. We are no longer individual communities; instead we become a greater, regional community.