9/11

This WAR is for REAL !

Who we at War with in totality is not yet clear, but to get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. The war in Iraq is a very large battle front. Even the War on Terror now is just a battlefront.

Cincinnati Change believes that the United States of America, our country, is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it.

This War will be as bloody as the Civil War and as great a challenge as the Second World War.

We are in World War IV whether we like it or not, or whether we know it or like it. We cannot appease our out of this, the other side wants to win.

The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war and even fewer who realize what losing really means.

First, let’s examine a few basics:

1. When did the threat to us start?

Many will say September 11, 2001. The answer as far as the United States is concerned is 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the following attacks on us:

* Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;
* Beirut, Lebanon Embassy 1983;
* Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983;
* Leon Klinghoffer October , 1985
* Lockerbie, Scotland Pan-Am flight to New York 1988;
* First New York World Trade Center attack 1993;
* Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Khobar Towers Military complex 1996;
* Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy 1998;
* Dares Salaam, Tanzania US Embassy 1998;
* Aden, Yemen USS Cole 2000;
* New York World Trade Center 2001;
* Pentagon 2001.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET
(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide).

100 days of action

The Lloyd Daniels Daniels Development Group will create a trust for a Pew Pastor Ministry of Ammons United Methodist Church under the leadership of Wanda Lloyd Daniels. The pastor the Ammons, Vera Cole, has provided leadership to a group of Cincinnati churches that after one year are continuing to mobilize their men to bring about change not only in their neighborhoods, but also to the people who live there.

The 100 Male March Ministries was launched one year ago on a 5th Sunday with a walk in a troubled Walnut Hills neighborhood from Peoples Corner to Ammons United Methodist Church. They will gather this Sunday the 30th of July 2006 to celebrate one year of action at 934 E. McMillan St. and march to Ammons United Methodist Church. Each man is asked to bring a boy to mentor. Call 513.545.7905 for more information.

According to Melvin Williams, president of the Cincinnati District United Methodist Men and manager of the CVS Pharmacy on East McMillan Street at Pebbles Corner, "We're trying to put a human face on Christianity from the male point of view."

LDG created Cincinnati Change to encourages increased economic activity in Hamilton County with faith based partners like Ammons. LDG will create companies that support the ministry like Hughes Electronics did the Hughes Medical Institute through trusts setup by each company that supports our youth. Over the next 100 days we will impliment a program that effects 20,000 households, 50,000 people in the region and supports 1,000 businesses.

Through Cincinnati Change LDG is proposing to create with Ammons United Methodist Church a Cincinnati Company called Churches Can Change Cincinnati NOW, Inc. (C4N) that over the next 100 days would impliment a plan of action to impliment a continium of care for young men and boys.

This company will also provide consulting, homeland safety and security infrastructure management, design and construction from our headquarters in Cincinnati as a faith based enterprise that is owned in part by the ministries of the churches involved and the companies created as church affiliated companies who will pay their taxes on unrelated business income and use the rest to support the needs of young men and boys.

During 2007, more than $500 billion dollars is being allocated for and through the federal, state and local government units in the United States and our for profit businesses will take advantage of these contracts with it's faith based sponsors in the following areas -:

1. Peace in the Hood, Jobs in the Hood Initiative
2. Veterans Assistance program operation
3. Creative Class Workforce and Network Development Program
4. Third Frontier Workforce Development Program
5. Housing program to build a million homes for young men and their families
6. ReEntry of Young Men into society
7. Preparing for and responding to future catastrophes
8. Immigration & Secure Boarders
9. U.S. Gulf Coast Reconstruction
10. Regional National Energy Policy Partnership Demostration Program

Cincinnati Change has created a program that serve the nation through and it's partner The American Academy of Distance Learning and Training, Inc.(AADLT) who has joined with Beauchamp Tower Corporation, Inc. and it's partners to support their proposal called Operation Enduring Service (OES) which will the basis for the creation of a program to employ over 1,000 of countys young men in 2007 through the 100 male March Ministry of Ammons United Methodist Church.

