FEATURED ARTICLE

55-Percent Intiative aims to keep grads in N.H.

Businesses, government agencies and colleges and universities across New Hampshire are supporting a statewide effort to encourage recent college graduates to live and work in New Hampshire.

The 55-Percent Initiative calls for increasing the percentage of those that remain in the state after graduation from roughly 50 percent to 55 percent through a "tourism-like" marketing campaign.

College presidents from across the state agreed to survey their students and recent alumni to help gain comprehensive data on why people choose to stay or leave.

Results should be tabulated by the late fall, providing data on perceptions about New Hampshire, barriers to remaining in the state, and a better understanding of specific reasons why young educated people stay or leave. The survey is being funded by a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development.

Other steps include linking with organizations that interact with younger audiences; developing an inventory of lifestyle supports that are attractive to this audience; and promoting online internships, entry-level job opportunities, and Web-based tools showcasing New Hampshire activities. The USNH Web site features a blog on this topic and interested individuals are encouraged to log in at www.usnh.typepad.com and add to the dialogue.

"New Hampshire is a great state in which to live, ranking very highly in terms of health, safety, low taxes, personal income and livability," said USNH Chancellor Stephen Reno. "However, the annual exodus of thousands of educated individuals represents a huge �brain drain' that darkens our overall employment outlook and hinders the state's growth." The 55-Percent Initiative sets a goal of persuading 55 percent of new graduates to live and work in New Hampshire, as compared to the roughly 50 percent who currently stay.

In one year, this 5-percent change would add more than 600 employees to our work force and have a $42 million impact on the economy.

Web training tool helps small-business owners

The U.S. Small Business Administration has introduced an online training resource for entrepreneurs to provide the fundamentals of starting a small business.

The Small Business Primer Strategies for Success online training is a free course designed to assist individuals who are thinking about starting a small business or who are in the early stages of running a business.

The Small Business Primer focuses on three key areas. It determines their business readiness, provides an overview of basic small business principles, and introduces them to key SBA resources for small business counseling and training.

It features an interactive assessment tool to help evaluate readiness for starting a business. It also walks participants through the key steps of business start-up.

The business topics reviewed include business planning, legal aspects, financing and marketing. In addition, the course provides links to more than 40 targeted resources and small business tools, such as a business plan template, and an automated balance sheet guide. The course also offers direct access to online counseling through SCORE, as well as to other SBA resources partners including the Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and SBA district offices.

The training network provides 24-hour access to business courses via the Internet.

The Small Business Primer is available through the SBA's Small Business Training Network, a virtual campus of business courses, trainings, education resources, learning tools and information assistance at www.sba.gov/training.

To evaluate your business readiness, go to www.sba.gov, and click on "New Free Online Course."

Business group will craft legislative agenda

The threat of new or increased taxes and high energy costs continue to be among the top concerns of New Hampshire business and opinion leaders.

They cited these and other concerns, such as the lack of affordable housing in the state and high health-care costs, as top business challenges in a series of roundtable discussions conducted last month by the Business and Industry Association, and more than two dozen chambers of commerce and business groups.

Some of the top issues that emerged as key challenges for New Hampshire businesses were, in order of importance:

The roundtables were the first step in BIA's annual, four-step policy development process that will culminate in a proactive business agenda for 2008.

The BIA and chamber partners conducted 14 roundtables in every region of the state. More than 300 people participated.

"Business leaders continue to be faced with deep, complex issues," said Jim Roche, BIA president and CEO. "They all point to the difficult challenge of operating a successful business in today's competitive, global marketplace."

"Many of these issues don't lend themselves to quick solutions," Roche said. "Nonetheless, they are foremost on the minds of New Hampshire business owners, managers and senior executives."

BIA is currently conducting the second phase of its policy development process, a BIA-member survey based on the roundtable results. After the survey is completed, BIA policy committees, comprised of and led by volunteers from BIA member companies, will analyze the survey results and recommend specific issues and action steps to BIA's board of directors.

In the final step of the process, the BIA board will establish a proactive business agenda in time for the 2008 legislative session.

Minutes from the 14 roundtable discussions are available on BIA's Web site, www.nhbia.org/.

The Business and Industry Association is New Hampshire's state chamber of commerce and leading business advocate. The BIA represents more than 400 members in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, professional services, financial services, health care, hospitality and tourism, public utilities, higher education, insurance and technology.