BIG BEND REGION MINORITY &
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas

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Business incubation program can put you
on the road to success!

    Almost everyone has dreamed of owning a small business at one time or another. Most ponder the idea for years, but never quite get the courage to carry their dream through to fruition.
    Does the thought of being your own boss get your entrepreneurial juices flowing? Do you look at existing businesses and think “I can do better than that?” If the answer to these questions is “yes,” the Big Bend Region Minority and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business incubator program might have just the resources needed to start you on the path to success.
    Business incubation is a support process designed to accelerate the successful development of start-up and fledgling businesses by providing entrepreneurs with a smorgasbord of targeted resources and services. The ultimate goal of a business incubator is the establishment of financially strong and independent local business concerns.
    North American incubators report that over 85 percent of all clients that have “graduated” after three years in an incubation program are still in business today. With this in mind, the Big Bend Region SBDC in Alpine is looking for prospective tenants to participate in its own version of a small business incubator program.
    Once accepted, clients of the program are provided a fully-equipped 140 square foot office to conduct business at below-market rates for up to three years. Offices are located at the recently remodeled Centennial School Building in Alpine and are suitable for service-related businesses or as an off-site management location or headquarters.
    Each office is equipped with modern office furniture, computer hardware and business-related software. In addition, incubator tenants are provided the use of a copier and fax machine. Internet connections and phone service are optional and leases are renewable yearly for up to three years.
    With the help of the SBDC staff, clients are guided around many of the pitfalls that can destroy a small business before it has a chance to succeed. Such pitfalls may include unrealistic planning and expectations, inadequate funding, a lack of knowledge pertaining to business practices and not understanding the effort it takes to be successful.
    One of six available offices is currently being leased by Bizkor, a small business startup, owned and operated by Jose Aguayo, 42, a graduate of the U. of Texas. A refugee of big city life, Aguayo had previously toiled as an editor and journalist at Forbes, Inc. (Houston) and Standard & Poors, Inc. (New York City.)
    At Forbes, Aguayo covered a range of topics from politics to energy production. From a Rockefeller Center office, he more recently produced an online risk-management publication for Standard & Poors Inc., which focused on the NYMEX futures exchange. Content included a daily update, a chat room and editorial offerings focused on advice pertaining to equity positions. Subscribers included traders from various energy-producing corporations around the world.
    Aguayo got hooked on the Big Bend lifestyle when visiting a friend in Alpine. Rural living was a quantum leap forward from the pressures of the big city and to generate income, Aguayo began developing an idea for publication of an online energy industry newsletter that would focus on cross-border commodity trading. Instinctively, he turned to the SBDC for help.
    At the Big Bend Region SBDC, Aguayo was introduced to the small business incubator program. After viewing the facilities, he filled out a simple application and was accepted in short order.
    “The incubator program has proved to be a fantastic way to launch a startup business,” said Aguayo. “The low-cost lease for a furnished office and computer equipment gives me a tremendous financial flexibility and the freedom to focus on ideas rather than bricks and mortar. In addition, the support and guidance I receive from the SBDC counselors is an invaluable resource.”
    Prospective program participants are invited to visit the Big Bend Region SBDC, Room 102, Centennial School Building, 500 W. Ave H, for a tour of the facilities and to obtain information packets and application forms. All interactions with the SBDC are strictly confidential. Call 432-837-8813 for additional information or to arrange for a tour.

By Dennie Miller, Training Specialist, Big Bend Region Minority and Small Business Development Center, Alpine, Texas.