APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR INCUBATOR MANAGER, STAFF, AND CLIENTS IN AND OUT OF BUSINESS INCUBATION

Purpose: To gather data from incubator managers, staff, and entrepreneurs in and out of business incubation to describe linkages with postsecondary institutions, perspectives on developing tenants' entrepreneurial skills, and educational/training elements that facilitate the development of entrepreneurial skills.

Procedures

• Introduce the visiting team and state your affiliation.
• Explain your research interest.
• Explain the interview process.
• Assure anonymity.
• Ask permission to tape record the interview.

Interview Guide for Incubator Manager and Staff

The following questions are just a guide to interview participants. Thus, the interview process should be semistructured to allow you to pursue relevant topics in more detail and probe as necessary to enrich descriptions of particular events and experiences shared by participants.

1. What is the objective of your incubator?
2. What is your understanding of entrepreneurship?
   • What do you think entrepreneurs need to know to become successful business owners?
   • What are the things that you do that help develop entrepreneurship?
   • What services do you provide to start up a business?
   • What kind of assistance do you provide to run and make a business competitive while in business incubation?
3. How do you meet the special needs of minorities and women?
   • Please tell us about your support services for minorities and women. Do you have any that specifically target these groups?
4. What kinds of linkages do you have with community/technical colleges?
   • How can community or technical colleges develop entrepreneurship through education and/or training?
   • In what ways, other than education and training, can community or technical colleges help develop entrepreneurship?

Focus Group Guide for In-House and External Clients

1. We often use "entrepreneur" and "business owner" interchangeably. Is there a difference between these two terms?
   • What do you think is required to start up a business?
   • What do you think is required to operate a business?
   • In general, what does it take to succeed in business?
2. For those in business incubation: What were your reasons for joining an incubator?
   • What have you learned so far during the incubation process?
   • What support services have facilitated the development of your business? How?
3. What professional services have facilitated the development of your entrepreneurial skills? How?
4. What kinds of education and training activities have facilitated the development of your entrepreneurial skills?
5. What would your advise be to college administrators interested in developing a program or course focusing on entrepreneurial skills?
   • What kind of learning activities would you recommend?
6. If you had one piece of advice to would-be entrepreneurs, what would you say to them?