Review elected and appointed leaders’ strategic plans, websites and recent speeches to learn what their priorities are, and the language they use to talk about those priorities.

Research and create a list of available resources and service providers for entrepreneurs in the community, as well as free resources available online.

Review and create a list of available library programs, services, staff expertise, collections and resources that can help entrepreneurs build on their business goals.

Review demographic and business data related to the library’s service areas to determine what populations have the highest need for support.

Review recent data and reporting to gain a stronger general understanding of the needs, challenges and focuses of contemporary entrepreneurs, as well as trending lingo and buzzwords.

Ensure strong executive leadership by setting the context for the work as both a library and community priority. Engage staff in the work early and often to gain buy-in and build knowledge. Find and leverage staff champions.

Incorporate entrepreneurial service expectations into staff onboarding, workplans, goals and reviews. Help library staff recognize how they can use their existing skills — such as giving presentations, building interpersonal relationships and networking — to serve the needs of entrepreneurs. And, provide clear guidance on new or advanced skills they will need to develop.

Ensure reference desk librarians and other frontline staff feel comfortable and well-equipped to directly assist with simple entrepreneurship customer inquiries and promote the library's entrepreneurial support offerings.

Ask team members to take training courses offered in the community for entrepreneurs. Library staff will gain confidence with business issues, better understand community supports and network with potential members of the target audience.

Position library makerspaces and tech centers as both physical and virtual places where individuals can connect with other entrepreneurs, use vital technology resources, conduct research and meetings and carry out business as permitted by library policies.

Review library policies to identify potential obstacles to desired entrepreneurial activity within the library, and implement updates as needed.

Organize, promote and distribute resources through curated formats such as dedicated web pages, takeaway kits and special collections.

Ensure entrepreneurs can learn about and benefit from library resources and services even if they do not have internet access. Consider direct mail, phone-based, in-person, curbside pickup/drop-off, radio, TV and other channels for promoting and offering resources and services.

Keep track of events hosted by local government agencies, organizers in the business community and entrepreneur support organizations. Regularly attend meetups, classes and other convenings to network and build relationships with potential partners.

Review potential partners’ mission statements and strategic priorities to assess how they align with the library’s mission and goals. When performing outreach to potential partners, clearly communicate how the library can help the partner achieve its mission and enhance its strategic impact.

Map current gaps for the library and the partner and identify how the partnership will help to fill those gaps. Determine key “hand-off” points for collaborative activities and establish shared tools for coordinating work.

Connect with multiple individuals within the partner organizations to ensure the relationship’s long-term sustainability. Consider using a memorandum of understanding or other signed agreement to establish an ongoing infrastructure for collaboration.

Partners have connections to organizations and individuals who are outside of the library’s normal reach. Be sure to ask partners to help spread the word about the library’s entrepreneurial support offerings through their regular communications channels.

Identify other area public libraries serving entrepreneurs or located within the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Engage library staff in conversations to collaborate and amplify regional efforts and resources.

Identify and map out where members of the target service population live, work and connect, such as neighborhood events and social media pages/groups. Join community members in these spaces, and work with partnered organizations and community ambassadors to make introductions.

Are members of the target audience predominantly in the early stages of conceptualizing a business? Or are they mainly established business owners who are exploring funding opportunities? Ensure library messaging and services align with the progress of target entrepreneurs in their business development journeys.

Listen to the needs of individual entrepreneurs and connect them to library services/resources that they are unfamiliar with (e.g. co-working spaces, classes) to address their specific needs. When existing library offerings cannot meet needs, engage entrepreneurs in co-strategizing and co-creating new supports.

Be sure that the verbiage used in library outreach and programs is relevant to, and easily understood, by the target audience. Avoid business or library field jargon. Translate materials into the languages that are the most familiar to the target audience.

As illustrated through the COVID-19 pandemic, business owners from all backgrounds need support for transitioning their businesses online, such as launching an online store or social media presence. Libraries can use their role as digital literacy providers to support skill-building and digital knowledge for entrepreneurs.

Use interviews, one-on-one coaching sessions, surveys and informal conversations to identify the priority needs of the library’s target audience for entrepreneurial support, as well as the needs of the community at large.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. Establish S.M.A.R.T. goals at the outset to help track and measure progress.

A “whole-person” approach focuses on each individual’s unique strengths, challenges and vision for success.

Keep an eye on the work of leading library systems in the field for fresh ideas, and look at the activities of similarly sized systems both in your region and nationally to help gauge your team’s work.

To ensure you are meeting the needs of entrepreneurs, define metrics for what short- and long-term success looks like for your programs. Engage with local partners to determine their success metrics to align longer-term outcomes.

Identify the library's niche in the local entrepreneur ecosystem and build a brand around it. Draft a short, compelling statement — an "elevator pitch" — about the library’s value proposition. Use that language across the library's messaging.

Develop messaging materials, such as flyers, emails and signage. The language and platforms used for the messages should be geared toward specific audiences.

Ensure the library is sharing information consistently with local leaders, whether through newsletters, regular check-in calls, partnered convenings or other channels.

Regularly send out press releases to local media contacts about key developments in the library's support for local entrepreneurs. Build relationships with reporters through regular follow up and widely promote any media coverage.

Promote the library’s entrepreneurship support services and successes to as many people, partners and media outlets as possible, at every opportunity. Distribute informational materials at events and leverage social media to reach and engage new audiences.