We are 1 year old

Who can even the playing field for the moderate to poor income consumer in greater Cincinnati in an information technology and a global economy driven world?

CINCINNATI CHANGE, A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO KNOWS WE CAN CHANGE CINCINNATI NOW IN CO-OPERATION WITH A FOR PROFIT JOINT VENTURE WITH THOSE WHO WANT DEVELOPEMNT TO REACH ALL LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY

In 2004, the Cincinnati Empowerment Company set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority. In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission in order to Change Cincinnati NOW. On June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and preparied itself and it's leadership to stand ready to change Cincinnati NOW.

TODAY IS OUR FIRST YEAR OF ORGANIZED OPERATION

Like leadership in the past such as one of the first African American Congressmen pictured above Cincinnati Change's leadership today will change Cincinnati NOW.

In our first new action of the year Cincinnati Change and partners will create over the next 100 days a community business development program with the SBA, private sector, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to support the creation of over 1,000 small and medium businesses. These will be businesses that will employ students who go to and or graduate from our school partners starting in September 2006.

We are 1 year old

Who can even the playing field for the moderate to poor income consumer in greater Cincinnati in an information technology and a global economy driven world?

CINCINNATI CHANGE, A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO KNOWS WE CAN CHANGE CINCINNATI NOW IN CO-OPERATION WITH A FOR PROFIT JOINT VENTURE WITH THOSE WHO WANT DEVELOPEMNT TO REACH ALL LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY

In 2004, the Cincinnati Empowerment Company set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority. In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission in order to Change Cincinnati NOW. On June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and preparied itself and it's leadership to stand ready to change Cincinnati NOW.

TODAY IS OUR FIRST YEAR OF ORGANIZED OPERATION

Like leadership in the past such as one of the first African American Congressmen pictured above Cincinnati Change's leadership today will change Cincinnati NOW.

In our first new action of the year Cincinnati Change and partners will create over the next 100 days a community business development program with the SBA, private sector, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to support the creation of over 1,000 small and medium businesses. These will be businesses that will employ students who go to and or graduate from our school partners starting in September 2006.

Cleveland Public School students fare poorly in reading, math tests

We will develop solutions for the problems reported by Thomas Sheeran of the Associated Press.

CLEVELAND - Reading and math scores in the city's public schools ranked among the worst of 11 urban districts in a national survey released Thursday.

Average fourth-grade Cleveland scores ranked ninth out of 11 districts in math and reading. Eighth-graders in Cleveland ranked ninth in math and eighth in reading, according to the voluntary survey conducted as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Proficiency levels were up a bit or unchanged for Cleveland students from 2003 to 2005.

Fourth-grade math proficiency - the top level of performance - increased from 10 percent to 13 percent and reading proficiency rose from 9 percent to 10 percent.

Eighth-grade math proficiency was unchanged at 6 percent and unchanged for reading at 10 percent, or one in 10 students.

More progress in math, as reflected in scores nationally and in Cleveland, might result from a time lag in registering improved reading skills, according to Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, a coalition of urban districts. An improved reading score "is a hard number to move," Casserly said in a conference call with reporters.

Nationwide, about four in 10 children are proficient in reading or math on the federal tests, which were developed over the past 15 years.

Unlike most state tests that assess how students meet state-mandated standards, the federal tests are meant to allow comparison of various states.

Russ Brown, director of assessment for Cleveland schools, said the city shouldn't be compared to other districts in the survey because it's the only one in which all students get subsidized or free lunch.

Alan Seifullah, a district spokesman, said the district had managed to preserve "a lot of that progress" in recent years in student performance despite budget cuts.

"Our progress has been particularly admirable when you take into consideration that our district has passed one operating levy since 1983," he said.

The U.S. Department of Education survey, sometimes called the Nation's Report Card, said white Cleveland fourth-graders performed better in reading and math compared with black classmates but worse in comparison to whites in the other 10 districts.

