Let the Funding BeginCONTACT:Sally Hayhow, Director of Publications Director, Member Serivces Tel: 740-593-4331 Fax: 740-593-1996 e-mail: shayhow@nbia.org ATHENS, OHIO — NBIA Publications today
released its newest book, The Complete Guide
to Federal & State Support of Business Incubation,
by Alex Annarino. For the first time,
anyone interested in developing or expanding an incubation program
can find state and national sources of funding for business incubation
programs in one, easy-to-use reference.
The book contains information on business
incubation legislation and funding practices in every state. Each
listing gives descriptions of funding sources with contact information
for each. It also lists state associations and their contacts,
where applicable. If a particular state does not have funding,
the book summarizes where incubation programs in the state have
found support for their programs.
The guide also covers all the federal
agencies that fund incubation or have eligibility requirements
that could include incubation programs. All listings contain full
descriptions of the legislation or program, eligibility requirements,
any special restrictions, the nature of incubation support and
contact information.
To help those who are working on getting
your state to fund business incubation, an appendix contains full-text
samples of legislation.
"No two states or federal agencies
have the same structure or funding strategies, so it can be extremely
frustrating to reach the right sources. This book will guide readers
to the information they want, saving them from the usual dead
ends, red tape and wrong numbers," says Dinah Adkins, executive
director of the National Business Incubation Association. "It's
an invaluable tool for anyone who is developing, expanding or
putting programs in place for business incubation."
Business incubation programs have become
essential economic development tools for communities that are
trying to improve their economies and keep them healthy over the
long run. The programs – which house very-early stage companies
and provide them a full array of business planning, management
and financial services – have proven to yield a good return
on investment. According to research, a high percentage (84 percent)
of the companies that "graduate" from incubation programs
remain in their communities, and an average 87 percent of incubator
graduates are successful. A community typically realizes more
than $4 in local tax dollars alone for every $1 it spends to support
an incubation program.
A relatively new concept in economic
development circles, business incubation has grown markedly –
from 12 North American programs in 1980 to nearly 600 in 1998.
NBIA Publications is part of the National
Business Incubation Association, an international membership organization
that provides information, training, research and networking resources
to help communities and incubation professionals develop and manage
successful incubation programs.
Author Annarino is a 1998 graduate
of Ohio University who formerly served as an intern at NBIA.
The book was made possible in part
by a donation from the Ohio University's Voinovich Center for
Leadership and Public Affairs. This applied and academic center
has a mission of helping faculty, students and staff fulfill the
University's teaching, research and service missions while providing
educational and research opportunities on a variety of pubic affairs
issues.
For further information or to obtain
a copy of The Complete Guide to Federal &
State Support of Business Incubation ($26.95 to NBIA members,
$35.95 nonmembers, plus $7 shipping and handling),
contact NBIA, 20 East Circle Drive, #37198, Athens, Ohio 45701; 740-593-4331; fax 740-593-1996. Information on the book is available on NBIA's online bookstore, which allows you to order directly and securely through the Internet. |
