Big Ideas from Small Towns: Rural Entrepreneurship
It has historically been tough to get a business going in rural America. With current obstacles like the COVID-19 pandemic affecting ventures across the board, things have been even more difficult for startups in small towns. A statistic shared in early 2020 (pre-pandemic) showed that startups in rural communities make up only 12% of all startups (compared to 20% in the 1980s). Rural entrepreneurship poses some obstacles that big city entrepreneurship doesn’t. Finding capital is a big issue for entrepreneurs everywhere, but startups struggle even more in small towns. Utility access problems like the lack of access to high-speed internet hinder ventures[...]
Master Class Series: Solving Meaningful Problems
Introducing 3 Steps to Startup Master Class Series: Solving Meaningful Problems There is one thing that all successful entrepreneurs have in common: life-long learning. Successful entrepreneurs are open to constantly gaining new knowledge, and possess the drive to seek out that knowledge proactively. Great entrepreneurs are consistently learning about what topics interest and excite them, in addition to learning about things that seemingly challenge their currently-held beliefs and ideas. The constant drive to seek knowledge might not look like what many assume. Interestingly, many of today’s entrepreneurs do not carry one of society’s major markers of knowledge – a 4-year college[...]
Which Type of Entrepreneur are You?
Many agree that there are recognizable “types” of entrepreneurs with specific motivations and specific characteristics. Knowing what entrepreneur type you are can help you fully understand and unlock your highest potential… and it can also help you avoid pitfalls associated with your entrepreneur type. Below, we’ll describe 4 major entrepreneur types so you can see which type matches you – and so you’ll be aware of weaknesses as you pursue your entrepreneurial dreams. The Innovator The Innovator is solution-driven. Innovators are typically enthusiastic and creative, offering innovative (hence the name) solutions for currently existing problems or even problems consumers don’t know[...]
How 3 Steps to Startup can Help You Overcome the Obstacles to Owning Your Own Business
There is a period of time before a “creator” takes the plunge into entrepreneurship – The act of investing in a business in the hopes of making a profit. During this time, obstacles can arise, making the startup process for small businesses seem far from reality. What are some of those obstacles? And where does – 3 Steps to Startup come into play? It Takes Money To Make Money In the world of entrepreneurship, the phrase “it takes money to make money” says it all. Most of those who desire to start a small business stop short because of funding woes. There are many costs associated[...]
New Law Brings New Opportunity for West Virginia Companies
Effective July 1, 2021, a law will hit the books in West Virginia, making it possible for mixed waste processing and resource recovery facilities to be developed across the state. In turn, this could mean economic development across multiple sectors, with innovation in one area spurring innovation across the board. A development like this is encouraging for those pursuing any ventures. Not to mention the support of economic growth in general. Overall, it’s good to be aware of the ways our state is pressing forward. SB 368 is already on the radar of companies like BioHiTech. BioHiTech operates an advanced resource recovery[...]
March 2021 Venture Fair
The March 2021 Venture Fair was held virtually over two days. Below are the videos and PowerPoint presentations. Day One: What It Takes to Launch, and How to Be an Effective Tech Based Startup – Eric Dobson Eric Dobson Slides Descriptions of and Differences Between Funding Companies – Panel Discussion The Funding Landscape–Don Morrison slide Trends in Early State Investing – Larry Miller Larry Miller Presentation Why Entrepreneurship is Important and Attainable – Brad Smith and Michael Graney Day Two: Why Pitch Prep is Critical and How to do it Effectively – Scott Ewing Scott Ewing Presentation Watch & Learn[...]
Facilitating the Growth of WV’s Innovation Economy
“Innovation, ideas, and talent are equally distributed, but opportunity is not.” That maxim underlies the rationale for the formation of 3 Steps to StartUp – West Virginia’s first truly integrated, collaborative, and holistic initiative to assist technology- and research-focused entrepreneurs in taking their business concept from notepad to marketplace. We have all heard the statistics. West Virginia entrepreneurs and innovators face significant hurdles to business creation. We struggle relative to neighboring states to attract investment for startups; rank 49 out of 50 among states in adults becoming entrepreneurs; place 45th in terms of business births and patents per capita; and,[...]
Morgantown Biotech Accepted Into Prestigious UC Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator Program
“This is a major step forward for our company and a validation of our syGlass system, which is a technology that allows massive images to be viewed in high-res virtual reality,” said Michael Morehead, Chief Executive Officer of IstoVisio.
3 Steps To Start-Up… What Is It?
Spurring entrepreneurialism and innovation is critical to driving the economic diversification necessary to overcome the impacts of the decline in coal across the State of West Virginia. However, early-stage entrepreneurs in West Virginia currently lack a clear pathway and support system to help guide them from conceptualization to market entry. West Virginia’s three leading entrepreneurship support organizations – TechConnectWV, the INNOVA Commercialization group, and the WV Jobs Investment Trust – are launching the“3 Steps to Start-up” program, which will provide early-stage entrepreneurs with critical assistance and a structured, modular map for moving forward from conceptualization through market entry. The goal[...]