When it comes to educational resources for entrepreneurs there is no place to look like your own city. The reason? So much of your brand’s DNA is indebted to where it was born out of. While online resources, like Entrepreneur, Inc, and Maker’s Row Blog, are invaluable to an entrepreneur, going out into your community and discovering other entrepreneurs and what your city has to offer is key. Here are a few resources to keep your eye out for:
Chamber of Commerce
Every city has a Chamber of Commerce whose goal is to encourage economic development and business growth. So, they are a great place to start when you are getting ready to launch your own business. Many Chamber of Commerce offices offer courses and seminars on the different aspects of starting and running a business, and often give assistance that ranges from finance to legal to marketing.
In addition, Chambers of Commerce have the goal of cultivating a business community in their city. That’s why networking events and a community center for business are two essential resources that many across the nation offer. Usually, the chambers offer memberships that varying by degrees of resources. Some of these include magazine, websites, access to membership lists, and, most importantly, marketing support from the chamber.
Other than a Chamber of Commerce, cities offer many other resources for entrepreneurs, so be sure to check out your city’s website!
Makerspace
A makerspace is a place where people who are interested in working to create something come together to learn from each other, share resources, and build their projects.
You can read more about them in this article, but here’s a little snippet about them:
While in the past these spaces could have been informal like a community center or classroom, recently we have seen an uptick in these formalized spaces. Specifically for makers, these spaces are great for when you are in the product development stage or prototyping. These spaces have resources and supplies, like CAD or the Adobe Suite, that can help you figure out your idea, design it, and physically build your product. Some of these spaces even have advanced technology such as 3D printers.
Universities
If you look at a list of the best cities for entrepreneurs, you’ll find that one of the most common threads among them are a university in town. This is often because universities often offer a center for entrepreneurship or innovation that is meant to help foster creativity and build businesses. These centers offer educational resources and mentors that can help entrepreneurs through the product and business development process.
For example, the University of Pennsylvania recently opened Pennovation, which is a facility with offices, labs, and production spaces that are meant to help innovators cultivate and grow their ideas. These centers often offer events similar to our recent seminar “Made In Philly: Product Development,” which offered entrepreneurs a chance to learn about the product development process and the steps they need to take.
Business Incubator
A business incubator is a company that provides resources that focus on business management. Some business incubators also offer office space for young brands. In particular, they are dedicated to early-stage companies that need specific support, such as funding, legal, accounting, and office space, before the launch of a brand or business.
While many incubators are private, cities like New York have been launching many to help economic growth. For example, NYCEDC and Sunshine Suites joined together to recently launch Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator.
No matter what the resource, tapping into your local entrepreneur community is key for success. These are just a few of the many that are available. So, do your research, meet other entrepreneurs, and enjoy the hustle life!
