The Keep IN: Keeping Businesses in Indiana Initiative, is a strategic effort by Indiana’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI) targeting the economic impact from aging business owners retiring.
Through a combination of research, pilot projects, strategic partnerships and policy, OEI seeks to catalyze the most thriving succession marketplace in the country.
Keep IN works with community and marketplace leaders to prepare business owners to maximize their business assets and to cultivate a local buying community -- all with the goal of preserving Indiana's main street businesses. As part of the initiative, OEI has begun the following work:
- Through partnership with Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC), we are leveraging data to better understand Indiana's aging business owner landscape and the specific economic impact we may expect to see. The study is being completed in 3 phases, and phase 1 & 2 findings are currently available and linked here. The 3rd phase findings are currently available and linked here.
- Through partnership with SMB.co, we are piloting the SMB.co platform in three of Indiana's READI regions, with a goal of statewide expansion if early results show benefit. The platform is equipping business owners with the tools needed to plan for future ownership transitions. SMB.co helps small business owners understand their business value and provides educational tools and resources to support early planning and informed decision-making. Visit smb.co/Indiana to learn more.
- Indiana Chamber business owner education series. IN Chamber series registration link
- Governor Launches the Keep IN Initiative. Read press release