Entrepreneurship is the energy and the backbone that drives our industry and commerce. It is the single most important, yet most cost-effective, stimulus for economic growth.

Homer is an “entrepreneurs’ community”. Most businesses were started by an entrepreneur. It is important to insure that these current and future entrepreneurs are encouraged and stimulated so that the Homer economy continues to grow and prosper. Yet, current entrepreneurship and the methods used to encourage it are largely misunderstood and poorly directed.

The Homer Public Library is playing a key role in the future economic development of the City and the surrounding region by creating an “entrepreneurial culture” within the community. The library’s “Network for Entrepreneurial Excellence (NEE)” is the cornerstone in developing this “entrepreneurial culture”.

NEE is an integrated network and a partnership of local and regional resources assembled to stimulate and develop entrepreneurship. It brings together the private and public sectors to create a new breed of entrepreneur that can make a major impact on Homer.

NEE creates programs that encourage entrepreneurship, identifies those individuals with the best natural ability to become an entrepreneur, exposes prospective entrepreneurs to the practice of entrepreneurship, educates and trains the prospective entrepreneurs on the theory of entrepreneurship and business practices, guides the prospective entrepreneurs into a business, and mentors and monitors the progress of each new entrepreneurial business.

Encouraging an entrepreneurial culture, is important for Homer’s economic growth. Through the resources of the Library, NEE brings the ‘pieces’ of entrepreneurship together in a coordinated program.