Page 214 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

Understanding and Growing a Community’s Microbusiness Segment 203

tributes to successful business and community development and, to be
most effective, should be customer-focused (Devins 1999). If local labor
needs require educational investment or redirection, then a community can
take action. The community has at least two options for action: (1) address
the resource need locally or (2) look externally for assistance.
Successful entrepreneurs are often seen to be reasonable risk-takers
(Brabec 1994). Entrepreneurs see an idea and assemble the appropriate re-
sources to take advantage of an opportunity. Successful communities may
behave in a similar manner. These entrepreneurial communities will iden-
tify a potential opportunity and pull the appropriate resources together to
seize that opportunity.
The set of four resources discussed above (natural, institutional, finan-
cial, and human) represent the ingredients available (Emery, Fey, and Flora
2006). Successful communities, like successful entrepreneurs, are innova-
tive and reasonable risk-takers in utilizing these resources to full advantage.
There are many recent examples of rural communities that have both
nurtured potential entrepreneurs and behaved entrepreneurially as a com-
munity (Barta et al. 2006). Greer County, Oklahoma, in the southwest
quadrant of the state, organized a countywide planning effort to identify lo-
cal assets and used the Mainstreet Program to revitalize the county seat.
Wagoner County in northeastern Oklahoma formed a medical board and
has successfully obtained grant funds to provide a medical center. Early suc-
cesses with the medical board convinced local leaders in Wagoner County
that they could succeed in economic development as well, and a county-
wide economic development trust has been successfully implemented. The
trust has partnered with the private sector to expand port facilities on the
Kerr-McCellan Navigation System and create jobs.
Another county in northwestern Oklahoma, Alfalfa, decided to build on
the rich natural resource base and is marketing agritourism experiences. It
has a rich agricultural tradition and abundant natural resources. Local lead-
ers are utilizing video and other marketing techniques to describe the bird
watching, hiking, and other outdoor opportunities. Lessons learned from
all these local examples include the following: (1) form partnerships when-
ever possible and think regionally; (2) do not give up because success some-
times takes time; (3) be aware of all the resources and build on assets; and
(4) have a plan so the entire community will know what is happening.
These successful communities have a willingness to take reasonable risks
and a strong desire to assess the market to see what will work in the current
environment. They also aggressively seek assistance from all possible
sources and build partnerships to achieve their goals. These traits and ac-
tions seem very similar to those used by successful firm-level entrepreneurs.
So how does a community make all of this happen? Many of the programs
and needs identified earlier can initially be addressed with an educational