Scores improved a bit in Cleveland fourth-grade basic math skills, the midlevel of performance, up from 51 percent in 2003 to 60 percent in 2005. Eighth-grade skills dipped from 38 percent performing at basic levels in 2003 to 34 percent this year.

In reading, Cleveland fourth-graders went from 35 percent average basic skill levels in 2003 to 37 percent this year. Average eighth-grade basic reading skills went from 48 percent to 49 percent.

Cleveland has about 60,000 students, 70 percent black, 19 percent white and 9 percent Hispanic.

The leadership upheaval combined with budget cuts and the layoff of 1,400 teachers in the past two years all contribute to uncertainty, said Joanne DeMarco, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union.

She said progress would depend on hiring enough teachers to tutor individual students and reduce class sizes.

Online Courses

THE URBAN INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT is constantly developing new courses to meet your needs. Below, you will find descriptions of some of the new and exciting online courses we are considering for the future.

Creating Your Own Non-Profit Business

Do you dream of starting and running your very own nonprofit? This unique course carefully details the many aspects of taking a nonprofit start-up from vision to reality. Filled with savvy advice and plenty of assistance from an industry veteran, this is the perfect how-to course for anyone interested in building a thriving nonprofit organization up from the grassroots.


Business Management for Non-Profit Organizations

Develop the skills and strategies you need to become an integral part of one of America’s fastest growing service sectors. In this course, a seasoned veteran in the nonprofit management field will show you how to transform your good intentions into a professional plan of action. You'll understand the unique characteristics of nonprofit organizations while mastering the core knowledge necessary to become an effective leader in the nonprofit arena.

Marketing Techniques & Procedures for Non-Profit Agencies

Discover marketing practices that will help you further the ideals and goals of your nonprofit. In the face of stiff competition, an increase in the number of worthwhile causes, new regulations, more oversight, and fewer funding opportunities, you need to work smarter--not longer. This course, packed with practical strategies that you can put to immediate use, will help you compete more effectively for members, media attention, donors, clients, and volunteers.

Technology- Reaching Goals and Objectives

How can you realize your nonprofit goals and objectives? Using the project-based management techniques taught in this course, you'll learn to identify the scope of your projects and develop time-saving processes to meet your objectives. You'll get an in-depth look at how technology can help you reach goals, develop a plan, monitor and track progress, and lead your teams to work effectively together.

Receptionist – Clerical Worker:

Salary Range: ($18,000 to $24,000) Responsible for keeping attendance records, for answering phones, prepares meeting agendas and insures that meeting place is secured, performs clerical functions, assists in public affairs programs and activities Is responsible for maintaining student files and insuring that all necessary papers are present.

Develops a daily attendance roster of all students and calls home to follow up on students absent from school on a daily basis. Work is carried out under the direction of the Administrative Assistant.

Qualifications: High School graduate. At least five (5) years clerical and related experience. Good writing, public relations and communication skills. Must be computer literate. Or any combination of acceptable training and experience.

Building Maintenance Coordinator

Salary Range: ($24,000 to $38,000) Responsible for maintaining the Institute property and for insuring the safety and security of staff, students, and visitors. Develops building evacuation plans, meets with all components and explains facility rules and regulations. May supervise court community workers. Work is carried out under the direction of the Executive Director.

Qualifications: High school completion. At least five (5) years experience in custodial or building maintenance duties. Good reading, writing and communication skills. Good physical health. Or any combination of acceptable training and experience.

Volunteer Services Coordinator

(Salary Range: ($18,000 to $24,000) Responsible for the recruitment and training of volunteers. Maintains contact with all Institute components to determine volunteer needs. Provides background checks and screens all volunteers interested in working with the program as advisors, tutors, mentors, classroom instructors. Insures that all volunteers complete the Volunteer Training Certification Course and get sworn in. Work is performed under the direction of the Executive Director.

