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Today's Headlines |
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| INTRODUCTION |
As you read our newsletter, you will find a number of articles about recent and past “graduates” of the St. Louis Enterprise Centers. Behind each graduate company’s solid business plan, drive, and ambition also comes the ability to recognize and capitalize on the incubator program to provide a boost and help guide their business to success.
Entrepreneurship is an exhaustive, exciting, and ultimately a life-altering endeavor. It can be also one of the most intense, rewarding experiences a person will ever receive. Most start-up businesses need all the help they can get, and through our incubator program, we strive to provide a host of resources to assist in their entrepreneurial growth.
Small business owners learn to wear many different hats—they’re accountants, human resource officers, sales managers, maintenance workers, chief marketing managers, and the work day can be long and grueling. Fortunately, our enterprise centers are set up to offer support and buffer those trying days. Small business owners benefit greatly by taking advantage of all the valuable resources the facilities have to offer.
For example, our large, state-of-the-art conference rooms provide opportunities for a start up to hold important meetings and showcase their business services to others. In addition, the value of networking with other tenants allows entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off each other and learn other innovative ideas that can help improve their business acumen—and relieve a little stress.
Our graduates appreciate the opportunity to be surrounded by other small business owners and welcome all the extra benefits they receive from the Centers.
“The St. Louis Enterprise Center has been a tremendous resource for us. But the time has come for us to leave ‘the nest’ in order to provide the same great incubator opportunity and experience for a new start-up company,” said Foot Healers founder Clifford Holekamp.
The St. Louis County Economic Council and its St. Louis Enterprise Centers business incubation program are pleased to be a community resource that provides opportunities to small business owners in helping them achieve their life-long career goals.
Enjoy our newsletter!
Jan DeYoung
Executive Director
St. Louis Enterprise Centers |
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| Enterprise Centers Graduate Successful Tenants |
St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley and SLCEC President Denny Coleman recently celebrated two ”graduation ceremonies” for former St. Louis Enterprise Center tenants.
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| County Executive Charlie Dooley, Chesterfield Mayor John Nations and Other Local Dignitaries honor the West County Enterprise Center Graduates. |
The first event was held for three successful companies who recently moved into new facilities from the West County Incubator in Chesterfield. The companies: Callisto Communications, Professional Network Solutions, and Certified Nets spent several years in the incubator benefiting from the Center’s services. All three companies have relocated to new offices in West County.
“We recognize the many challenges small business owners face when starting out, and we know it is not easy. Small business is big business, and it powers our economy,” said Dooley. “Nearly 90 percent of all businesses in St. Louis County have fewer than 25 employees. These small businesses comprise the vast majority of jobs and economic stimulus to the County,” added Dooley.
John Nations, Mayor for the City of Chesterfield was also on hand to pay tribute to the graduates and praised their efforts for expanding the region’s economic strength.
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| SLCEC President and CEO Denny Coleman discusses the importance of small business incubation to the region. |
County Executive Dooley and President Coleman subsequently hosted a second event honoring Foot Healers as they recently graduated from the South County Enterprise Center in Lemay.
“We’re very proud of these companies, the success they have had, and growth they have helped spawn within St. Louis County,” stated Coleman.
Missouri State Senator Harry Kennedy and Lemay Chamber President Greg Hayden were also present and commended Foot Healers for their impact in the region.
All four graduate companies spoke about the benefits of starting their ventures in the St. Louis County Enterprise Centers. They especially noted the efforts of SLEC Executive Director Jan DeYoung for his dedication to the growth and well being of residents in the facilities. |
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| Hawk iSolutions to Host “Microsoft Across America” at Wellston Enterprise Center |
 Hawk iSolutions Group, Inc., a Native American-owned, information technology company, focusing on small and medium business announced its participation in “Microsoft Across America”, a nationwide road show designed to give business people hands-on experience using the latest technology.
“Microsoft Across America” events are free half-day seminars that enable visitors to explore a state-of-the-art truck for live product demonstrations. Hawk iSolutions will host the event noon to 4 p.m., Friday, August 24 at the Wellston Enterprise Center and be on hand to offer one-on-one advice and answer questions.
