RURAL ECOMMERCE AND TELEWORK INCUBATOR CENTERS

http://lone-eagles.com/summary.htm

by Frank Odasz
frank@lone-eagles.com

Note: The following is a summary of a full grant proposal at http://lone-eagles.com/intelligent.htm

Two economically depressed rural communities in Montana and Idaho are enabled with high-speed Internet via wireless and fiber optics. They recognize that they share a common problem: their citizens don’t know how to turn high-speed Internet access into economic and social value. Instead of outsourcing our jobs to countries that teach Ecommerce and telework skills, we need to generate this capacity in all our own rural communities. 

To establish new awareness and new learning relationships, our solution will be to create a replicable “Community Ecommerce Awareness Campaign” in partnership with establishing an “Ecommerce and Telework Incubator Center.”
 

1.  Multiple events including multimedia presentations on what’s already working in other rural communities. 

            2.  Online lessons on Ecommerce and telework entrepreneurship based on proven success stories and strategies.   |

            3.  Creation of a Community Mentors’ Guide to generate fast-track e-business skills to create multiple self-employment businesses. 

1.  Entry-level online auction and Ecommerce services to engage potential new entrepreneurs. 
            2.  Fast-track e-business skill development to include entry-level online auction and Ecommerce entrepreneurship training. 
            3.  Creation of an Ecommerce incubator (e-mall) to bring local new and existing businesses online. 
            4.  E-marketing initiatives for the community, its new Ecommerce businesses
            5.  Establishing the Community Cooperative Skills Registry.

The initial attraction of the “Incubator Centers” will be demonstration of how online auctions can easily turn common items into cash to generate self-employment businesses; employability skills using digital photography, art, and music; and learning to "learn and earn" in a friendly, non-threatening environment.  Continuing motivation and enthusiasm will be ongoing as people begin to tutor/mentor others, develop new for-profit services and develop and sell new products via online auctions, e-malls, and individual web sites.  (See Appendix H -“EBay Drop-Off Centers Sprout on Main Street USA – It is the perfect idea at the perfect time.”
 

The immediate and powerful impact from this first-of-its kind project is that the citizen engagement strategies, all rural Ecommerce and telework training materials, and documented ongoing outcomes will be shared with all interested communities via online newsletters showcasing the value of sharing innovations between communities. The more communities participating - the greater the proportional benefit to all.

PROJECT PURPOSE (20 PERCENT)

The Problem.  Rural America represents 25 percent of the U.S. population and is in the midst of a severe economic crisis.  Nowhere are today’s economic hard times felt more deeply than in rural America.  Rising prices in land and machinery, continuing downturns in agriculture, and increased global competition have left rural communities throughout the United States at risk for their continued survival.  There is an immediate need to revitalize the pioneering spirit that originally created them.  Rural Ecommerce and telework development strategies are needed to combat the impacts of a rapidly shifting economy. Rural adults suffer from anti-technology attitudes, and lack appropriate motivation and training to utilize advanced Internet applications. The rural communities of Montpelier, Idaho, and Dillon, Montana, are examples of this. (See Appendixes A and B.)

The need exists to quickly establish a model for rural communities on how to develop a shared vision for a focused community action plan.  This will enable communities to adapt to a changing economy to create a sustainable community – while there is still time to do so. Rural communities need to understand how to assess the value of intelligent use of collaborative Internet tools for leveraging the public good by gathering and sharing new knowledge to create new opportunities.  The need exists to engage adults in understanding their immediate options to counter the negative impacts of a changing economy.  Emphasis will be on the viable empowering opportunities represented by intelligent use of the Internet for building both social and economic value by generating new jobs through Ecommerce and telework.

In the 1980s and 1990s the perceived solution to the exodus of rural people to cities and the downturn in the economy was the installation of the “information highway.”  “Build it and they will come,” was the coined phrase of the day. It is significant to note that the proliferation of dial-up Internet did not produce the promised social and economic benefits because rural citizens were not provided the knowledge or skills needed to benefit.  The perception molded by mass media is that the computer and the Internet are commonly viewed as time-wasting toys best suited for children.

High-speed Internet infrastructure has become available in many communities, replacing the older, slow-speed dial-up technology.  Montpelier, Idaho, has had high-speed wireless for several years and Dillon, Montana, has had it for three years.  These communities now recognize the seriousness of learning how to take full advantage of the benefits available.

There is extensive and rapidly growing evidence that Internet infrastructure alone will not transform rural communities.  Glowing promises of telecommunication companies have proven inadequate.  Only personal, practical experience will prove to rural citizens that there are potential benefits of new technology.  Barriers of learning new technology must be overcome.  The fear of change and for “learning anything at all” must be addressed.

Rural communities are losing 3 – 5 percent of their population annually and the out migration of youth is decimating their future sustainability.  To support rural communities nationally there is a dire need to continually gather and share the best new replicable models for sustainable Community Technology Centers.  We propose the most sustainable model as being Ecommerce and Telework Incubator Centers – as a base for Ecommerce skills development.  Effective community learning programs are necessary to support online learning about Ecommerce and telework, generating social value, peer mentoring, and improving local collaborative capacity. An entrepreneurial culture needs to be created.

