Entrepreneurship Education

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Merriam-Webster defines an entrepreneur as, "one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise." North Carolina has a wealth of statewide, state-supported education resources designed to assist businesses and industries of all sizes.

Following are links to resources that will assist you. Each of these links contains additional information and resources. If you have questions, call BLNC toll-free, 1-800-228-8443, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, to talk with one of our business consultants.

Statewide

• The N.C. Community College System has an entrepreneurship curriculum available at a number of campuses, and the system's Small Business Centers Network offer classes, workshops and other programs designed to help business owners.
• The Small Business and Technology Development Center, with 18 regional offices around the state, has an entrepreneur-focused Management Education program and on-line training resources designed to increase the likelihood of business success.
• N.C. Cooperative Extension. Based at the state's two land-grant educational institutions, N.C. A&T State University and N.C. State University, this educational partnership helps people put research-based knowledge to work for economic prosperity, environmental stewardships and an improved quality of life. There are programs in all 100 counties; many offer business and entrepreneurship-related programs.
• The N.C. Rural Center publishes an extensive North Carolina Entrepreneurship Education and Training Directory, which includes many local community resources. The Rural Center also has an Entrepreneurship Initiative.
• N.C. State University's Industrial Extension Service. IES provides education and technical assistance to businesses and industries across the state. IES works one-on-one with small and medium-size manufacturers to help them stay competitive, retaining jobs and increasing profits.
• The UNC School of Government offers an annual program on Basic Community & Economic Development in August each year.

Western North Carolina

• Appalachian Regional Development Institute is an applied research and public service program of Appalachian State University that includes education and training.
• Appalachian State University Center for Entrepreneurship provides support to entrepreneurs throughout the region.
• BioNetwork BioBusiness Center The BioBusiness Center supports the development of life science businesses, with particular emphasis on traditional biotechnology, natural products and biofuels, through training, counseling, and resource information.

Piedmont/Triad

• N.C. A&T State University's Interdisciplinary Center for Entrepreneurship & E-Business. The ICEEB provides academic and experiential learning for students interested in individual or corporate entrepreneurship, and for local entrepreneurs interested in improving their businesses. ICEEB is a joint project of the School of Business and Economics, the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and the School of Technology

Piedmont/Triangle

• UNC-Chapel Hill's Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise offers educational programs, research, public policy analysis and recommendations, and competitiveness strategies for companies and communities in the areas of economic development, entrepreneurship and global strategy.

Eastern/Southeastern NC

• UNC's East Carolina University has a Regional Development Services program, which includes education, training and technical assistance, as well as an Entrepreneurial Initiative.
• UNC-Wilmington's Center for Marine Science has a marine biotechnology program, MARBIONC, which provides the infrastructure and support necessary to bring new marine biotechnology products to the marketplace.

For Future Entrepreneurs

For future entrepreneurs, North Carolina's public colleges and universities provide a variety of education and training programs:

• Appalachian State University Center for Entrepreneurship. The Center for Entrepreneurship in ASU's Walker College of Business was created in 2006 to support an incredible, burgeoning group of student entrepreneurs.
• East Carolina University has a Small Business Institute Program that provides on-site management assistance to small business owners while providing senior-level and graduate students with valuable practical assistance.
• Elizabeth City State University has a Center for Entrepreneurship through its Walter R. Davis School of Business. The center helps students gain "real world" experiences while pursuing their undergraduate studies, through courses, lectures and internships.
• N.C. State University's College of Management sponsors an Entrepreneurship Education Institute.
• UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Education has created a Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, a program that finds the most innovative and successful practices in K-12 education and makes them available to the teachers and students of North Carolina - and the world.
• UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School has a Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and The Center for Sustainable Enterprise runs BASE, the Business Accelerator for Sustainable Entrepreneurship.
• UNC-Pembroke's Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship. The center stimulates entrepreneurial thinking among students and support entrepreneurs and new ventures in Southeastern N.C.
• UNC-Wilmington's Cameron School of Business has an Entrepreneurship & Business Development program.
• The UNC System also offers a number of on-line undergraduate and graduate business degree programs.
• Western Carolina University offers a Master's of Entrepreneurship online education program and a Master's of Science & Entrepreneurship, an interdisciplinary two-year master's program. WCU and Haywood Community College have developed an entrepreneurship degree program.
• Winston-Salem State University's School of Business & Economics has a Center for Entrepreneurship.

Other Entrepreneurship & Business Education Resources

There are many private, not-for-profit organizations in North Carolina that serve the business community's need for training and education. Some require a membership fee and charge for programs; others offer programs for free. Following is a partial list:

• SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business", provides free counseling support for start-ups and existing small businesses. Seminars supporting entrepreneurs are also available. Go to "Find SCORE" and enter your zip code for a convenient SCORE location.
• Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council. BREC is an entrepreneurial support organization that serves Western North Carolina.
• Council for Entrepreneurial Development. Headquartered in the Research Triangle Park, CED is the oldest and largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation, with more than 5,500 active members.
• Mountain BizWorks. Mountain BizWorks meets the needs of its Western North Carolina clients through in-depth business planning courses, ongoing technical support and advanced training, and small business loans up to $50,000.
• N.C. Center for Woman Business Owners. Created by the Women's Center of Fayetteville to enhance entrepreneurs' business skills.
• N.C. Chamber, formerly N.C. Citizens for Business & Industry, is a statewide private, not-for-profit membership organization representing the interests of business and industry.
• N.C. Economic Developers Association (NCEDA) is a statewide, not-for-profit organization that includes professional economic developers and professionals in other fields and provides professional development and networking opportunities.
• N.C. REAL Enterprises. REAL is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping bring entrepreneurship and small business creation to North Carolina.
• North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. North Carolina has many private colleges and universities that offer entrepreneur and/or business-related courses. View a list of most of those institutions.
• Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network. PTEN promotes the formation and success of entrepreneurial companies in the Piedmont Triad.
• Self-Help Credit Union. Self-Help is a community development lender and real estate developer that works with qualified individuals, organizations and communities traditionally underserved by conventional markets.
• Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship. The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship is a private non-profit corporation focused on enhancing economic development in the Greensboro and the surrounding area.
• NC LEAP. The North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Project is a public service program of the North Carolina Bar Association.