CBEAM:

Community Based Entrepreneurship Asset Mapping

The APEC-IBIZ Network CBEAM program was developed in response to the fact that we had identified a need for wider support of individual entrepreneurship on a community basis. The basic philosophy of the program is a positive means of identifying the passions and capabilities of a community, and then to identify where these can be used as the motivation to foster and support individual motivation. As our Executive Director, Chris Pelham, says “motivation is the driving force of entrepreneurship.”

Regional Application

Taking advantage of the regional development focus of the program, the ACSBE CBEAM program has been successfully delivered and utilized in a wide range of communities, with some very positive results. As example, it was used in Cape Breton to identify the strength and interest of a community’s population in outdoor activities, which was then leveraged to use this motivation to bring in a major call centre from an US firm dealing in outdoor equipment to generate significant employment in the community.

The program has been delivered in a number of locations throughout Canada, as well as several international destinations.

Ready-To-Go Tools

The ACSBE CBEAM program centres on the use of a specially-developed database and data gathering tools, to create a map of the resources and capabilities in the identified area of interest. Through a five-day workshop, you will be trained in the philosophy and use of the database, tailoring it hands-on to the specialized needs of their community. 

You will be  provided with the database, as well as the processes for:

• gathering;
• inputting; and
• analysing the database information to develop local occupational strategies.

 They can then return to apply this in their communities, with ongoing support from the experienced Small Business & Entrepreneurship Professionals of the ACSBE team.