Published July 29, 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.
Kelsi Guidry, an incubator tenant for over a year, owner of MyWants Inc., was the
recipient of the Micro Business Award—for a company with one to five employees—presented
at the West Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards Program.
A native of Cut Off, Guidry serves as the principal owner of MyWants, which has 64
shareholders.
“MyWants provides business consulting, corporate concierge, and service marketing,”
said Guidry. “We also operate a media and marketing company—MediaWants. Our vision
is to become a leading service marketplace in order to help people gain motivation,
knowledge and resources to strive for whatever they want in life.”
Guidry appreciates the services the incubator has provided his business, including
access to low overhead rent space that includes utilities, a board room, and access
to university facilities and services.
The center also provides development opportunities, and training programs such as
budgeting, leadership, planning, financial literacy, and other business-related topics.
“I have always recommended the incubator [to potential occupants] and will always
do so,” Guidry said. “Many of the current tenants had discussions with us that lead
them to be our neighbors.”
Guidry is looking to continuously build his business, and the award from the West
Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber is the first step to achieving that goal.
He said, “I greatly appreciate the work of the West Monroe chamber in giving us the
opportunity to be recognized as a micro business. This award shows that hard work
and dedication to a dream can and will be recognized.”
For more information about the ULM Business Incubator, visit ULM Incubator
