Strengthening Local Entrepreneurship through an Entrepreneurship Club: Designing a Community-Based Intervention Model for SMEs in Montalvo, Ecuador

Abstract

Strengthening local entrepreneurship represents a key challenge for the sustainable economic development of rural communities in Ecuador, where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face limitations related to training, innovation, collaborative networks, and institutional support. This study aimed to design a community-based intervention model through the creation of an Entrepreneurship Club to strengthen SMEs and local entrepreneurial initiatives in the rural parish of Montalvo, Ambato, Ecuador. The research followed a quantitative approach with a descriptive and cross-sectional design. Data were collected through a structured survey designed in Microsoft Forms using dichotomous and multiple-choice questions and administered to all identified entrepreneurs across ten neighborhoods and rural settlements. The findings revealed a strong demand for continuous training, particularly in marketing, digital tools, commercialization, and innovation, as well as a widespread perception of insufficient institutional support for business development. Furthermore, all participants expressed their willingness to join the proposed Entrepreneurship Club, demonstrating broad acceptance of collaborative strategies for strengthening entrepreneurial capacities. The study concludes that implementing an Entrepreneurship Club represents a social innovation strategy capable of reinforcing the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, fostering collaborative learning, improving SME competitiveness, and contributing to sustainable local economic development.