Our Initiatives and Programs 
Entrepreneurs 2000

Some Thoughts from the Director...

On the Building Blocks of Economic Growth:

The building blocks of economic growth are generally recognized as the following:

1. Education;
2. Infrastructure;
3. Quality of Life;
4. Sound Government;
5. Private Leadership; and
6. Economic Development.

1. Education Resources - Entrepreneurs are often young adults with children. These adults also tend to be rather demanding as to the quality of the educational system their children will attend. When an entrepreneur considers a location for a new business, he or she will put the quality of local educational opportunities near or at the top of their list of considerations. Moreover, the 21st Century entrepreneur will demand a world-class education for his or her children. That entrepreneur will also expect superior opportunities for technical and vocational training for new and existing employees.

2. Infrastructure - This may include traditional utilities, plus other, basic structural community assets.

To the telecommunications-reliant 21st Century entrepreneur, this means:
a) Stable electric service;
b) Basic household utilities;
c) world-class telecommunications (telephone, video, and internet); and
d) a quality transportation system.

· Telecommunications - Whereas the entrepreneur of the Industrial Age may have needed huge amounts of power, water, sewer, a large workforce, large tracts of land, and large volumes of raw materials to conduct his trade, today’s entrepreneur often needs only the above basic utility infrastructure, plus the other basic resources required of a normal household.

· Unfortunately, Mathews is weak in the telecommunications area. The good news is that it is relatively easy to get up to speed. How to get up to speed - the best way to do this - is the subject of the Tele-Tech Initiative’s investigation. The Tele-Tech Initiative might also engage in investigations into the future of other infrastructure needs in Mathews and our region.

· Transportation - Many entrepreneurs who may consider conducting their business from Mathews will still require access to low cost, transportation resources. These include, primarily, highways and airports.
· Highways - Mathews is off the beaten path by road, but really not very far from major urban centers such as Hampton Roads, Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Washington, and Baltimore. Generally, the highways to Richmond/Raleigh-Durham and Washington/Baltimore are modern, in good condition, and not heavily traveled in the local area. Highways to Hampton Roads, our closest neighbor, are more congested, although the opening of the Coleman bridge to four lanes resolves some of this congestion.
· Airports - Mathews is served by medium-sized jet airports in Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond, and to a lesser extent by major airports in Raleigh-Durham, NC, Washington, DC (Dulles/National) and Baltimore, MD (BWI). The medium-sized airports of Hampton Roads and Richmond provide good air access to major U.S. cities, but may not always provide the low cost fares often provided at major jet airports, or "hubs." Entrepreneurs who travel are often highly sensitive to high airline prices, and, therefore, access to low cost airfares is an important issue for these people. The Entrepreneurs 2000 initiative should make a priority the encouragement of low cost airline access at regional airports, and the development of a "Superport" hub airport in this region.

3. Quality of Life - This category is broad and includes those factors and resources that make Mathews a great place to live and raise children. These factors, though not directly business-related, are what make Mathews a "unique" location, and thus are critical to attract and keep entrepreneurial talent in Mathews. Forward Mathews, through the Entrepreneurs 2000 Initiative, should take an active role in preserving and protecting these Quality of Life factors.

4. Sound Government - Entrepreneurs will probably be attracted to Mathews for one, overriding reason - the Bay. Many of these entrepreneurs will be home office/small office entrepreneurs, whose business activities rely on telecommunications, have few or no employees, and cause none of the traditional community problems that zoning laws were designed to protect against, such as noise, smoke, industrial scenery, traffic, and the like. Many of these will live on the waterfront. These entrepreneurs should have a "fast track," easy trip through the business licensing process, and the existence of such a "fast track" should be promoted as an attraction to entrepreneurs and as a sign of an enlightened local government. Local special exception processes can appear as a hostile board of "inquisition" to a new entrepreneur. Many will likely just go elsewhere or go "underground" rather than risk the stress of this perceived hostility. Enlightened zoning laws with "fast track" rules for zero-negative-impact businesses can be promoted to refute this incorrect perception.

Many other compatible businesses, though larger, may also have little or no negative impact, or in fact may offer significantly more benefit to the community than any possible negative impacts. These businesses should find our zoning process to be a friendly experience. Government leaders must be prepared for the perennial NIMBY crowd (Not In My Back Yard); neighbors whose primary (unspoken) complaint about a proposed business is that it will be nearby their home. Once a public consensus mandate has been established that favors compatible economic growth, government must acknowledge this mandate, and be prepared to use it to justify its support for net-positive-impact businesses in the face of fervent NIMBY opposition.

5. Private Leadership - This phrase sums up the efforts of Forward Mathews, and the time our members volunteer to their community in furtherance of our Goals.

6. Economic Development - Traditional economic development - the recruitment and assistance of new and existing business - is a primary role for Forward Mathews. By developing the building blocks of economic growth, as well as through fundamental business recruitment and assistance, we work together toward the ultimate goal of a healthy, thriving community.

THIS SITE LAST UPDATED AUGUST 4, 2002