Following up on chatter following my blog last week discussing the
need for caution around the quality of interventions that seek to
provide technical support to entrepreneurs, I will continue the
conversation thread this week with a post discussing another innovative
entrepreneurial support program - iStart, which happens to open for
business today.
The creators of iStart
at the Kauffman Foundation took a tool already in use - business plan
competitions - and expanded its impact by simply broadening the
competition life cycle. This white labeled online platform provides back
office support for a common, yet complex, engagement and education
method for encouraging entrepreneurs. Business plan competitions often
serve as the spark that gets great entrepreneurial ventures started.
The program is a resource for those running and judging a competition,
as well as for those competing in one, anywhere in the world.
There
are several reasons why I’m excited about this platform. First, it is
global in reach. Second, iStart is an entrepreneurial innovation itself.
Beyond help with logistics and guidance on building a strong business
plan, iStart offers a way to connect entrepreneurs, mentors and
investors. And it does so beyond the competition period by allowing
applicant teams to make their plans and their companies searchable on
its website. This will make thousands of plans available to the world as
models for aspiring entrepreneurs and possible mentorship and investing
opportunities. As the iStart entrepreneurs put it, “there’s a big, wide
entrepreneurial world out there. Established business owners. Student
entrepreneurs. Investors. Researchers. Financial gurus. Legal eagles.
Mentors.” The program aims to connect them.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Catalyzing Global Entrepreneurship Support - Entrepreneurship.org
Author: Jonathan Ortmans is president of the Public Forum Institute, a non-partisan organization dedicated to fostering dialogue on important policy issues. In this capacity, he leads the Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship, focused on public policies to promote entrepreneurship in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, he serves as a senior fellow at the Kauffman Foundation.
