Business & Entrepreneurship

  • Downtown of NH city

Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem


Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the backbone of our local communities and economies. We bring best practices and guidance for steps that communities can take to become friendly to entrepreneurs and innovators. Cooperative Extension will work with communities to engage entrepreneurs and innovators, identify areas of strength and opportunities, develop a plan and a framework to become more entrepreneur-friendly, and begin to tackle projects.


Economic Development 101

Empowering citizen volunteers and community leaders to play a direct role in strengthening the economy is important and impactful. The Economic Profile Program allows communities to identify local and regional economic assets and opportunities. This helps leaders prioritize the needs and implement effective strategies to strengthen a community’s economic base.

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Economic Development Academy

The Economic Development Academy (EDA) is an experiential course for economic development practitioners and leaders. EDA is a multi-session learning event consisting of in-person learning, as well as online learning and coaching. The course format is designed for working professionals who want to deepen their understanding of community and economic development.

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Economic Profiles

The Economic Profile allows communities to identify local and regional economic assets and opportunities, prioritize needs, and develop and implement effective strategies to strengthen the community's economic base. The process  results in the creation of an action plan and working groups to pursue that vision.

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Articles

Practical Strategies for Community Organizations with Limited Evaluation Resources
Many community-serving organizations struggle to capture the impacts of their work. Reasons include the lack of a formal system or structure by which ... Learn More
New research confirms that arts and culture is not only good for you, it’s good for your community, and good for business. Nationally, the Arts & Econ... Learn More
New report sheds light on the challenges and opportunities of preservation trades
To better understand the challenges facing these industries, UNH Extension field specialist Jada Lindblom led a research project with Extension staff ... Learn More
Join Us in Shaping Our State’s Digital Future! 
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension (UNHCE) was awarded $511,216 by the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (B... Learn More
After a fun and enriching first year that was estimated to have attracted 5,000 attendees and visitors, the New England Coffee Festival (NECF) will be... Learn More
This event was an opportunity for farmers who are looking to sell their products to meet local food buyers, and for food businesses seeking local prod... Learn More

Resources

The town of Antrim, New Hampshire conducted a two-day community visioning session on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14, 2023. The forum utilized... Learn More
As a result of increasing interest in craft breweries for community revitalization in New Hampshire, the Community and Economic Development team has p... Learn More
Population out-migration in New Hampshire has generated efforts focused on retaining and recruiting young adults. This population is essential to the ... Learn More
An entrepreneurial community is a community that intentionally acts to cultivate and support entrepreneurs. Focusing on building business and economic... Learn More
The Business Retention program promotes a thriving economy by helping communities identify the challenges and barriers to the survival and growth of l... Learn More
The Business Retention program promotes a thriving economy by helping communities identify the challenges and barriers to the survival and growth of l... Learn More