Appalachian city incubates several successful technology companies

When the U.S. steel industry hit the skids in the late '70s and early '80s, Youngstown, Ohio was hit hard. With its economy so dependent on steel, Youngstown lost more than 50,000 jobs when the domestic steel industry withered away into nothing.

For decades, this ravaged steel town struggled to reinvent itself. Over the last few years, though, something special has happened in Youngstown. Several strong-minded business spirits are putting their heads together to create the rebirth of Youngstown as an innovative technology center.

The Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), led by Jim Cossler, is one such organization that is taking the city by storm. YBI offers budding tech companies consulting services and facilities support, such as office space and bandwidth for free or at a deferred cost.

Experts agree there are four ideal location criteria for entrepreneurial start-ups: access to business capital and support services, access to supply chain and markets, access to knowledge and labor, and access to a balanced life. All of these resources are abundant in Ohio, and YBI is just one shining example of how entrepreneurs can benefit from having ready access to these resources.

Read more about how YBI works with entrepreneurs to mitigate risk, reduce expenses, and develop and execute viable business plans, which all helps to improve their likelihood of success.

Start-up companies success in Enterprise Appalachia

It's said that most startups fail within five years. Still, the possibility - or experience - of failure doesn't stop approximately 600,000 entrepreneurs from starting new businesses every year in the United States. Yet, while many will fail, many others will succeed. To succeed, entrepreneurs must find a location that balances access to resources and low overhead costs for a higher chance of business success.

Ohio's Enterprise Appalachia offers the ideal site selection criteria for small businesses to thrive, from access to funding and finding a considerable knowledge base to leveraging supply chain resources and reaching key markets. This is evidenced by the surge of successful start-up companies who have put the state's abundant entrepreneurial resources into action.

• Inventors and business partners Kevin Pottmeyer and Chet Burdette make users blend into the woods virtually unseen with early stage assistance from TechGROWTH Ohio.
• Entrepreneurs Greg Adams and Larry Triplett recognized a need for data processing services and leveraged small business support services in Appalachian Ohio.
• Craig Zamary's journey from kitchen table business to entrepreneur in residence all while never missing out on any of the important moments in life.
• Jennifer Simon's goal to encourage more entrepreneurs to leverage resources in the region, such as Ohio University's Innovation Center.
• Dr. Michael Mark, a founder and CEO of ED MAP, Inc., found venture capital programs in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia Region for every stage of his company’s growth.
• Dr. Sang-Soo Kim of EZ Asphalt Technologies leveraged entrepreneurial support services at Enterprise Appalachia’s Small Business Development Center and Ohio University’s Innovation Center to successfully launch their nationally adopted asphalt testing system.
• The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio's and Cara Dingus Brook's commitment to building a stronger economy and ensuring a better quality of life for the residents of Appalachian Ohio.

Read more company success stories and get started now to find out what Ohio's Enterprise Appalachia can deliver for you.

Choosing a startup location is a critical decision

It is extremely hard for a start-up company to succeed. An entrepreneur can do everything right in finding funding, proving the viability of the concept and still fail in commercial scale-up. One of the decisions often overlooked is start-up location, and yet it can be one of the most important decisions for a young company. Often a metropolitan location is selected on the belief it is close to any resource that might be required. But, that choice typically comes with high overhead costs at a time when the company needs every dime to reinvest into company growth. The choice of an ideal start-up location is an important one because the wrong choice can smother a company's chances for success. For the entrepreneur, it's get it right or else.

According to small business experts, there are four criteria that make up an ideal location for business development: access to business capital and support services, access to knowledge and labor, access to supply chain and markets and access to a balanced life. An entrepreneur must find a location with the perfect balance of these resources and low costs for a higher chance of business success.

Inc. magazine has created a series of white papers that will help entrepreneurs evaluate potential Ohio locations for starting or growing a small business. Inc. magazine found that Appalachian Ohio delivers the ideal start-up environment, providing all the criteria to develop a successful small business in today’s 21st century economy. From access to funding, finding a considerable knowledge base, leveraging supply chain resources and reaching key markets, Ohio offers the ideal location for small businesses to thrive.

Download and read the white papers to learn more about what Ohio offers entrepreneurs.

• Issue 1: Finding Funding
• Issue 2: Building Your Knowledge Base
• Issue 3: Real Best Practices for Supply Chain Optimization
• Issue 4: Enterprise Benchmarks: Expanding Your Market Reach
• Issue 5: Enterprise Appalachia Tax Brief
• Issue 6: Real Results for Real Entrepreneurs

The more you read, the more entrepreneurial opportunities you'll find in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia.

Get started now to find out what Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia can deliver for you.

What being an entrepreneur is all about

Creating a successful business is a time consuming job. More often than you like, the demands are such you often have to choose between your business and your life. It is easy to fall into a trap of sacrificing your personal aspirations to ensure the success of your enterprise. But, giving your all for the sake of the business is what being an entrepreneur is all about right?

Wrong. You can achieve both business and personal success without having to sacrifice one for the other. You can build your business and love your life.

In the Enterprise Appalachia Region, it is easy to travel to and from work without having to deal with the stress of a long commute. Locating your business in the Enterprise Appalachia Region affords you the gift of time. It provides you an opportunity to have a life in perfect balance.

• Time to create a strong partnership with your spouse.
• Time to be an involved parent and impart your values on your children.
• Time to invest in building lasting friendships.
• Time to be active in and leave a personal mark on your community.
• Time to invest in yourself.
• Time to recharge your batteries and re-energize your outlook.
• Time to think and be creative.

By locating your business in the Enterprise Appalachia Region, you have the time to focus on what is deeply important to you, and the opportunity to do what really matters most. You can meet the demands of creating a successful entrepreneurial venture without sacrificing your life in the process.

Select the right location to start and grow your business

Every entrepreneur wants to select the right location to start and grow their business. But, the choice isn't always obvious, and often the default is to simply start where you are currently located instead of looking for an ideal location. Choosing a business location is an important strategic choice, one that should be based upon a thorough consideration of established criteria and relevant data.

Ohio's Enterprise Appalachia offers the ideal site selection criteria for small businesses to thrive, from access to funding and finding a considerable knowledge base to leveraging supply chain resources and reaching key markets.

Enterprise Appalachia offers entrepreneurs access to capital to efficiently and successfully transition new products or services from R&D to commercialization. Entrepreneurs locating in the region benefit from regional venture capital and financial support that meets the needs of all businesses, from start-ups to gazelle high-growth companies.

The region is home to 25 institutions of higher education, including seven four-year universities and colleges and 18 two-year colleges. Not only do these institutions provide knowledge and expertise to entrepreneurs, but contribute to a knowledgeable workforce ready to help companies grow.

Entrepreneurs in Appalachian Ohio are ideally located to access supply chains and markets in Ohio and surrounding states. Ohio is within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population and 50 percent of the Canadian population, 62 percent of U.S. manufacturing plants, 59 percent of wholesale establishments and 63 percent of retail establishments.

In addition, Enterprise Appalachia's location and tax structure makes it cost effective for entrepreneurs to serve customers in North America and around the globe. A recent report by the Quantitative Economics and Statistics Practices (QUEST) of Ernst & Young in conjunction with the Council On State Taxation (COST) ranks Ohio as third in the nation for friendliest tax environment.

Read stories of executives who have have put the state’s abundant entrepreneurial resources into action.