However help awaits, because Allegany and Steuben Counties
have what some call their best kept secret!
Let me introduce you to IncubatorWorks…with facilities in Alfred and
Corning, they aren’t just for Tech companies anymore. IncubatorWorks has expanded their mentoring
services deep into the community to help businesses starting up, business
needing to recover after a downturn, and to build an ecosystem of entrepreneurs
that can lift up the economic profile of their community. Renting space in the facility is no longer
necessary to receive mentoring, nor do they need to be a new business, as a
healthy economic ecosystem depends on keeping on-going businesses vibrant as
well. And with the magic of the
internet, mentoring can be done via an online platform such as Zoom.
Mentors at the incubator have all been entrepreneurs
themselves and have varied expertise ranging from retail, to accounting, to manufacturing
to name a few. They also expand their areas
of expertise by tapping into the mentors of their incubator partners through the
Western New York Incubator Network and the Southern Tier Startup Alliance. All totaled, businesses have a wide and deep
bench of world-class experts at their disposal!
Recently, IncubatorWorks hosted a series of online workshops to help
local businesses navigate the varied and ever-changing funding available to
mitigate the economic damages from the pandemic.
All of pandemic challenges are enough to make a business
owner want to throw in the towel, and now there is even more to figure out as studies
show that consumer behavior is changing as the waves of the pandemic ebb and
flow. Discretionary spending is less
while shifting to essentials; there is a flight to the digital world…and most
consumers plan to continue shopping on-line; a shock to loyalty with disruption
in shopping behavior…consumers have changed preferred retailers; the desire for
health and “caring” economy…a “safe place” to shop; and a homebody economy…many
consumers don’t yet feel comfortable resuming “normal” out-of-home activities.
What these changes mean to entrepreneurs is significant; do
I change my model to online and how do I do that? Marketing may need to be reinvented as
tradeshows and other face-to-face networking is out and social media is more
important than ever. Do I offer new
products and services which risks spending precious funds? Talk about a full plate!
All these things said, this is also an incredible time to
start new businesses. For example, according
to the RV Industry Association, RV sales in some areas have sped up 170 percent
over the same time period last year.
This will result in a new growth sector in servicing, detailing,
winterizing, and storing these vehicles.
Overall, outdoor activities are experiencing significant growth which
will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs who are innovative and ready to
seize the moment. Need a tagline for
your outdoor business? Breathe in the
fresh air while playing in the wide-open spaces of the WNY Wilds!
Do you feel like you need a navigator or maybe a life
raft? Are you toying with starting a new
business to take advantage of new opportunities? The mentors at IncubatorWorks
want to help!
And the best secret of all…no charge to businesses! IncubatorWorks receives State funding to
support their mission of economic development through a healthy and vibrant
business community. Darwin was wrong, it
is not survival of the fittest but survival of the most adaptable. You can do this…give us a call.
