HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFW_Entrepreneurship_and_Small_Business_AssessmentFort Worth Small Business &
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Audit
Presented by: Jim Damicis & Erik Pages
Building from the Economic Development Strategic Plan
Strategy Summary:
•Elevate the role of TECH Fort Worth as a connector/convener
•Expand the reach of entrepreneur networking among startup
and tech communities
•Restructure Business Assistance Center (BAC) based on a
community wide audit –define services for startups differently
than small businesses
High Level Findings:
•Building blocks for a higher level of entrepreneurship exist;
however, Fort Worth lacks a robust networking environment
for local entrepreneurs and tech workers
•Engagement with entrepreneurs is not measured
Your Team
Jim Damicis
Senior Vice President
Erik Pages
President
Christa O. Franzi
Sr. Project Manager
About Camoin Associates & EntreWorks Consulting
Founded in 1999
Completed work in 34 states
Employ 25 full-time staff
All things Economic Development
Started in late 2002
Worked in 46 states and overseas
Recent project focus areas:
Innovation/Entrepreneurship
Economic Diversification (Coal/Defense)
Advanced Manufacturing
Next-Generation Business Retention/Expansion
Programs
Approach
Project Launch1
Small Business &
Entrepreneurial Support
Assessment
(Interviews & Desktop Research)
2
3 Benchmarking &
Case Studies
4
5
6
Opportunity-Gap
Analysis
Implementation
Strategy Design
Presentation
7Implementation
Launch
ApproachSmall Business & Entrepreneurial Support Assessment
Inventory of Ecosystem Assets:
Capital
Business Services
Education and Information Programs
Talent
Networks
Real Estate
Culture
BenchmarkingIndicators & Counties
Indictors
Self-Employment: All
Employment, Race & Gender
Business by Ownership: Female,
Minority, Veteran
Businesses by Stage: 1-employee
& 2-9 employees
Patents Issued
Indices: Human Capital, Startup
Activity, Main Street, High Growth
Benchmark Counties
Atlanta, GA (Fulton Co.)
Austin, TX (Travis Co.)
Columbus, OH (Franklin Co.)
Kansas City, MO (Jackson Co.)
Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co.)
Miami, FL (Miami-Dade Co.)
Nashville, TN( Davidson Co.)
Pittsburgh, PA (Allegheny Co.)
Saint Louis, MO (Saint Louis Co.)
Washington DC
BenchmarkingOverall Ranking
Of the 15
indicators
evaluated, Fort
Worth ranks #2.
Overall Ranking
1. Atlanta, GA (Fulton Co.)
2. Fort Worth, TX (Tarrant Co.)
2. Washington DC
4. Austin, TX (Travis Co.)
5. Miami, FL (Miami-Dade Co.)
6. Columbus, OH (Franklin Co.)
7. Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co.)
8. Nashville, TN( Davidson Co.)
9. Kansas City, MO (Jackson Co.)
9. Pittsburgh, PA (Allegheny Co.)
11. Saint Louis, MO (Saint Louis Co.)
Rank
2
BenchmarkingMinority Entrepreneurship
Black or African American
Self-employment
Average
Hispanic or Latino
Self-employment
Leading
BenchmarkingWomen Entrepreneurship
•Overall rate of self-
employment is below
average.
•Rate of women-owned
firms is average.
BenchmarkingIndices Ranking
94465
Innovation
Index
Stats America
2016
Startup
Activity
Kauffman
2017
Human Capital
& Knowledge
Stats America
2016
High
Growth
Kauffman
2017
Main
Street
Kauffman
2017
What success requires:
Understanding
Culture
Language, values,
attitudes, traditions, and
norms supporting
entrepreneurs
Building
Relationships
With influencers and
partners
Assessing
Continuously
Measuring and tracking
with data
•Expand current city programming to provide a
wider variety of content related to minority
entrepreneurship.
•Partner with the minority chambers.
•Bring programming to the neighborhoods.
Preliminary Initiatives
Enhance Support for Minority
Entrepreneurship
•Create programming for middle school
and high school students to build a
pipeline and a culture of young
entrepreneurs.
•Middle school is especially critical for
young women.
Preliminary Initiatives
Introduce Programming for
Youth Entrepreneurship
•Build on the Sourcelink investment and make it
easier to access services.
•Create a city BizCare office and expand efforts to
build shared services.
•Work with chambers to connect small business
and entrepreneurs to larger existing businesses.
•Make city services more small-business friendly.
•Create guides and new staff position to help
local small business owners interact with City
agencies.
•Continue and expand efforts at the BAC.
Preliminary Initiatives
Open the Door Wider to Business
•Build a compelling brand for Fort Worth’s entrepreneurial ecosystem
•Tell the story that Fort Worth is a place for entrepreneurship
•Enhance the public face of the Guinn Entrepreneurial Campus
•Create new awards and other programming to help spread the word
•Continue to celebrate and leverage Global Entrepreneurship Week
Preliminary Initiatives
Connect and Communicate around Fort Worth’s
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Internally and Externally
Thank You
120 West Ave. Suite 303
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-899-2608
www.camoinassociates.com
3407 North Edison Street
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 237-2506
www.entreworks.net