A cornerstone of the Center for Entrepreneurial Development is the Small Business Incubator Project. The purpose of this project is to “incubate” small businesses for a maximum of eighteen months in an environment that will assist the participating businesses to develop and expand. The small business incubator offers low to moderate income adults a wide range of services from keyed security access, low-cost office space, on site staff, basic administrative services, conference room use, copy machine access, etc. Further, the project will offer training classes and seminars covering a wide variety of business management subjects.

The idea of starting and operating a small business is a dream shared by many. Current economic conditions, the desire for financial independence, and the freedom of self-employment are some of the factors motivating people to consider starting a small business.

The reality of starting and running a small business is often anything but a dream. The entrepreneur is faced with enormous demands on his or her time, business skills, technical expertise and financial resources. The challenge facing small business owners is to effectively meet these demands and succeed.

Without question, the desire to succeed is an important ingredient in the recipe for success. However, desire alone is not enough. In addition to the technical expertise and knowledge required to create a product or to perform a service, the small business owner/manager must understand many other disciplines common to most businesses. To be successful, the entrepreneur must be able to identify the requirements of the business and implement practical procedures to meet these requirements.