Qualifications: Completion of at least two (2) years of college. At least four years experience as a volunteer. Instructor skills necessary to conduct the Volunteer Training Course. Or any combination of acceptable training and experience.

Manager Business Services Coordinator:

(Salary Range $36,000 to $48,000) Responsible for developing and implementing business services for students and graduates. Coordinates the Business Incubator and manages the Revolving Fund. Works closely with the other components to obtain services for students, assists in internships and similar arrangements. Work is carried out under the direction of the Executive Director.

Qualifications: College Degree. At least 5 years of business experience, financial management and related fields. Good writing, communication, and counseling skills. Or any combination of acceptable training and experience.

Education and Training Director

(Salary Range: ($36,000 to $48,000) Responsible for all training and related activities. Develops curriculum and implements training courses. Recruits for and conducts the Entrepreneurial Training Course and other subjects. Oversees the Entrepreneurial Training Center, staff, and its activities. Helps recruit and train members of the Advisory Council and participates in Advisory Council Meetings. Coordinates the Annual Job Fair. Work is performed under the direction of the Executive Director.

Qualifications: College Degree. At least 5 years business and teaching experience. Good writing and communication skills. Or any combination of acceptable training and experience.

Director of Research & Development:

(Salary Range: ($32,000 to 48,000) Responsible for overseeing the operations and for developing plans and activities that benefit program and student growth. Prepares and submits proposals and similar business writings to further program growth. Provides supervision to the Institute’s Library staff, and manages the Annual Entrepreneurial Conference.

Qualifications: Completion of at least two years of college, at least 8 years of business experience, R&D experience of at least 5 years. Or any combination of acceptable experience and training.

Administrative Assistant:

(Salary Range: ($28,000 to $32,000) Responsible for the administrative functions of the Institute. Acts as and carries out the functions of a personnel manager. Assists in the preparation of reports, brochures, budgets, proposals, conducts interviews, secures equipment and office supplies and is the spokes person for the Institute in the absence of the Executive Director. Work is carried out under the direction of the Executive Director.

Qualifications: College degree. At least five (5) years of responsible administrative, personnel management and related business experience. Good public relations, writing, communications and computer skills.

Executive Director

Salary Range ($32,000 to $52,000) Responsible for the day to day operations of the Institute and for the supervision of all Institute Staff. Carries out the policies and regulations of the Board of Directors. Insures that program goals and objectives are met on a timely basis. Prepares proposal and other funding mechanisms to secure funding for the Institute. Meets with government, foundation, community and other officials to obtain funds and services. Work is carried out under the direction and guidance of the Governing Board.

Qualifications: College Degree or Higher. At least 10 years high level working experience in a business environment. Good writing and communications skills. Evidence of successful fund raising events. Or any combination of acceptable training and experience.

Conclusions

Our Institute is successful today because of our dedicated professional employees, ambitious students, and active community partners. The staff members acting in teams have a broad range of experience in technology, finance, marketing and, most importantly, business management and development.

The staff teams understand how to integrate technology solutions with business processes and entrepreneurial training.. They solve problems, and give their students a competitive edge at the same time. Students are guided step-by-step through the use of business principles and applications.

Any problems that arise are attended to immediately. The Institute' staff is noted for their professionalism, friendliness, helpfulness, and always making the student feel secure in knowing that problems can be resolved and that the Institute will be there when needed..

Sustainability

The Institute has established a five (5) year Strategic Plan which spells out areas of growth and development, profit centers. The Plan contains annual basic funding formula which will be used to figure fixed cost, current and future operational expenses, and projected expenditures for expansion of needed services.

The Plan calls for the Institute to reach out to a diversity of possible funding sources, which includes meeting with additional local, county, state, and federal agencies, private foundations to secure funding, expand community outreach activities which will open doors for to acquire technical assistance and additional private donations, expanding our annual affairs, and increasing our base of volunteers, to sustain operations.

The Institute’s Plan also emphasizes the importance of recruiting youth and adults to assist in Institute activities, and in the utilizations volunteers as instructors, mentors, tutors, related positions, and entering into collaborative opportunities to carry out the operations and services.

