If it is your dream to own and operate your own business, the North Central Texas Enterprise Facilitation Corporation—better known as “Community Business Builders”—is anon-profit organization thatstands ready to assist you in capturing your passion and making that dream come true.

The Cities of Electra and Iowa Park are proud supporters of this innovative -- FREE -- program designed to encourage entrepreneurship in our region. Other financial supporters include individuals, banks, businesses. The program is for any individual residing in Iowa Park or Electra or respective service areas.

The Enterprise Facilitation program is based on the international model developed by Dr. Ernesto Sirolli of the Sirolli Institute. See www.sirolli.com for background information. The concept is a "people helping people" approach to making the dream of starting a business or expanding an existing business a reality.

The project has a Resource Board of 30-40 experienced community leaders from the two cities who are capable of helping you meet the challenges of establishing a new business or expanding an existing one. The Resource Board stands ready and able to helpwith a wide variety of business experience and contacts.Mike Price, Iowa Park, served as the Founding Chairman. Ed Kieren, Electra, is currently Chairman; Tammy Persick, Iowa Park, is treasurer and Ouida Gartman, Iowa Park, is secretary.

Carolyn Gilbert is the Enterprise Facilitator for the project. She is available to both Iowa Park and Electra citizens to consult with you on a moment's notice and to help you analyze your business dream. She is the point of interface with the Resource Board and can quickly put you in touch with appropriate program participants who can assist with your plan. She serves as your personal business coach as you work to conceptualize that new business and get it off the ground.

She may be contacted at 940.495.2190 or cell phone 214.502.7801or email at carolyngilbert1@yahoo.com.

Two very important things:

• Our services are free.
• Our consultation is confidential.

Our board members sign an oath of confidentiality as a sign of their commitment to our clients and the ideas they are discussing with us.

"Right now in your community, at this very moment, there is someone who is dreaming about doing something to improve his/her lot. If we could learn how to help that person to transform the dream into meaningful work, we would be halfway to changing the economic fortunes of the entire community."  - Dr. Ernesto Sirolli

Once you have settled on the type of business or service you want to pursue, there is one very important question to ask yourself: Is this my PASSION ?

Entrepreneurship and business-building depend on the energy, dedication and passion with which you approach your plan.

If you find yourself devoting lots of time to the planning of the new business and how to make it work, you may have the passion it takes to be successful. Passionate planning can trump many obstacles that may pop up.

If you become a client of the Enterprise Facilitation project, you are not alone! There is a fulltime business coach and a board of community members — all of whom are in your corner and who want you to be successful. You are definitely not alone.

Once your business dream is identified, you will build a three-part support team. This team may be composed of friends or family or members of the Enterprise Facilitation project. They will help you focus on the three critical areas for your business development:

• The Product or Service
• The Marketing Plan
• The Financial Planning and Management.

These three areas are time-honored components of successful business building called the Trinity of Management. One component without the other two simply will not support your business dream alone. Here again is where you can be sure that you are not alone. Enterprise Facilitation is your support team.

If you have dreamed the business dream and are ready for help, call us today! The service is free and confidential. You will be on your way to the next step of building your own business.

If you have dreamed the dream and if you have worked on the plan, the success of any business you start or expand now depends on your talent and judgment.

How did you select your new venture? Is it truly your passion? A business that will command your attention day after day? A business that will make use of your talents, your skills, your enthusiasm?

Is the support team you have assembled one that you will trust and consult as challenges arise? Are you optimistic about your new business and realistic about what will be required to make it a success?

Ask yourself a few questions about your talents and how they match your business idea. If yours is a business that will require dealing with customers directly, you better like people! If you are designing a product or service, you will need patience for research and development. If you will be pitching your business product or service, brush up on your communication skills so you can market yourself effectively. Regardless of your need, we are here to help you think it through.

With the resources available to us, we can help you analyze your business idea and product; we can help you organize your marketing plan; and we can help you establish your financial planning component.

Our clients come to us for a wide variety of business services. Sometimes it is simply to discuss their ideas for starting a business. Sometimes it is to determine if their idea can make money. As the idea takes shape, clients need assistance figuring out how to complete the business plan as well as doing research on the market they are about to enter. Later they may need help with finding possible sources of financing and establishing licensing and organizational requirements.

Enterprise Facilitation can help with the important tangible components of entrepreneurship but we can also offer that intangible necessity of experience and support through networking with successful leaders in the community. We are ready to discuss your dream so you can get down to business.

You are one phone call away from a free and confidential consultation. Contact Carolyn Gilbert, Enterprise Facilitator, cell 214.502.7801, land line 940.495.2190 or carolyngilbert1@yahoo.com.

The North Central Texas Enterprise Facilitation Corporation DBA "Community Business Builders" is a nonprofit organization and is a joint project of the City of Iowa Park and the City of Electra.