Center for Economic Options (CEO):

An Enterprising, Independent Non Profit Business

 

Based in Charleston, West Virginia, the Center for Economic Options (CEO) is a 25-year old independent nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for West Virginia entrepreneurs to develop socially, economically and environmentally sustainable enterprises that foster individual and community wealth.CEO works with entrepreneurs and innovators who share a commitment to creating an economy that preserves community character and vitality, promotes economic justice, and protects ecological health and diversity. To date, our enterprise models have primarily served rural small scale manufacturers, specialty farmers, and artisans by providing market, market access and related technical assistance and resources.

 

 In 2000 CEO established a social purpose retail enterprise model - Showcase West Virginia - to serve as both the market outlet for locally-made products, and as a marketing incubator where owners of small firms have a multitude of opportunities to learn about product marketing, test customer response, adapt products and hone their entrepreneurial skills. CEO positioned the retail store in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, the state's capitol city. Nearly 450 rural entrepreneurs increased and diversified their markets as a result of the enterprise's sales and activities. Many of the participating business owners were fledgling entrepreneurs with limited experience with wholesale and retail sales. To help them with success beyond market access, CEO provided assistance with packaging, pricing, branding and responding to market demand and trends.

CEO closed the retail model in September 2007 and became increasingly aware of the additional benefits arising from operation of the model: numerous locally owned businesses began to adapt portions of the model and broadened product offerings with the products of Showcase West Virginia participants. Essentially, CEO developed a sustainable enterprise model that continues to benefit a variety of locally owned small businesses - a remarkable and desirable outcome for a an independent non profit organization.

In addition to the Showcase West Virginia social purpose enterprise model, CEO has developed:

  • Appalachian By Design (ABD) – a former program initiated in 1992 which CEO legally separated as an independent non profit in 1995. ABD continues to provide training and markets for product lines produced by a network of home-based knitters.
  • The Small Farm Business Project – which identified and linked business owners across the state to access training, resources, technical assistance, joint marketing options and other networking opportunities. One outcome was the formation of the Appalachian Flower Network which connected nearly 50 businesses producing value-added flower products.

 

 CEO’s awards for outstanding work include:

  • 2001 Presidential Award for Excellence in Micro Enterprise Development
  • Vision 2000 Award for Excellence in Rural Development
  • U.S. Small Business Administrations’ 2005 Home-based Business Champion
  • National Association of Development Organizations 1994 Innovation Award
  • Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award
  • U.S. Small Business Administrations' Women's Business Advocate of the Year

 

Additionally, CEO has hosted events that feature and gain support for small business owners including:

  • Made Right Here Summit on Small Scale Manufacturing, in partnership with Senator Jay Rockefeller and the Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation
  • Marketing to the Max which helped prepare 20 businesses to market their products in a variety of venues, including large trade shows
  • Money in the Mountains conference on land-based sustainable business options
  • West Virginia Small Business Expo, in partnership with the WV Small Business Development Center
  • The People’s Marketplace - a marketing event featuring nearly 90 businesses
  • The Appalachian Flower Network Showcase a marketing event featuring farm-based businesses
  • Sponsorship of a trade booth featuring WV specialty food business owners at the Chicago Fancy Food Show

 

CEO has a long history of productive collaborations that meet its mission and create opportunities for sustainable business development. A sample includes:

  • Central Appalachia Network - CEO is a founding member of a collaboration of eight non profit organizations in the region which have connected since 1993 to share and build on sustainable development strategies.
  • A Vision Shared's (the state's economic development blueprint entity) Sustainable Development Group which has developed a white paper on sustainable development and is initiating policy and public awareness actions to promote and institutionalize development that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable in West Virginia.

  • The Community Collaborative which connects individuals, public and non profit agencies to work with communities on appropriate economic development

  • CEO co-chairs A Visions Shared's Access to Markets subcommittee which is initiating a "Made Right Here" campaign to promote locally owned and operated businesses
  • WV Advantage Valley Entrepreneurial System – CEO is a lead agency in one of only six projects nationally selected for a special funding initiative of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  • WV Specialty Foods Cooperative – CEO participated in the early formation
  • WV Industry of Culture initiative – CEO is one of six lead organizations that initiated action to focus on local assets (locally-made products, cultural attractions, place-based attributes etc) as an economic development strategy. The initiative has now broadened into "Create West Virginia" which is gaining momentum as a statewide development strategy through A Vision Shared..

CEO has helped create an environment that supports small scale manufacturing and local enterprise. A sampling of this initiative includes:

Production of a ground-breaking video - West Virginia Microenterprise – Not Business As Usual – which was aired on West Virginia Public Television

Publishing and distribution of:

  • Strategies for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (in collaboration with CAN)

  • The Importance of Small Manufacturing Firms - A Policy Review (in partnership with Marshall University)

  • The Emergence of Social Enterprise in the Non Profit Sector

  • Policy Innovations for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (in collaboration with CAN)

  • Growing Microbusinesses – the West Virginia Experience (in partnership with Marshall University)
  • Facilitating Microbusiness Networks - Opportunities for Rural Business Owners
  • Wealth in Woodlands: Sustainable Microbusiness Options for the Forest Landowner
  • Appalachian Flower Network Sustainability Research
  • "So You Want To......" a series of "how to" publications for small farm enterprises

 

Updated:Sept 2007