Funding

The Institute is funded from a variety of sources, including grants from government agencies, foundations and corporations; contracts with agencies and organizations for services provided; and individual contributions.

As an Ohio nonprofit organization the Institute has filed for tax exempt status (under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code), making donations to the Institute tax-deductible to the extent allowable under law.

Institute Departments - Affiliated Organizations

The Institute works closely with many local, regional and national entrepreneurial organizations: Tri-C, SBA, Glenville Development Association, Hough Area Community Partners, Educational Resource Center, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and other local business and job development agencies.

Institute Departments - Business Laboratory (Incubator):

Our mission is to establish a business laboratory that will act as a business incubator where students will have opportunities for hands on experiences, can test best business practices before venturing out to their own enterprises. The laboratory will provide consulting services, a wide range of business training, support programs promote and facilitate the start up and growth of Institute and local micro enterprises, in a professional working environment.

The laboratory will form our own under one roof special community, which fosters individual business successes, is beneficial to students and promotes job creation and economic development in the Greater Cleveland Area.

Institute Departments - Ambassador’s Club

The Ambassador’s Club is an informal platform created with the goal of bringing together Institute graduates, staff, and partners who are interested in establishing personal contacts with other businessmen/businesswomen, institutions and authorities of other entrepreneurial training organizations to discuss business topics in informal setting (s) and to enhance networking opportunities.

The Club holds a noon lunch once a month.. Normally, a speaker will be invited who covers a specific topic. The Club also meets once a month. The duration of such meetings does not exceed 1 1/2 hours. The Club also assists in the sponsorship of the Institute’s community service projects.

Institute Departments - Forum on International Trade

The Forum is designed to provide information and analysis to students on how to navigate today's rapidly changing and highly competitive global marketplace
Forum staff and associate experts have years of hands-on experience with the full range of international trade policy issues. They give students answers to questions that they have about getting started in international trade and also act as advisers and mentors.

Students interested in international trade have the opportunity to take the special course developed by the Center “Practical Aspects of International Trade – An Introduction.”

Students learn how to develop International Trade Business Plans from the Forum’s “Getting Started In International Trade Course.”

In addition, the course examines steps that must be taken to process any international order, provides in-dept information on export licenses, export financing, advice on product distribution, distribution options, restrictive trade practices or boycotts, customs, import regulations, documentation requirements, legal environments, product liability, currency travel, requirements, foreign investment, tax consideration, local forms of business incorporations, export management firms, foreign investment, currency exchange systems and related information.

The Forum will make it possible for students to attend seminars, obtain informational materials and participate in hands on projects. The goal will be for students to develop skills necessary for them to compete successfully in the world economy and helping them and other small businesses to develop international business relationships.

The Forum will collaborate with other local, state, and federal organizations to encourage local businesses to evaluate international business opportunities and enhance the Greater Cleveland community’s ability to attract foreign trade. work on a variety of international trade issues of interest to students and local small businesses.

The focus of the Forum also will be to provide information and educational resources to small local companies looking to enter into international trade or expanding their international trade business.

Business success provides employment opportunities, diversifies the local/national economy(s), and enhances the quality of life for all residents.

Institute Departments - The Economic Development and Technical Assistance Center

This Department is headed up by a Manager with five (5) years or more experiences in finance, economic or community development. Provides advices and counseling for micro-sized business owners on the feasibility of a business in the embryonic stages; assist businesses to seek and identify avenues for growth, and disseminate information to community leaders.

Helps students prepare feasibility studies and related studies. Visits business sites and provides on the site advice and technical assistance.

Institute Departments - The One Stop Capital Shop

This Department is headed by a Manager with at least five (5) years experience in business financing.

Provides assistance in preparing financial information for business plan development, financial training and education, sales and marketing assistance, and in the acquisition of accounting and bookkeeping services, equipment/furniture rental, personal resources and group insurance.

