Despite passion, drive and an abundance of good ideas, half of all new businesses fail within the first few years. Often that's because, despite their zeal, entrepreneurs lack the experience and tools required to effectively start and grow businesses.

Entrepreneurs in Oceana County now have a secret weeapon that increases their chances for success: FastTrac®, a comprehensive family of programs that help entrepreneurs hone the skills they need to create, manage and grow successful businesses.

The Starting Block, Inc., a regional business incubator, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get products to the marketplace, introduced FastTrac® to the local market over the past year.

FastTrac® programs connect entrepreneurs to the best resources available to help them pursue and realize their entrepreneurial dreams. The programs provide business owners with insights, strategic visioning guidance, professional networking connections and other resources, to prepate them to create new businesses or expand existing enterprises.

"All entrepreneurs are passionate about ensuring the success of their endeavors, so they are hungry for the kind of training and mentoring that FastTrac® programs offer," said Starting Block Executive Director, Ron Steiner. "In our work to help entrepreneurs commercialize their products, we knew this program would provide the educational component we needed to help business owners improve their chances for success."

A typical FastTrac® session includes facilitated discussions and activities, networking, small peer groups, a guest speaker and one-on-one coaching. Participants work on their own business ventures throughout the program. FastTrac® programs are licensed from Kauffman FastTrac®, which offers programs across the globe for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as an entrepreneurship curriculum for college students.

Kauffman FastTrac® is an affiliate of the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the largest foundation in the work focused on ensuring entrepreneurial success at all levels.