Cincinnati Business Incubator: Small Business Legacy Comes To An End

The Cincinnati Business Incubator (CBI), which focused on women- and minority-owned businesses, closed its doors Jan. 31. I served as CBI president from 2002-2006 and enjoyed my time working with small business owners and entrepreneurs who had a dream of growing profits and employee local residents.

A decrease in funding from the city of Cincinnati contributed to the demise of the incubator, which had been struggling to maintain profitability during the recession, according to a statement posted on the networking site LinkedIn.

"As a result of the past year's volatile economy, in addition to the timeline to profitability interrupted by the decline in city funding, CBI has attempted to reorganize and modify its business model," read the statement posted by Tracey Hayes, former associate executive director at the CBI.

"Unfortunately, those attempts have not been significant enough to continue incubation services to the small- business community of Greater Cincinnati."

I'm sorry to see this incubator ending over 20 years of service to the small business community of greater Cincinnati. Do any of you have memories of CBI that you care to share?

President's Weekly Address: 'Working with Small Business to Drive Recovery'

The President restates his commitment to small business as key to economic recovery -- from the Recovery Act to Financial Stability to Health Reform -- and pledges more to come.



I ran a small business incubator in Cincinnati for five (5) years. As such, I saw small business owners struggling on a day-to-day basis to be successful. It is nice to see some attention being paid by the president on these folks.

What are your thoughts about small business? Do you have any personal stories to tell about the efforts of small business owners or entrepreneurs in your life?

Are You an Ohio Entrepreneur?

I was president of a small business incubator in Cincinnati from 2003-2008. Our incubator was focused on support for businesses owned by women and people of color. One source of support is the Ohio Department of Development (ODD). Within ODD, there is the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division which provides assistance to business owners and entrepreneurs in order to encourage both the creation and the expansion of small businesses throughout the State of Ohio.

The flagship program in the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division is the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC). The Ohio SBDC program is considered the gateway for small business owners and entrepreneurs to access supportive services. The SBDCs are staffed with highly trained business advisors who offer FREE counseling and low or no cost training to help with specific business needs. The 36 centers across Ohio are in your local communities to guide you to the right resources and services to help your business grow and succeed.

I worked closely over those five years with the SBDC that served Hamilton County. These SBDCs are located in all 50 states. Take a moment to find the one that is local to you ... and give them a call!

I plan to share other aspects of the Ohio Department of Development over the coming weeks for those villagers living in this part of the world.

I also encourage all women who own a business to consider attending the Ohio Women's Conference on May 20, 2009. You can learn more about it on CollectiveX, Facebook or LinkedIn Network.

Cincinnati Business Incubator Video Overview

I served as president of the Cincinnati Business Incubator (CBI) for five years. It is a non-profit small business incubator that spurred economic growth and job creation in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am very proud of the work that we did at CBI during the time I spent there. Here is a video with some feedback from CBI clients, sponsors and board members:






Please share comments that you have on small business incubators ... either in Cincinnati or where you are located. I am curious to learn if other villagers have used incubators to help grow their own business.