Discovery 9 Teams D9& Entrepreneur Hosts
D9 Team Format 
Each Discovery 9 team is comprised of nine members: What business opportunities are missing within our community? The D9 Team meets for a one year project cycle (longer if your project and team has the desire)
Workforce Services & Host Entrepreneur determine who from workforce services will serve in the group and will conduct brief interviews with potential D9 members Note-taker reports findings to EEN (this is rotated monthly among the D9 members-usually referred to as the Executive Administrator or EA) The Entrepreneur Host:
Seven unemployed adults whose diversity represents a cross-section of the community,
One representative from the local Workforce Center,
One entrepreneurial-type host who is actively engaged in business in the community.
D9 Teams are from all walks of life within a community.
Returning Veterans needing jobs and re-Intergration within their home communities especially benefit from D9 Team participation.
The D9 Team might answer the following questions-
What would it take to start this business in our community? The D9 Team considers things such as costs, facilities, locations, local, regional and state competition, expansion opportunities, etc.
The D9 Teams find the answers to these questions from business research and through contact with local businesses with similar products and services, the local chamber of commerce, the business incubator or other community economic development organizations.
D9 Team integrate the unemployed with employers and community organizations, which develops their business contacts, confidence and leadership skills. Getting them off the unemployment line and back into the business community.
Where do the ideas for the D9 Team research and develop come from?
-The D9 Team can find them through their own experience. By asking what service is missing with our community.
-Local EEN business members can feed the D9 Team with ideas that might help their business to expand or streamline . Essentially creating a 9 member R&D team for local businesses.
-A local entrepreneur might have a great business concept, but no time to do the research and development (R&D).
-A D9 team can take their own idea and do the R&D.
D9 Team Goals are one or more of the following:
-Employment for the 7 unemployed team members from their integration within the business community
-The D9 team can launch the business they have developed
-Or integrate it into existing businesses for further growth and development within the local community
-Share the business research and development opportunities with the local business incubator for launch by another entrepreneur
-Or allow an outside investor to capitalize on the R&D to develop the business locally
-Be a business "think tank" for local economic growth
-Develop the D9 Team into a strong leadership team
The D9 Team Implementation Process:
Workforce Services recruits the 7 D9 members
Chamber or Economic Development Agency recruits the entrepreneur
D9 Team meets one-two times per month for one to two hours (evenings, lunch hours, weekends whatever works)
This research and development information becomes part of the EEN database which is available for other D9 Teams to use to launch similar businesses within their communities
EEN provides a step by step manual of meeting agendas, ideas for business development, leadership qualities, and contacts for getting businesses together through the EEN network.
The Entrepreneur host can be anyone engaged in business within a local community. The host's responsibility is to find a location for meetings. Such as local restaurant, the conference room of their business or even the picnic table at a local park. The host can either use the D9 manual for a more structured program or lead the group with a less structured focus. The Entrepreneur host is part of the "think tank" and connects the D9 Team to other business networks within the local community. The Entrepreneur host keeps the conversation on task, helps the other team members decide which part of the research they are pursuing for collection and presentation at the next meeting. Most team members readily volunteer for parts of the research that interests them. The Entrepreneur host can introduce a business challenge or idea for their D9 Team to research or pursue an idea from the EEN database. The cost to the Entrepreneur host is minimal there is no requirement to buy lunch if you meet in a restaurant. EEN provides the manual, reporting documents (which are filled out by your team members). EEN inputs the research from your team into the EEN database.
The benefits for the Entrepreneur host:
-Use your D9 Team to solve challenges and issues within your own business that you never have time to do
-Help 7 unemployed people find jobs through their research and connections within the community
-Be the catalysts for new business and economic growth within your community
-Learn more than you ever imagined about business and businesses within your community
-Help integrate and create new business leaders in your community
ECONOMICENRICHMENTNETWORKS.COM
angeline.roles@economicenrichmentnetworks.com