Institute Departments - The Entrepreneurial Training Center

This Department is directed by the Center Director who has five (5) years or more experience as an entrepreneur.. He/she is responsible for the day to day operations of the center, staff supervision, development, and quality and quantity of services provided to students. The goals of the center are the establishment of an appropriate curriculum and activities that are oriented to the successful graduation of business owners from the Centers entrepreneurial development program. This Department also has the responsibility for presenting classroom instructions and for insuring that instructors teach and that students learn.

The Training Center programs are expected to produce an increasingly confident pool of entrepreneurs and managers who are aggressively working to expand the size and success of businesses operating to meet the unfilled market demands of the Greater Cleveland Community.

Institute Departments

The Institute is fortunate to have departments that specialize in service delivery. Each department has performance goals and standards to maintain.

The Entrepreneurial Training Center

The One Stop Capital Shop

The Economic Development and Technical Assistance Center

Forum on International Trade

Ambassador’s Club

Business Laboratory (Incubator)

Transitional and Related Services:

The Institute provides counseling, employment and training related transitional services for groups with special needs.

The Re-entry program is designed for youth and adults returning from local and state correctional institutions. All potential students would be interviewed and assessed prior to acceptance at the Institute.

Veterans can also turn to the Institute for assistance with obtaining training, counseling, employment and related services. The Institute has the capability of translating military skills into civilian job requirements.

Youth After School Programs

The Institute will work closely with the Junior Achievement Organization and partners to provide entrepreneurial programs for (80) youth (7-17). In addition there will be opportunities for youth to engage in technical training, recreational and educational activities, sports, economic literacy programs, one on one mentoring, and tutoring to improve their reading, writing, math, life skills, proficiency and other test taking skills, and related subject matter.
It is anticipated that students will attend other community activities some sponsored by the Institute and some not, such as job fairs, the annual luncheon, the entrepreneurial boot camp, graduation exercises and workshops.

Annual Business Luncheon and Workshops

The Institute will host an annual business luncheon for small and medium size businesses which gives students and the community exposure to potential business opportunities. There will be booths (displays) and business related workshops offered before and after the luncheon. The luncheon speaker(s) will be a key executive (s) from local, state, federal agencies or from national corporations. Cost of the luncheon is $15, unless under written by a partner or grant.

Annual Community Job Fair

The Institute hosts a community job fair each year. This is considered a free-for-all job fair offering students a chance to interview for positions and includes a variety of jobs from entry level to professional and management positions. It is an opportunity for job seekers, organizations and employers to meet face to face.

Students can identify the employers they want to work for and target their booth locations before entering the crowd of people. Plans call for over 100 employers to be involved each year. Through our “Future Pro Program” we are able to work with our partners to build a better job fair and to match job seekers with employers in the most efficient ways possible. The fairs are free for job seekers, while organizations and employers pay only $10 to help us cover our costs.

Job Placement/Career Services

This Department is headed up by a Manager with at least five (5) years of job development and related experiences. Job placement starts the day a student arrives at the Institute. The Institute’s Career Services Office focus on helping low income students, individuals, unemployed and underemployed youth and adults and disadvantaged communities to find, create, or access employment and acquire assets which will allow them to escape poverty by accessing education or vocational training

The Career Services Office operates several projects designed to help low-income students, and other individuals to develop the job-related skills they need to find adequate employment which will be living wages and help them achieve economic independence.

This office also helps our students to develop the life skills they will need to achieve success—whether in self-employment or employment.

We also provide linkages with social service agencies to help students and other to overcome barriers they face to economic independence, including personal financial management training, job readiness, homeownership education, alcohol/substance abuse counseling, etc.

Entrepreneurial Advisors (Mentors)

Each student is given an entrepreneurial advisor to help him/her with individual curriculum, specific extracurricular activities and industry contacts
All students who choose an entrepreneurial concentration will be required to meet with an advisor to determine which courses and combinations make the most sense based on the student's area of interest (e.g. technology start-ups, biotech start-ups, acquisitions of an existing business, investment banking, consulting, real estate entrepreneurship, private equity, family business, entrepreneurship in a large corporation, distressed opportunity and turnaround management, etc).
The advisors will work with the Career Services Office to identify and realize career opportunities for entrepreneurial students.

