Six weeks from now, a dozen new entrepreneurs will be launching a dozen new businesses.
And, likely, six weeks after that another dozen – or more – entrepreneurs will be adding to the business portfolio of Immokalee.
The interest in the Immokalee Business Development Center’s (
IMMBIZ) first entrepreneurial school is THAT great – to overflowing, in fact.
“We had more people calling than we could accommodate in this first six-week session,” said Marie Capita, director of IMMBIZ. “We will definitely be expanding the school. There is a lot of interest.”
The IMMBIZ Entrepreneurial School began Monday and will run for the next six Mondays. Capita said the second session will begin as soon as possible and more classes will be added.
Forget what you know about business development centers, sometimes called business incubators. IMMBIZ is nothing like other incubators.
It is not static, confined to a warehouse or necessarily restricted to any one place or time. In fact, IMMBIZ will soon become known as the incubator without walls.
“Our goal is to be as helpful as possible to new and energetic entrepreneurs,” explained Penny Phillippi, executive director of the Immokalee.
“To be truly helpful we have to take our resources to the new business owners,” she said. “Meet them where they need help the most. We have to break down the walls and barriers that tend to confine and restrict entrepreneurial effort and allow the new businesses to flourish on their own terms, in organic ways.”
IMMBIZ will be a learning laboratory for bright and energetic business developers. It will create a center for entrepreneurial creativity and become a center of learning.
The partnership will extend well beyond the CRA and IMMBIZ itself to the many resources available already in Immokalee to meet the technical assistance needs of IMMBIZ clients. Relationships with universities, technical schools, governmental agencies and other entities that currently exist can be further developed for the benefit of IMMBIZ clients.
No fewer than six universities have a presence in or near Immokalee.
IMMBIZ will provide reasonably priced rental space and services to accommodate the needs of a start up business. In addition, it will provide technical assistance to the entrepreneur so that he or she may realize the full potential of their business enterprise and of themselves as business owners and managers.
Under the auspices of the CRA, the IBDC will deliver on promises of assistance to entrepreneurs. Management will also ensure that clients understand the 4-year self-sufficient rule; that clients be responsive to technical assistance opportunities; and that clients continually refine the plan for their business.
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