The company will also introduce their new service, Hawk iSOLUTIONS Managed Service Plan , at the event. The time-saving program provides customers with an affordable, state-of-the-art system to reduce computer down time and improve efficiency.
“We strive to help small- and medium-sized businesses succeed while providing enterprise-level solutions at an affordable price,” said John Antone, president of Hawk iSolutions Group, Inc. “Microsoft Across America allows us to personally customize demonstrations according to our client’s needs while establishing our company as a key resource to help our customers grow,” adds Antone.
“Microsoft Across America” attendees will be able to experiment with programs such as Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007, and Microsoft Small Business Server 2003. A fleet of seven “Microsoft Across America” high-tech trucks delivered over 600 events last year with more scheduled for this year and beyond.
More information about “Microsoft Across America” and event registration is available at the Hawk iSolutions’ web site. Anyone registering by August 10 will qualify to win a new Windows Vista Machine, compliments of Hawk iSolutions.
Located in the Wellston Enterprise Center, Hawk iSolutions Group has served as a hardware technology solutions provider to higher education, government, and small/medium business communities for nearly a decade. |
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| St. Louis County Enterprise Center Showcase - South County |
The South County Enterprise Center, located at 315 Lemay Ferry Road, is a 20,000 square foot facility that opened in 2000. Since its inception, the Center has assisted over 30 start-up and emerging businesses by providing a supportive entrepreneurial environment offering the mentorship, education, networking, and access to capital vital to the success and growth of their enterprises.
The Center’s first “graduate” was Mike Holloway of Hollywood Entertainment in October of 2002. Since that time, many more have “left the nest” providing employment opportunities for community residents – thus fulfilling the economic development mission of the Enterprise Centers in the communities in which they are located
Today, the South County Enterprise Center houses 13 start-up and emerging business that reflect the diversity of the St. Louis regional business environment from personal and professional services, marketing and communication, information technology, software development, and medical services to construction, transportation, and production, assembly and distribution enterprises. Markets for these companies range from local to national to international.
Currently, the businesses in the Center:
- Generate Millions of Dollars in annual revenue
- Employ 115 people (64 full-time and 70 part-time and contracted positions), and
- 60 percent of the St. Louis Enterprise Center clients are women-, minority-, or immigrant-owned businesses.
To find out more about the South County Enterprise Center, contact Site Administrator Melba Snow at 314-638-5858. |
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| Graduate Success Story – PSKids, LLC |
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Founded in 1999 by two pediatric therapists, PSKids (Positive Support for Kids) was the brain child of Molly Hunter and Chris Lloyd. From its inception the company’s passion and focus was to improve the long-term quality of life for each child they served.
Specializing in physical, occupational, speech and development therapy services, PSKids has made its mark by providing specialized programs for both home-based and outpatient clients.
Co-founder Chris Lloyd summed up her experience in the South County Incubator by saying, “The Center provides a safe environment for start-up businesses and allowed us to grow at a comfortable pace.”
A 2005 graduate of the South County Enterprise Center, PSKids has grown to over 25 therapists providing a multitude of valuable services and programs. Today, PSKids is helping hundreds of St. Louis Area children reach their developmental potential.
Molly Hunter, PSKids other co-founder added, “As therapists, we didn’t have business degrees but the training and services the Center provided helped move our company forward”. |
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| Recognizing the MO SBDC and International Institute Business Links Program |
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SLEC Executive Director Jan DeYoung announced the International Institute of St. Louis’ Business Links program recently relocated to the South County Enterprise Center. The Institute provides assistance to immigrants who have or wish to start their own business.
The mission of Business Links is to help new Americans achieve financial success through business ownership. Staff and volunteers provide the expertise to help New Americans start, stabilize, and expand businesses, leading to the growth of employment and capital resources in the St. Louis region.
Also housed at the South County facility is the Missouri Small Business Development Center (MO SBDC). The MO SBDC provides pre-business planning, existing business advisory services, and workshops and seminars to help companies improve business performance.
The Enterprise Center's program partners with the MO SBDC in providing services to its incubator companies. |
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| ST. LOUIS COUNTY HEADLINES |
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