SBIR Phase I: Proposal to Create a Directed Search and Training Engine to Educate and Support Entrepreneurs

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to design and build a running prototype of a Directed Search and Training Engine to Educate and Support Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to create profitable, society changing companies with high quality jobs, but many entrepreneurs lack at least some skills in the areas of capital, finance, legal and startup management which are required to convert an opportunity into a successful enterprise. Many resources are available to entrepreneurs, but with millions of search engine links on the topic, most valuable resources are effectively invisible. The Enclavix approach is to use advanced on-line software and semantic networking techniques, combined with deep knowledge of entrepreneurship, to create a unique on-line system. This system will assess the current knowledge and skills of the entrepreneur and the type and state of the venture and provide specific, customized connections to qualified national, state and local resources. The primary research objective is to design and prototype the semantic network and related questions to assess the entrepreneur and the new venture. The two other objectives will be to identify, qualify and index both a critical mass of national resources and state/regional resources for two example states. The anticipated research results will be the development of the running prototype of the system, including the inference engine and semantic network, and the foundational set of qualified, indexed resources described. Our expected successful outcome will be the ability to run a simple case through the system and have it generate appropriate output. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is significant as the project will assist in increasing the rate of entrepreneurial success in America. The current rate of entrepreneurial success for Venture Capital backed companies is less than 50%. The overall rate of success of entrepreneurship is far lower, as venture capitalists invest in only a few percent of all ventures. If the United States could improve the success rate of entrepreneurs, significant economic and social benefits would accrue to the nation. Many local, state and Federal agencies are trying to improve the success of entrepreneurs, but there is no mechanism for an entrepreneur to readily find these existing resources. Enclavix believes that this Directed Search and Training Engine to Educate and Support Entrepreneurs would quickly attract many entrepreneurs who would move quickly up the entrepreneurial learning curve because they would be presented with the highest quality and most meaningful resources and contacts customized for their efforts. These entrepreneurs would form a community prepared for success. Existing businesses focusing on narrow slices of entrepreneurship already are commercially viable. The strength of the Directed Search and Training Engine would form the basis for a robust and profitable business providing training, resources, mentoring, access to advisers and capital and social networking for America's high potential entrepreneurs. The system and community will also help federal, state and local agencies better reach potential entrepreneurs and connect them to qualified local and regional resources, increasing the leverage of other government investments being made in entrepreneurship.