LFPL Entrepreneur Fair
Louisville Free Public Library, Ky.
Innovation Synopsis
On June 11, 2016, the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) hosted an Entrepreneur Fair. Participants interested in starting a business had direct access to resources and services. Nineteen local organizations, agencies, and educational institutions helped participants with business plans, marketing, micro-financing, legal questions, inventions, education, and more.
Challenge/Opportunity
Our mayor encourages innovation and entrepreneurship. LFPL identified a need for a coordinated effort to connect the community with much needed, and yet underutilized, services. Individuals were missing business opportunities because they were not connected with local resources. LFPL embraced the opportunity to identify and organize entities that support entrepreneurs. LPFL was uniquely positioned to facilitate these efforts since we provide business reference assistance, including inventors who use our Patent Trademark Resource Center. LPFL sponsored a very successful Entrepreneur Fair – a free event that combined workshops, networking, and an introduction to local resources.
Key Elements of Innovation
LFPL strategically organized the event so that entrepreneurs could access the full range of support in a single location. A key element to the success was that attendees engaged in meaningful discussion with the exhibitors. In addition to providing displays and informational brochures, we created an environment for representatives and entrepreneurs to meet with one another for extended personalized discussions. During the Fair, we held four workshops on legal structures, inventors, micro-financing, and advertising. The workshop topics were chosen because the business reference staff have found them to be the most frequent and challenging issues for entrepreneurs.
Achieved Outcomes
Feedback from the 120 participants and 19 partners was overwhelmingly positive. The participants specifically mentioned the ease of access, substance of the workshops, and what they accomplished. Organizations connected with a large pool of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs surveyed the full range of support available and consulted with the right organization. The Fair was more than a networking event; participants got questions answered and problems solved. LFPL showcased business resources provided to the business community, and there has been a 20 percent increase in requests for business reference assistance. In addition, partners committed to referingr clients to the Library for services.