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Center for Rural Affairs, www.cfra.org model for nurturing entrepreneurial development in agricultural communities. REAP provides loans, training, networking, and technical assistance opportunities for startup and existing rural businesses (with 5 or fewer employees) across Nebraska. REAP works with communities in forming local associations of entrepreneurs, through which it makes business loans, provides extensive training on business management, and assists entrepreneurs in developing business plans. REAP also makes loans and provides technical assistances to individuals who are not part of local associations. REAP partners with other institutions and service providers. It partners with the University of Nebraska to provide electronic commerce and business management training. It receives grant and loans funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the Nebraska Micro enterprise Partnership Fund, and private sources. REAP works closely with local banks. The majority of its clients do not receive loans, but rather training, technical assistance, and business planning services that make them better customers for local banks. More than 2,000 rural businesses have been assisted by REAP. They include, for example, wood craft busi- nesses, bird house makers, a pottery maker, picture framers, a Christmas tree ornament maker, a meeting planner, caterers, day care centers, a fitness center, tanning salons, carpenters, auto repair businesses, makers of wooden barrels and casks for movie sets and many, many others. While REAP is the nation's largest rural provider of such services, it is not alone. There are a number of pro- grams across the region that communities can tap for such services. To learn more about where your commu- nity can obtain these services, in Nebraska contact Jeff Reynolds with the Center 402.656.3091 Oeffr@alltel.net). Outside of Nebraska, contact the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) at 703.841.7760 or via the web at www.microenterpriseworks.org. There is also a need to expand the types of small enterprise development services available. A large propor- tion of rural business owners are nearing retirement age. The opportunity is ripe for establishing programs to link business owners nearing retirement with potential successors. Such programs could assist the retiree and potential successor in planning a transfer and provide them with model contracts for transferring ownership in a manner that is workable and fair to both parties, including seller financing. Communities can help by actively anticipating retirements and recruiting community mem- bers with entrepreneurial skills or perhaps young people who have left the community to take over. Help in Tapping Bigger Markets One key for increasing opportunities for rural small business is developing strategies to tap markets beyond the local area and link rural small businesses into larger regional economies. Electronic commerce provides one opportunity to expand the market available to rural small businesses. Businesses with unique products have used it reach customers far beyond their home community. Training in electronic commerce is a critical element of small business development programs. Page 5