This is the third in a series of three reports on the role and prospects of two-year colleges in promoting community development through business incubation and related services. This report presents a summary of opportunities to expand the contribution of community colleges in economic development through business incubation and related services. The research base for this guidebook derived from a national survey of entrepreneurs and managers in business incubators operating under different sponsorship arrangements, including support from two-year colleges (see Report 1, Hernández-Gantes, Sorensen, & Nieri, 1996a), and from case studies featuring business incubators operating under contrasting settings and organization schemes (see Report 2, Hernández-Gantes et al., 1996b).
We would like to acknowledge the cooperation of Dinah Adkins, Executive Director of the National Business Incubation Association; Gregg Lichtenstein, Philadelphia; and Peter Bearse, Gloucester, Massachusetts. All three of these individuals were extremely helpful in identifying critical issues, focusing for us the research already completed, as well as identifying a cross section of incubator candidates for the case studies. They also critiqued the survey instruments that went to all incubator managers and selected clients within those incubators. Their input helped us develop a vision for designing this guidebook which we thought would be helpful for two-year college administrators and instructors interested in economic development through business incubation.
Our many thanks to all the people in the field that we visited around the country, including incubator managers, clients, support staff, administrators and faculty of those institutions, agencies, and business incubators. Their insights were critical and very useful in completing this project. The contribution of L. Allen Phelps, Director of the Center on Education and Work, is also recognized. We appreciate his advice, guidance, and his detailed review of project materials.