Northern Lakes Economic Alliance • 231-582-6482 • info@northernlakes.net
Jessica Lovay, Community Development & Grants
One of the many ways communities within our service area are working to make their towns more entrepreneurial friendly is through the formation of E-Teams. Learn the function of an E-Team and it can help communities reach their goals.
What is an E-Team?
An E-Team, short for Entrepreneurial Team, is formed by Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA) within communities to help them become even more entrepreneurial friendly through goal-setting strategies. Teams are comprised of community figures that have the drive and passion to help the community move forward and grow, such as: representatives of local units of government, Chambers of Commerce, Downtown Development Authorities, and local schools; as well as real estate agents, and business owners to name a few.
Purpose of E-Teams
Each E-Team is uniquely designed to reflect the community it’s located in so that it can aid in business attraction, retention and community development projects specific to its community. They can also be used as a resource for local entrepreneurs. By asking a local entrepreneur to attend and present at an E-Team meeting, they are able to tell their story, speak of the positives and express some of their current hurdles. Many times, hurdles that an entrepreneur is facing can be resolved in that meeting or bring up steps to take toward a resolution.
How E-Teams are formed
A few of the E-Teams in our three-county region have begun by attending a Michigan State University Extension “Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities” (CEC) Conference. CEC conferences are designed to connect communities and their teams from around the state of Michigan to share some of their successes and best practices. This two-day conference has 23 breakout sessions to choose from that take place in shops and venues throughout the downtown. These breakout sessions discuss different programs to educate communities on the various tools and resources available to help entrepreneurs grow in their communities. CEC conferences offer a unique opportunity to learn about and experience an entrepreneurial community first-hand. This year’s CEC conference is taking place on October 1st and 2nd in Ludington, MI. To get on the CEC Conference mailing list for updates and information about the conference and/or to learn more about forming an E-Team in your community contact the NLEA at (231) 582-6482.
