On February 18th I will celebrate my fourth anniversary with Roane State Community College’s Cumberland Business Incubator. It’s been a great experience working with entrepreneurs and businesses in the greater Upper Cumberland region. Our clients come from far and wide – from West of Putnam County, Morgan County, Fentress County, Bledsoe County, Anderson County, Roane County, Sevier County, Sequatchie County, White County ….and others.
We currently have over 250 clients – some that are sole entrepreneurs, some that are large employers. We have 8 businesses that reside inside the physical space of the incubator. One of the businesses located inside the incubator has 10 employees with locations in Crossville, Chattanooga and Cookeville. The founder is a graduate of one of our multi-week classes to develop a business plan and worked with a mentor with an HR background to develop the policies and procedures for their business. Another of the businesses in the incubator sells their products throughout the US and is expanding into international sales. The founders are also graduates of the CBI business development classes.
Economic Development – sometimes it comes from courting a new business to an area and sometimes it comes from helping local businesses get started and helping existing ones to grow. More than 325 jobs have been created in our client businesses over the four years since February 18th 2013. That is Economic Development – sometimes one job at a time!
If you know of someone considering starting a business or developing plans to expand their existing business, let them know that the Cumberland Business Incubator is here to help them. Appointments are available by calling 931-456-4910.
