Published April 17, 2014
The Northeast Louisiana Business and Community Development Center (NLBCDC) at the
University of Louisiana at Monroe, seeks to advance entrepreneurship and to support
economic and community development in the northeast Louisiana Delta region, offering
business owners resources and services designed to support and sustain a successful
business.
One of those resources is the Business Incubator. Located in Stubbs Hall on the ULM
campus, the incubator offers office space, access to office equipment and technology,
flexible leases, and room for expansion.
With the services provided by the incubator, newly established businesses can thrive
in a controlled environment, guided by mentors and experts in the business field.
The incubator is led by Executive Director, Susan Duggins, who has been at ULM for
over a decade. Duggins, a ULM graduate and Monroe native, has a background in both
business and higher education. Duggins also worked in financial services and real
estate.
The center also provides regional development opportunities for leaders of community
organizations and businesses, including training programs such as budgeting, leadership,
planning, financial literacy, and other business-related topics.
Duggins said, “Incubators contribute to the local and regional economy by creating
jobs, enhancing the entrepreneurial climate, accelerating the growth of young companies,
and reducing the risk of small business failure.”
Duggins’ experience is helping guide incubator tenants in the right direction.
“The incubator has helped me flourish by providing a wonderful location with great
facilities and administrative assistance,” said Alberta Brown Green, owner of ABG
Counseling and Career Consulting LLC.
“Susan Duggins provides my business and all other incubator tenants a plethora of
resources and services designed to support and sustain our businesses.”
Now at full capacity, the incubator at ULM—which held its grand opening in May 2013—
has received over $100,000 in funding since 2011 from the Louisiana Business Incubation
Association and Louisiana Economic Development.
Reginald Fontana II of Accelerated Business Exchange said, “The ULM Incubator has
been a tremendous catalyst in helping develop the relationships with other business
owners.”
Through Accelerated Business Exchange, Fontana has developed a network of exchanges
for businesses to trade goods and services from state to state, with intricate record
keeping services.
Current tenants are thriving in the environment and are using the skills learned to
propel their businesses forward.
Business Incubator tenant Nielle Avery is the owner of Avercom— an inbound/outbound
call center which provides customer service, technical support and live chat for telecom,
mobile devices, financial services, travel & hospitality, cruise lines, roadside assistance
associations, tax software, retail and more.
Avery said her experience with the incubator has helped her realized that making connections
is vital to her business success.
“Partner with other business owners that are just as passionate as you are,” she said.
“Trust them with your vision and delegate. Projects move faster when you have a team…
and once you create your winning team, use them for everything.”
Andrea Davis, an incubator tenant who owns production company Cypress Entertainment
Group, took away a few intangible lessons.
“[The incubator] provided a psychological and financial buffer to give our business
the opportunity to grow,” she said. … “There’s always an outlet when help or advice
is needed.”
The incubator tenants are spreading the word about the opportunities and services
that the facility provides.
Jennifer Zimmerman—owner of Delta Benefit Consulting, specializing in health, life,
Medicare, and employee benefits— said “The Incubator has provided excellent office
space, a conference room, a work room, collaborative efforts among tenants, all under
the watchful and ever helpful and resourceful guidance of Susan Duggins."
"It’s like having a mini team of backup for any obstacles or ‘think-tanking’ you would
want to have. I have really enjoyed the incubator and brag on it at every opportunity!"
Currently, the center is at full capacity, housing 11 tenants.
To learn more about the incubator, visit ulm.edu/nlbcdc/content/business-incubator
