After a year of planning and strategy development, Cleveland County business leaders are continuing to make progress with the Certified Entrepreneurial Community (CEC) program, an aggressive economic development program aimed at advancing entrepreneurial ecosystems on a local level. The process is moving forward and is now in the action steps stage.
The two CEC projects being developed are: 1) Service Provider Network (SPN); and 2) Business Resource Guide. These projects will involve many areas of the county and will include input and participation from a variety of businesses, government entities and resource providers.
The second meeting of the Service Provider Network was held July 13 at the Patrick Senior Center in Kings Mountain. This meeting continued the process of creating a culture of 'No Wrong Door' in Cleveland County by providing area service providers the opportunity to connect, share resources and become more knowledgeable of the local business landscape.
Alan Hamrick, Cleveland County GIS Coordinator, explained the county's Small Business Investment Grant Program. Jeff Neuville, Director of the Small Business Center at Catawba Valley Community College, shared information about support for entrepreneurship and small businesses in the Hickory area through partnerships with the Catawba County Chamber and Lenoir Rhyne University.
This will be an ongoing information event for service providers (non-profit, government, education, and business) to network and learn about available resources. The SPN meetings will have revolving topics, speakers, panels, and a focus on entrepreneurship and small businesses.
For more information about the Certified Entrepreneurial Community program, you may contact Steve Padgett, Director of the Small Business Center at Cleveland Community College. Phone 704-669-4146 or email padgetts@clevelandcc.edu.
Submitted by Steve Padgett