Entrepreneurs and individuals looking to start or grow a business have a friend at the 小蝌蚪APP.
The Enterprise Center of Louisiana is a business incubator that小蝌蚪APP檚 been in operation for 15 years, helping the Acadiana business community to grow. It小蝌蚪APP檚 graduated many businesses that have gone on to prosper throughout Acadiana and Louisiana and got its start as a partnership between UL Lafayette, SLEMCO and the City of Carencro.
小蝌蚪APP We have a mixed-use incubator here at ECOL,小蝌蚪APP said Roy Holleman, executive director. The Center is located in Carencro on I-49 near I-10. 小蝌蚪APP淲e have companies that are high-tech and others that focus more on manufacturing.小蝌蚪APP
Currently, the incubator is at 100 percent capacity with business ranging from an electric-repair company to a personal publishing business. Some have only one employee while others have upwards of 20 employees. Just in the city of Carencro, four recent companies that graduated from ECOL located there and employ between them 45 people.
小蝌蚪APP Our tenants are usually individuals who小蝌蚪APP檝e been working a business part-time from their homes,小蝌蚪APP said Holleman. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey come to the incubator when they are ready to take the next step of growing their business.小蝌蚪APP
Holleman said the incubator works in partnership with several agencies like the Manufacturing Extension of Partnership of Louisiana (MEPOL), the Louisiana Small Business Development Center and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA).
UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 LSBDC for instance provides services to ECOL clients throughout all stages of their growth and development.
These services include consulting issues like business plan development, human resources, legal and marketing help, regulatory compliance, strategic planning and market research among other services.
小蝌蚪APP The relationship with the LSBDC at UL Lafayette can last years and involve several business projects,小蝌蚪APP said Mark Galyean, LSBDC director. 小蝌蚪APP淎s for the value in our services, we are the only nationally-accredited, university-based business consulting and training organization in the state. And, our consulting is free.小蝌蚪APP
LSBDC also holds training sessions at ECOL, a convenience for ECOL clients.
小蝌蚪APP These relationships we have are our core,小蝌蚪APP said Holleman. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey allow us to better serve our clients which in turn helps them succeed when they leave ECOL.小蝌蚪APP
One recently graduated business from the Center is Durel Mail & Imaging Technologies of Lafayette. The facility is the first of its kind in Acadiana. It offers high quality, rapid turnaround, short run digital color printing and automated mailing services.
小蝌蚪APP With most any startup business, one of the biggest expenses has to be rent/lease expenses,小蝌蚪APP said John Durel. 小蝌蚪APP淏y working with ECOL小蝌蚪APP檚 clients on this expense and others, small start up businesses like mine are able to 小蝌蚪APP榣ive within our means小蝌蚪APP and build up business.
小蝌蚪APP This along with the advice, exposure to high level business leaders via the board of directors and the incidentals provided, ECOL小蝌蚪APP檚 clients get a leg up,小蝌蚪APP he continued. 小蝌蚪APP淚n my experience this allowed me to not only build a successful business but to invest in Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 commercial real estate market, something that I would not have been able to do without ECOL小蝌蚪APP檚 helping hand.小蝌蚪APP
ECOL is a 30,000 square foot facility, which provides flexible occupancy agreement packages for individual companies to set up their businesses in the way that best fits their needs.
Office spaces with either a 214 square foot or 275 square foot option includes carpeted floors, lighting and fire and intruder alarms. Production suites offer 1,440 square feet or 2,880 square feet with concrete floors in the production area and carpeting in office areas. The spaces also include nine-foot double entry doors, a private employee entrance and individual heating and air conditioning.
Both office and production suites tenants have:
小蝌蚪APP receptionist service
小蝌蚪APP use of three conference rooms
小蝌蚪APP use of copy machine and fax machine
小蝌蚪APP use of a forklift
小蝌蚪APP association with other entrepreneurs
小蝌蚪APP assistance with business planning, accounting, marketing, quality control, product development, training, management and technology transfer
小蝌蚪APP tie-in with 小蝌蚪APP assistance and
小蝌蚪APP assistance with locating business financing including an in-house loan program.
ECOL also houses a library of business start-up guides available from Entrepreneur Media Inc. It is the only free, comprehensive libraries of its kind in Acadiana. The more than 40-book library includes guides on starting an automobile detailing business to wedding consultant and everything in between. It小蝌蚪APP檚 a joint project with the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority and ECOL.
The library is a free resource to anyone interested in starting up a small business.
小蝌蚪APP Small business is really the backbone of job growth,小蝌蚪APP said Holleman. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey will hire locally and buy locally.小蝌蚪APP
For more information on ECOL, contact the center at 337 896-9115 or visit .