It is often said that community awareness begins with strong education and communication at the local level. The first step in raising this awareness is to educate community members on the importance of entrepreneurship as a strategy for building the local economy. To do this, community leaders should provide local residents with the opportunity to learn from others who have successfully implemented and fostered community entrepreneurship activities. Once community members have embraced entrepreneurship as a community development strategy, local leaders should continue the process of increasing community awareness. Community leaders can use multiple communication channels to get the word out to local residents about the opportunities that exist for enhancing local entrepreneurship and the economic benefits that such efforts can offer to the community. Examples of good channels of communication include newspaper articles, public access television, expert lecture series, community forums, and business round tables. Although these communication channels are critical, it is important to remember that communication is a two-way street. Not only should communication networks serve to educate the public, they also should spur local dialogue and provide ways for local residents to express their ideas on how to incorporate entrepreneurship as a valuable economic development option for their communities.

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