Overview

The Delaware Center for Enterprise Development (DCED) at Delaware State University has assisted in the development of enterprises since 1992. DCED is the community outreach arm of the College of Business. It provides business training and entrepreneurial education for youth and adults, supports community economic development initiatives and offers one-on-one technical assistance to entrepreneurs. The mission of the Delaware Center for Enterprise Development (DCED) is to educate current and prospective entrepreneurs and enterprise managers through training programs, technical and managerial assistance and by providing access to capital.

Initiatives

• Day Care Initiative

  Family Child Care Development Course - This course is approved by the Department of Child Care Licensing (28 hours) and endorsed by the Family and Workplace Connection (FWC). Topics discussed are developing a business plan; pricing and cost analysis; marketing strategies; recognizing the competition; offering quality childcare while managing the business confidently, and developing a parent handbook. This course uses the Kauffman Foundation course materials. Currently this course is being offered in all three counties and led by experienced trainers from Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation. Additionally, DCED is involved with developing curriculum to meet the new regulations being implemented by the Office of Child Care Licensing for Early Childhood Administrators. It is the goal of DCED to decrease the risk of Centers and Family Child Cares in non-compliance by offering the required courses throughout the state of Delaware at a minimal cost to the providers. If you would like additional information about child care training, please contact Ilona Figat at (302)857-6953.

• Food Business Incubator Center

  The mission of the Food Business Incubator Center is to nurture, support, and sustain food and agricultural industries in the Delaware region by providing business and technical training, resources for product and process evaluation and incubation, and a trusted source for information and guidance. The kitchen incubator at Delaware State University (DSU) is managed by the Delaware Center for Enterprise Development (DCED) in collaboration with the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM). The commercial kitchen incubator is currently located in the MBNA America Building on DSU's Dover, Delaware campus. The incubator provides a low-cost commercial and licensed facility that can be used by food producers. Incubator tenants will time-share space according to the amount of time needed while saving considerable expense over equipping their own kitchens. If you would like additional information about the kitchen incubator, please contact Barbara Rodgers at (302)857-6943.

• Junior Entrepreneurs in Training (JET) Program

  JET, Junior Entrepreneurs in Training, is an entrepreneurial awareness and skills enhancement program for students enrolled in various Delaware public schools and who are members of local community centers. The JET Program addresses the need to provide youth the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship; to teach youth basic concepts and skills required for entrepreneurship; and to help youth understand the relationship between academic subjects and the practical world of entrepreneurship. The program which has a two dimensional focus on entrepreneurial awareness and skills development is designed to provide exposure, inspire entrepreneurial initiative, plant seeds for the future, affect behavior, and provide opportunities as well as increased career options for students. If you are interested in starting a JET class, please contact Lillie Crawford at (302)857-6954.

One-on-One consulting services

Small Business Institute (SBI)

The SBI program at DSU will operate within the College of Business under the direction of Ms. Ilona Figat. The program will use MBA student teams of two or four, under faculty supervision to conduct in-depth consulting and field case projects to analyze and create solutions for local small businesses. Each SBI team will meet frequently with the small business owner over the course of the academic term to learn about the owner's goals, understand the business's history, observe operations, and to identify opportunities and specific problems. At the semester's end, each SBI student team will deliver a comprehensive written and oral report recommending courses of action or solutions to the small business clients. If you would like additional information about this program, please contact Ilona Figat at 857-6953.