Ideal Environment for Business Startup Success
July 15th, 2010Tags: Appalachia Ohio, entrepreneur, Jennifer Simon, Ohio University, startup
Published under Advanced Energy & Environmental Technology, Bioscience & Bioproducts, High-Tech, Region 10 - East Central Ohio, Region 11 - Southeast Ohio, Region 7 - Southern Ohio
According to the National Business Incubation Association, business incubators generate up to 20 times more jobs than any other federally funded community infrastructure project – at a fraction of the cost per job.
Nearly 30 years ago, this insight inspired the creation of Ohio University’s Innovation Center. Since then, the first university-based incubator in the state of Ohio and only the 12th in the U.S. has nurtured more than 80 companies and created more than 1,000 jobs in Ohio’s Appalachian Region.
Focused on information technology, biosciences and alternative and sustainable energy, the Center offers a home – complete with offices, conference rooms, shared office equipment and advanced laboratory equipment that includes the only commercial wet labs in Southeast Ohio – where startup businesses in these industries can grow.
The Center’s location in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia Region allows resident entrepreneurs to take advantage of an ideal startup environment that provides all of the criteria for business success: access to supply chain and markets, access to business capital and support services, access to knowledge and labor and access to a balanced life.
I recently spoke with Jennifer Simon, director of the Innovation Center. She pointed out that the entrepreneurs in Athens and the surrounding region want to stay. The business-friendly environment, growth opportunities and talented workforce fuel the growth of these small businesses, but the welcoming community and balanced lifestyle make them want to remain in the area.
Click here to read the full Ohio University Innovation Center story.