Main Street: An Entrepreneurial Mindset Eddie C. McGimsey Director Small Business Center Entrepreneurship Development Western Piedmont Community College Morganton, NC
We are living in a Fast Changing Environment
Operating Your Main Street Program More Like a Business How are you not like a business?
Operating Your Main Street Program More Like a Business How are you not like a business? Customers do not purchase your product or service It is tough to have economies of scale You can t show a profit only a change in financial condition But --- when it comes to mission, effectiveness and resource allocation, etc. you don t need to operate like a business
Operating Your Main Street Program More Like a Business How can you operate more like a business?
Operating Your Main Street Program More Like a Business How can you operate more like a business? Be transparent/accountable Track and measure results Prepare cash flow and financial models Diversify funding sources Professionalize marketing & development efforts Actively promote your Main Street brand Have a quality web-based presence Hire and retain quality staff members
Operating Your Main Street Program More Like a Business How can you operate more like a business? Operating your Main Street program as a business will increase its capacity to be more effective at achieving its mission.
Activity
Activity Imagine your primary Main Street funding source simply vanished as a feasible alternative. Brainstorm 10 options to replace that funding Write them on the flip chart You have 2 minutes
Activity Imagine your primary Main Street funding source simply vanished as a feasible alternative. Brainstorm 30 options to replace that funding Write them on the flip chart You have 3 minutes
Activity Imagine your primary Main Street funding source simply vanished as a feasible alternative. Brainstorm 60 options to replace that funding Write them on the flip chart You have 3 minutes
Activity Imagine your primary Main Street funding source simply vanished as a feasible alternative. Identify your 3 worst options, write them down on the sheet of paper and pass them to the adjacent table
Activity Imagine your primary Main Street funding source simply vanished as a feasible alternative. Choose one of the 3 options passed to you You have 3 minutes to prepare a short pitch to your board for implementing the option
Activity Imagine your primary Main Street funding source simply vanished as a feasible alternative. Choose your best 3 options from those brainstormed
Be More Entrepreneurial
Be More Entrepreneurial Be Bold Think Big! Capture your town s imagination and grab them in the gut Be a player or don t play at all!!!!
Be More Entrepreneurial Lose the Charity Mindset Charities do good but are often seen as needy They are loved but sometimes lack respect They are seen as looking for a handout rather than working as equal partners with funders in finding solutions Nonprofits need to go beyond the tin cup mentality
Be More Entrepreneurial Finance Don t Fundraise Fundraising keeps nonprofits in the starvation cycle of trying to do more and more with less and less Seek funding for short and long term solutions Diversify funding sources Focus on effective financial sources and drop the ineffective ones
Be More Entrepreneurial Finance Don t Fundraise Earned income is paramount --- Seek program income opportunities. For many successful nonprofits, philanthropy, voluntarism, and government subsidy are welcome, but not central.
Be More Entrepreneurial Make donors organization builders Make the case for investment rather than handouts Convince supporters that building the Main Street Program will result in better results and the ability to make a real improvements in your downtown
Be More Entrepreneurial Unrelated business activities are dangerous Be sure any new ventures emerge from core competencies, basic strengths, your mission, perfected programs, and developed assets
Be More Entrepreneurial Be patient, but don t run out of money It is easy to underestimate the time and money required to reach goals. Invest --- but don t cling to a cost mentality or your chances of success are minimal.
Be More Entrepreneurial Recognize the differences between innovators, entrepreneurs, and professional managers.
Be More Entrepreneurial Don t let the nonprofit culture get in the way Be willing to take risks Make tough decisions about staff members Relinquish control, i.e., don t micromanage Emphasize market pull Price aggressively
Be More Entrepreneurial Remember the Noah Principle No reward for predicting rain --- only for building an ark
Thank You