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

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在设计和构建一个定向搜索和培训引擎的运行原型，以教育和支持企业家。企业家有机会创造利润丰厚、改变社会的公司，提供高质量的工作机会，但许多企业家至少在资本、金融、法律和创业管理领域缺乏一些技能，而这些技能是将机会转化为成功企业所必需的。企业家可以获得许多资源，但由于有数百万个搜索引擎链接，大多数有价值的资源实际上是看不见的。Enclavix的做法是使用先进的在线软件和语义网络技术，结合深厚的创业知识，创建一个独特的在线系统。该系统将评估企业家目前的知识和技能以及企业的类型和状态，并提供与合格的国家、州和地方资源的具体、定制的联系。主要的研究目标是设计和原型语义网络和相关问题来评估创业者和新企业。另外两个目标将是为两个示范州确定、鉴定和编制国家资源和州/区域资源的临界数量索引。预期的研究成果将是开发该系统的运行原型，包括推理机和语义网络，以及所描述的合格的、索引的资源的基础集。我们预期的成功结果将是能够在系统中运行一个简单的案例，并使其产生适当的输出。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力是重大的，因为该项目将有助于提高美国的创业成功率。目前风险投资支持的公司的创业成功率不到50%。创业的总体成功率要低得多，因为风险资本家只投资了所有企业的几个百分点。如果美国能够提高企业家的成功率，将为国家带来巨大的经济和社会效益。许多地方、州和联邦机构都在努力提高企业家的成功，但没有机制让企业家容易地找到这些现有的资源。Enclavix相信，这个用于教育和支持企业家的定向搜索和培训引擎将迅速吸引许多企业家，他们将迅速进入创业学习曲线，因为他们将获得为他们的努力量身定做的最高质量和最有意义的资源和联系人。这些企业家将组成一个为成功做好准备的社区。专注于狭隘创业的现有企业在商业上已经是可行的。定向搜索和培训引擎的实力将构成一个稳健和盈利的业务的基础，为美国高潜力的企业家提供培训、资源、指导、获得顾问、资本和社交网络。该系统和社区还将帮助联邦、州和地方机构更好地接触到潜在的企业家，并将他们与合格的当地和地区资源联系起来，增加政府对创业的其他投资的杠杆作用。

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.