Entrepreneurial Advisory Council

The Advisory Council repreents the community partners that the Institute collaborates with in carrying out its activities and programs. Made up of business and community leaders and representatives from various local, state, federal agencies, this group participates in classroom instructions, develops and implements off site educational and recreational learning experiences for staff and students, and is a ready source of technical assistance and other related functions.

In the development of business professionals, the Institute realizes that it will need a constant supply of information to achieve success. Through the Advisory Council we are able to stay aware of trends and issues and keep up with rapid economic and technological changes to become and stay competitive.

We have already discovered that it's next to impossible to keep up with all this information on our own. There is simply too much of it. Fortunately, the knowledge that we lack is always someone else's specialty, so we can turn to the Advisory Council for help.

We have found that there are usually at least a few people on the Advisory Council who can help deal with certain issues or special problems that our students/graduates may encounter in the business or profession they are in or are interested in entering. In lieu of specific knowledge, students/graduates must know in advance whom to contact and where to go to get the information they need- the Advisory Council fills this role.

Research & Development Center

A key component of the Institute is the Research and Development Center. Long-term business success relies on continuous research and development and personal growth. By performing on-going research and development efforts the Center provides the student entrepreneur with the reality that they must be better today than he/she was yesterday, and being better tomorrow than he/she is today.

Finding the best business practices for students to use and the development of in-service training courses and other educational materials are all on-going efforts of the R&D center.

The Center reinforces what students have learned in the classroom and helps students set goals to absorb and understand information from which they can obtain additional experiences, understand more of what they see and hear, making their entrepreneurial visions clearer.

Advanced Entrepreneurial Boot Camp:

The ABEBC also utilized military style training modules and exercises adapted to real life business related scenarios. This is Skill Levels 3,4 courses designed for new supervisors, managers, executives and similar personnel.

The course modules deal with senior leadership techniques, decision making, asset management, logistics, dealing with difficult employees, stress management, the anatomy of competition, dealing with failure, dealing with success, business etiquette, cultural diversity issues, and emergency management. It is recommended that students complete the Basic Entrepreneurial Boot Camp before attempting this course.

Basic Entrepreneurial Boot Camp: (BEBC)

The BEBC utilizes military style leadership modules and exercises adapted to real life business related scenarios.

Designed to expose students to problems that they will or may face as entrepreneurial executives and to expand and strengthen their management people skills and logistical knowledge.

This is a challenging and exciting part of entrepreneurial training. This is Skill Levels 1,2 courses in leadership development, teambuilding, stress and time management, goal setting, conflict resolution and problem solving set of activities which help shape student leadership styles, decision making processes, courage, and stamina.

Students get opportunities to use all that they have learned in the classroom, their life experiences and much more.

Networking Opportunities

Institute departments develop and maintain partnerships among community organizations and local, state and federal agencies, providing a focal point for broad networks of public and private resources at the community level. Community partnership programs and activities serving small businesses have contributed significantly to economic growth of small businesses in the Greater Cleveland Area.

Institute Library

The Institute Library maintains learning materials, videos, subscribes to business publications, provides the means for students to access the internet, maintains a data base of local businesses, suppliers, and employers to make available “barter arrangements” and other business possibilities for students/graduates.

The Library enhances and improves student knowledge network. It also provides additional opportunities for students to contact other business people via computer networking in areas such as marketing, financing, and small business management, and gives students access to other experts in a variety of fields.

The Institute Library will promote post Institute business education and maintain current information and helps form relationships with local efforts, region to region, state to state, and community to community to meet small business needs in the Greater Cleveland Area.

Full Community Participation

The Institute’s activities focus on entrepreneurial and leadership training, job development and job creation, economic literacy, citizen participation, community planning, facilitation, evaluation, and curriculum development.

