The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, which marked its 25th anniversary this year, has a new logo, slogan and branding campaign as it looks to expand its membership during a down economy.
The Research Triangle Park nonprofit organization saw membership increase about 8percent for the year that ended in June, and it has set a goal of 10 percent for this fiscal year, said Joan Siefert Rose, who became CED's president in August 2008.
CED was formed in 1984 and is one of the country's largest support groups for entrepreneurs and small businesses, with more than 5,500 members.
Siefert Rose spoke by phone with staff writer Alan M. Wolf about the group's new look and more. Here are some highlights of their conversation:
On the new brand: CED's previous logo was about 15 years old, and "it looked like it needed some upgrading," she said. The new one, shown here, features the slogan: "Start Something." Clean Design, an RTP brand firm, designed the new look.
The group also is starting to refer to itself as "CED" rather than the full name, which "was sort of a mouthful," Siefert Rose said. "It's nice to have a fresh start."
On membership goals: The group wants to add 250 members by Dec. 25, which would put it on track for a 10 percent increase during the fiscal year that ends in June. So far, about 120 new members have signed on since CED's 25th birthday party last month at Durham's American Tobacco Campus.
The cost of membership starts at $195 a year, $35 for students.
The group is seeing more interest from people who were cut loose by larger employers and who are considering starting businesses. CED also is attracting more entrepreneurs by offering new "practical" programs and workshops, such as one next week on how to build a management team, Siefert Rose said.
On a smaller CED: The group has nine full-time employees, down from 20 at its peak. That's still pretty big compared with a lot of other entrepreneurial development programs around the country, Siefert Rose said.
On the economy: While established companies are having more luck getting the financing they need to expand, credit remains tight for early-stage firms, she said. One area that's showing more activity: "clean" or green technology.
"People here are really caught up in the notion that they want to do something good for the environment that's also potentially rewarding," she said.
One big challenge is that private investors are still "watching and waiting" to see which technologies will be among the winners.
Federal stimulus money aimed at green jobs, which is starting to trickle down, will provide more seed money for startups and could help spur more private investors to jump in, she said.
On her new job: Siefert Rose joined CED last year after spending more than 20 years in radio, including as general manager of N.C. Public Radio-WUNC since 2001.
"I'm listening to my friends' fundraiser drive right now, and I'm wishing them well," she said. "But I enjoy being in a field where I can help people realize their dreams and find meaningful employment. There's something rewarding in doing that."
