Small Business Incubator

Just as pre-mature babies are often provided with special-needs care and nurturing in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital at the time of birth, here at F.E.C.L.C. our small business incubator helps the emerging businesses within our network survive and grow during the start-up period when they are most vulnerable. As a result of our business development training and mentorship our program participants who go on to operate a new, or existing businesses automatically qualify for membership in our small business incubator.  We here at the Family Enrichment Community Learning Center, Inc. (F.E.C.L.C.) strive to provide the tools, training and resources they need to become successful.

Did you know that small businesses:

• There are over five million entrepreneurs and small business owners and the number is growing FAST.
• Small businesses are the fastest growing segment in American commerce and they create 98% of all new jobs.
• Employ half of all private sector employees.
• Pay 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
• Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
• Create more than 50 percent of nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP).
• Supplied more than 23 percent of the total value of federal prime contracts in FY 2004.
• Produce 13 to 14 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms. These patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.
• Are employers of 41 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer workers).
• Are 53 percent home-based and 3 percent franchises.
• Made up 97 percent of all identified exporters and produced 26 percent of the known export value in FY 2002.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census; Advocacy-funded research by Joel Popkin and Company (Research Summary #211); Federal Procurement Data System; Advocacy-funded research by CHI Research, Inc. (Research Summary #225); Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey; U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration. Information courtesy of the Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy.

Did you also know that Over 50% of all small businesses fail in the first year, and 80% within five years?

Often entrepreneurs know how to produce "the work," but lack the skills necessary for operating a business, and cannot afford the time and expense of education. Equally important, are start-up costs and fixed expenses of operation, which drain hard pressed capital. This is where the F.E.C.L.S can assist you! The F.E.C.L.C. aims to provide office and warehouse space to new and existing businesses which are owned/operated by our program participants, at or below market rates. Contact us to find out how we can help you.

So if you've been looking for a catalyst, perhaps just something to help you tweak your business success, or maybe you just want to start a completely new business. Our business innovation contest Series just might be the tool you need to provide that jolt of energy. Here at the F.E.C.L.C. we have thwo such opportunities which we are offering right now to our program participants. Each of these opportunity offer not just recognition for winning a business plan writing contest but we also offer you much needed resources and services to help your business grow.

Here are the details of these two opportunities:

1.  The F.E.C.L.C's Build a Business Contest. Designed for entrepreneurs who're dreaming of launching that startup, the contest is offering a $10,000 grand prize. There are just two catches:

• Entrants must be a graduate or current participant in one of our entrepreneurship programs.
• The business idea needs to involve a F.E.C.L.C. online store selling either tangible or downloadable digital goods.

So if you're an established business but have an idea for a spinoff or side project, this is your opportunity to get that new site off the ground. Only the first $5,000 of each order counts. This will help to prevent a big-ticket site selling cars or real estate from being the automatic winner. So the business start-up with the biggest sales within six months gets the prize. There is a $5,000 runner-up prize as well.

2.   The second opportunity is even easier to win. The F.E.C.L.C's Start a Local Business Contest offers a small businesses a chance to win a website valued at $10,000. Two runners-up will win a website valued at $3,500 each. Yes there are catches here as well:

• Entries will only be accepted from current or past participants of our entrepreneurship education program.
• Your business idea must be executable within your immediate local community.

The winner will be the best business plan. This determination is heavily weighted on the business idea which has the most potentially profitable (based upon feasibility study of your local area) business plan

For further information about the above mentioned opportunities, please contact our contest director at (786)286-1218