Our programs and activities stress the critical role played by local community and business leadership, as communities and organizations build capacity for sustainable development.

Objectives:

1. To promote self-employment entrepreneurial options as acceptable alternatives to unemployment, underemployment, and to improve the success rates of minority and other small businesses.

2. To provide free in-depth quality technical and financial assistance to small businesses in all areas that promote growth, expansion, employment opportunities, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement.

3. To demonstrate how linking resources of the Institute with federal, state, and local governments, colleges, universities and the private sector can be effective in meeting the needs of students and small businesses in the Greater Cleveland Community.

4. Strengthen small businesses by offering management and marketing training, and helping them to obtain qualified staff through Job Fairs, and other employer assistance programs.

5. Give students and small businesses (potential employers) access to business capital to meet their businesses’ needs and to take advantage of the unique resources in the Greater Cleveland Area.

6. To work closely with local businesses to obtain employment opportunities for students, place students into internships and to engage in technical assistance projects with local businesses.

To improve accessibility to traditional financing mechanisms which result in the establishment of a revolving loan fund.

Goals

The primary goal of the Institute is to provide management counseling and educational services to help businesses meet challenges, manage change and plan for the future.

Another goal is to work aggressively to expand capital available to students and minority entrepreneurs through financing sources that are new and innovative and/or not generally available to minority and other groups.

What we want our students to learn:

Our training and services are designed for our students to learn how to:

(1) Take control of their financial futures.

(2) Change their life and their lifestyles by motivation and willingness to learn and be taught.

(3) Enjoy a lifestyle of their choice.

(4) Utilize training and resources that permit them to go and see further than they have ever seen or gone before.

(5) Have everyone wondering how they “did it” and want to follow in their footsteps.

6) Maintain their high levels of ambition, integrity, and desire on the road to achieving their success and helping others to succeed.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide quality direct assistance, entrepreneurial education and resource links for potential and existing small businesses to strengthen the economy of the Greater Cleveland Area.

This mission is accomplished by strengthening the social and economic well-being of our students, their families, small and medium size businesses and in general the entire Greater Cleveland Community..

Purpose

Entrepreneurial career opportunities come in many forms, whether a student wants to start his/her own company, work for a start-up, find an entrepreneurial opportunity within a larger company, or go into related areas such as venture capital or social entrepreneurship.

The Urban Institute for Entrepreneurial Training & Job Development works with each student to develop an individualized plan for career success.

Administration

The Institute has a governing body which is responsible for policies and procedures and is administered by the Institute’s Executive Director. As the Chief Administrator, the Executive Director responsibilities include but are not limited to the day to day operations of the Institute, supervision of staff, community relations, and the quality of services.
There are other managers and support staff that are responsible for specific Institute functions and carry major roles in insuring that students receive the best education and services possible.

Introduction

The Urban Institute for Entrepreneurial Training and Development is an Ohio Nonprofit organization that provides a variety services to assist youth and adults to enter the economic mainstream and create solid economic futures for themselves and others. We have been known to “spoil” our students and graduates by providing them with on-going services and guidance which give them the best chances for success

The Institute offers unique, specialized training, networking opportunities, supportive and direct services for all of its students and graduates. Utilizing traditional and non-tradition teaching methods, it is able to present best business practices, current applications, eliminate the “get rich” fast syndrome and promote the realities of successful entrepreneurship. .

The Institute faces the fact that because of the ever changing world of business and entrepreneurship, success cannot always be guaranteed. And it also agrees with the findings of research which have shown that the chances of entrepreneurial success are improved when business knowledge is coupled with effective business support systems.

In addition, the Institute offers area businesses technical assistance to enhance their growth and development.

THE URBAN INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT, INC.

11111 St Clair Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44108

“Vision With Purpose”

Being successful today while creating your own future requires a balance of responsible leadership, entrepreneurial skills, strategic planning, and flexibility.