Community members will tell visitors they love their rural lifestyles and do not want to leave their respective areas.  But, there are too few jobs and due to the remote nature of their communities, there are few customers for their retail outlets.  It is highly unlikely a significant number of new businesses will relocate in these rural communities with limited labor pools. Rural entrepreneurship in small rural communities with a minimal consumer base must emphasize the rapidly growing global market at our fingertips on the web.

Solution and Measurable Outcomes.  Initial emphasis will be on creating widespread community awareness as to what is working for others like them, and fast-track skills development to generate visible measurable benefits to motivate citizens as to the value of new knowledge.

Implementation of the following project will create a low-cost, high-value, visible, community-learning program implementing advanced telecommunications applications.  It has two major components: 
         (1) A Community Ecommerce Awareness Campaign, and
          (2) an Ecommerce and Telework Incubator Center.

Community Ecommerce Awareness Campaign

This community-wide campaign will be an opportunity to generate new learning relationships and for-profit services by having local citizens showcase their talents and skills.  It will raise community awareness regarding advanced computer and telecommunications applications and to market their skills and new services locally.

1.         Multiple events including multimedia presentations on what’s already working in other rural communities. Working in cooperation with local sponsors, events will be held to articulate the purpose and goals of the centers and to stimulate interest in the planned development of new local service e-businesses.  Annual celebrations will serve as community self-assessment events.  A multimedia fair showcasing skills of local champions will be held to demonstrate new technology applications and to stimulate interest in planning a series of locally driven workshops.  (See Appendix C for details on multiple community engagement events.)

2.         Online lessons on Ecommerce and telework entrepreneurship based on proven success stories and strategies. Ten two-hour online lessons will be conveniently available to everyone interested which provide a hands-on overview of what is already working for other rural citizens.  (See Appendix D.)

3.         Creation of a Community Mentors’ Guide to generate fast-track ebusiness skills to create multiple self-employment businesses.  A community skills assessment will connect those within each community who have skills they are willing to share with others needing mentoring to gain new skills.  Development of new self-employment for-profit technology services to benefit the local community will be stimulated by incentives of advanced teleworker training in return for sustained peer mentoring.  Having two communities in the project will be especially beneficial here as mentoring can be done online between communities effectively doubling the talent pool.  (See Appendix E for Community Mentors’ Guide model.)

Ecommerce and Telework Incubator Centers

In both Dillon and Montpelier, the buildings, staff, computers, and high speed Internet are all in place.  The Montpelier site has two centers.  One is sponsored by the local hospital that seeks an Ecommerce training component as essential to community wellness.  The other center in nearby Paris, Idaho, with considerably more space and computers, will work in partnership with the telemedicine center.

The problem is that today only 16 percent of rural citizens are entrepreneurial. This center program serves to accelerate creation of a rural entrepreneurial culture, an evolution which has just begun as evidenced by the majority of rural citizens who have used online auctions or know someone who has.  To achieve the primary goals of new income and social value, “Ecommerce and Telework Incubator Centers” will be created to assist both communities in initiating the following entry-level Ecommerce activities:  (See Appendix F for expanded explanation.)

1.         Entry level online auction and Ecommerce services to engage potential new entrepreneurs.  To raise curiosity, commission-based online auction services will be offered to the community to turn items brought to the center into cash.  At this level, no technical experience will be necessary.

2.         Fast-track e-business skill development to include entry-level online auction and Ecommerce entrepreneurship training.  Essential Internet skills will be taught at each center to those who are afraid of the Internet or otherwise have a lower skills level.  Hands-on online auction skills will be taught along with computer entrepreneurial and Ecommerce skills.

3.         Creation of an Ecommerce incubator (e-mall) to bring local new and existing businesses online.  A web-raising event will launch an e-mall as the local web community content resource for e-business and collaboration.  Existing and emerging new businesses will be offered the opportunity to get on the web quickly using web templates and/or low-cost Ecommerce store builder services. 

4.         E-marketing initiatives for the community, its new Ecommerce businesses and the new Community Cooperative Skills Registry.  Using the marketing skills and services of the regional Small Business Development Centers, a priority will be collaborative e-marketing of local businesses, emerging new businesses, the skills of local citizens, and the community as a whole.  A Community Cooperative Skills Registry similar to an example from a successful telework business in Scotland (See Appendix G) will be created along with electronic resumes.  Both communities will maintain a local online newsletter as an ongoing e-marketing strategy and self-evaluation mechanism for the community to monitor its own progress throughout the project’s timeline.

Creating an Entrepreneurial Culture in Rural America

The initial attraction of the “Incubator Centers” will be demonstration of how online auctions can easily turn common items into cash to generate self-employment businesses; employability skills using digital photography, art, and music; and learning to "learn and earn" in a friendly, non-threatening environment.  Continuing motivation and enthusiasm will be ongoing as people begin to tutor/mentor others, develop new for-profit services and develop and sell new products via online auctions, e-malls, and individual web sites. “It is the perfect idea at the perfect time,” says the author of “EBay Drop-Off Centers Sprout on Main Street USA.”  (See Appendix H.)

