The Shoals Business Incubator hosted an Agile Strategies Connecting Enterprises to New Demand (ASCEND) Agile Strategies session at the Davis Complex on Saturday, August 15. The scope of the project is to enhance the use of broadband and technology strategies in the management, promotions and operations of selected small businesses.

The ASCEND Project has been financed through a grant from the USDA to build small businesses ability to grow sales and jobs locally. There are three main components to the project and 10 local businesses will participate. The following training / leadership initiatives include:

Broadband Business Bootcamp: Teaches businesses how to harness the power of broadband to increase sales and profits. This training will evaluate the company’s website and they will learn the best way to utilize social media. In addition to the 21 hours monthly mentoring, the participants will join together one Saturday a month for a “Mastermind Session”. The session ignites the creative process and offers problem solving solutions. Twenty companies have completed prior versions of this training with great success.

Strategic Doing: 10 Skills for Agile Leadership Class: Each business will complete this class. This one-day class teaches the latest leadership skills for today’s networked economy. Participants learn how to build collaborations to accelerate innovation. The training is based on the work of the Strategic Doing Institute affiliated with the University of North Alabama.

University of North Alabama Institute Fellows Project: Each business will be matched to a UNA student who will be assigned a defined project based upon that particular business’s needs. The student will work on one project for the company and Fellowships are awarded based on a review by the College of Business and local business leaders. Over the past three years, this program has assisted more than 30 local companies.

The 12-month project closes with the participants debriefing; including a survey and concluding report where the company was before and after the training.