This is the first in a series of three reports on the roles and prospects of two-year colleges in promoting community development through business incubation and related services. This report presents findings derived from a survey of business incubator managers and clients to describe the experiences of entrepreneurs in business incubation and to better understand the efforts of community colleges in promoting community development. Further insights in this regard can be found in Report 2 which describes various case studies of business incubators operating under different sponsorship arrangements, including support from two-year colleges. A summary of opportunities to expand the contribution of community colleges in economic development through business incubation and related services is provided in Report 3 of this series.
This report is organized into three major sections: a survey of incubator clients, a survey of incubator managers, and a discussion of results. This is followed by an outline of implications for postsecondary vocational-technical education in fostering economic development and entrepreneurship in the community via business incubation and other potential related services. Finally, a brief discussion is presented on the potential opportunities to expand students' exposure to alternative career paths--entrepreneurship options--within the context of school-to-work and emerging vocational programs.
This research was supported by the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) and conducted in collaboration with the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA). Dinah Adkins, NBIA Executive Director; Peter Bearse, President of Development Strategies Corporation, Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Gregg A. Lichtenstein, University of Pennsylvania, served as our Advisory Group. Their insights and expertise in the fields of economic development and entrepreneurship were invaluable to planning and designing this survey. The contribution of Dinah Adkins, in particular, was key in facilitating and endorsing our efforts to survey NBIA incubator members.
We would also like to extend our appreciation to June Lavelle, Executive Director of Lavelle Incubator Development from Chicago, Illinois, who gave us some advice at earlier stages of our research design. Brian O'Malley, Director of the Milwaukee Enterprise Center-North, and Miguel Berry, Director of the Milwaukee Enterprise Center-South were also helpful in facilitating a pilot test of our survey instruments.
The contribution of L. Allen Phelps, Director of the Center on Education and Work, is also recognized. We appreciate his advice to refine our project design and his detailed review of project materials.