            Essential skills needed to benefit from the Internet will be made available during open hours as short training sessions.  These sessions like those listed above will be presented for self-directed learning.  People whom initially just “drop off products” for sale will soon become hands-on users mentoring others in the use of the public resources of the computer lab.  These learning skill units (after browsing and searching) can be addressed in any order depending upon the specific needs and interests of the participants.

Training will be made available in a variety of forms so people can apply whatever method best suits their needs. Building upon extensive existing curriculum for essential Internet skill development as well as online Ecommerce and telework lessons, Lone Eagle Consulting will customize training materials specifically for this project.  (See Appendix K.)

Essential skills needed to benefit from the Internet will be made available in the form of individualized training using computer-based training (CBTs) and one-on-one, small groups in more formal settings with instructions for hands-on learning, mentoring others, and developing learning circles.

Modules using these delivery systems will be developed and include but are not limited to the following:

·        Browsing Basics

·        Searching Basics

·        Email Basics

·        Listserv Basics for Group Collaboration

·        Web-Authoring Basics

·        Digital Photography and Photo-Manipulation Basics

·        Digital Art Tablet Basics Multimedia Basics

·        Downloading and Installing Software Basics

            Help will be available for those wishing to have their own web site.  Participants need only to learn a few basics and then have someone help them, show them, or do it for them depending on the participant’s needs and levels of motivation to learn.  These sites will be linked back to the e-mall to create a community of learning and assistance to everyone.  For example, the e-mall could supply the expertise for collecting money and helping to distribute the goods.  Once again by people looking at other sites, they will gain an understanding of what’s working for others.

            By working together on these learning projects, it will become evident that not all people will have to learn everything.  By pooling their expertise and by collaborating with each other, it will take less time for people to start using the more useful aspects of the Internet for their own individual purposes.

            As people learn Internet skills and learn what others are doing, there will be a need to provide lessons in small business start-up, home-based businesses, and entrepreneurship.  Lessons will be offered in a similar way as the skills lessons.  These skills will be offered via the Internet, by two-way distance learning, or by classroom work.

INNOVATION (30 PERCENT)

The simplicity and common sense of the low-cost, high-value community activities of this project, combined with the immediate opportunity for replication due to the online availability of curriculum, mentors, and peers from a sister community make this project unprecedented in preparing for high impacts and widespread dissemination.

            Citizens will be able to learn skills in the short term to take them from being rote beginners with computers and Internet to being confident Internet self-directed learners as well as being able to mentor others, online and offline, for a profit or just out of their own goodwill. Demonstrated enthusiasm from previous technophobes will be a significant innovative outcome of this project.

            The Center’s plan for future sustainability will include an online community auction house service, an Ecommerce incubator, and a community e-mall to generate its own income while at the same time serving the needs of the community.

            The incentive of additional skills training to develop for-profit services will continue to stimulate participation in this unique community program in partnership with the Centers.  Citizens will offer many services including digital photography applications, digital art, web authoring, music recording, family multimedia scrapbooks and more.  As awareness grows for the products and services that can be produced with computers, new opportunities to offer for-profit services will emerge to provide the support for an economically sustainable center.

            Collaboration with people living in similar circumstances many miles away will prove the benefits of working and sharing.  As ideas are exchanged and people learn what’s working for people in other locations, online collaboration with different countries and the world could emerge thereby benefiting many cultures and opening even wider markets than previously thought.

            One of the more innovative aspects of this project is other rural communities interested in emulating this project will have direct online access to the project’s full plan, the extensive Ecommerce curriculum, and the ongoing progress posted online as regular newsletters by the participating communities.

            Innovations of this project build upon the knowledge and resources created by past projects including previous Technology Opportunities Program incubator grants and other past major rural development projects such as ACEnet, the Kellogg’s “Managing Information in Rural America” project, the MIT Camfield Estates project and Hewlett Packard’s digital community initiative.

DOING FOR OURSELVES – TOGETHER – COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (10 PERCENT)

The premise of this entire project is “Doing for Ourselves – Together.”  There are many built-in incentives in this project for community involvement at both the individual and group levels.  The project presents small bite-size learning blocks in a very logical succession of methods whereby the community will prove to itself what it can achieve.  Very specific multiple measurable outcomes provide for community ongoing self-assessment. 

            This project will involve the four main pillars of rural communities – education, business, health care, and government encouraging citizen engagement at all levels.  The superintendent of schools in the Bear Lake School District (Montpelier) arranged a full-day workshop for approximately one hundred district teachers and continues to support learning activities.  Successful Ecommerce businesspeople will share their success stories with both communities.  Bear Lake Memorial Hospital, recognizing a positive economy is vital to community wellness, has offered continued support to Ecommerce training.  The Governor of Idaho has set aside incentives for capital investment in broadband capacities in rural areas.  (See Appendix I – Letter from Trent Clark.)

Citizens will receive incentives to mentor and involve others, to create new web-based content, and to increase new service businesses.  Conversations with local citizens indicate that after years of innovations raising local awareness, the rural citizens in Dillon and Montpelier are at last ready for the robust scope and scale of this project.