New business incubator opens in Lansing

Wednesday, Nov. 9 — Starting a business can be a dauntingtask, but the Center for New Enterprise Opportunity can help ease the process.

“We want to work together with (new businesses),” said PaulJaques, one of the NEO Center’s seven founding members. “We want to see themgrow.”

The center, a low-profit limited liability company or L3C, welcomed nine small-business tenants to itsbuilding Monday, located at 934 Clark St. The center partnered with the KincaidHenry Building Group to lease the building, which formerly belonged to theIngham County Land Bank.

The center provides discounted office space, collaborationopportunities and start-up resources to help entrepreneurs who wish to starttheir own business in Lansing, said Center CEO Tom Stewart. A group of sevenvolunteers came up with the idea to start a businesses incubator over two yearsago, after an incubator for technology-based business, called the TechnologyInnovation Center, opened in East Lansing, he said.

“Not too long ago, you had just as good a chance of creatingyour own job as you did of finding one,” Stewart said. “I think it will helpgrow a start-up culture (in Lansing.)”

Art Alley, a non-traditional art gallery based in REO Town,is a product of NEO Center initiatives, Stewart said. He said the center willcontinue to grow Art Alley into its own arts co-op or arts incubator that wouldinspire and assist other artistic entrepreneurs hoping to open galleries orstart projects on their own.

Stewart said the incubation programs offered through the centerprovide classes and resources for marketing, advertising and a number of otheressential skills small businesses need to succeed.

“It’s like a start-up boot camp,” Stewart said. “Anyresources you need to start a business, we will be able to provide.”

The center has 21 spaces available for lease. The centerprovides a collaborative, creative environment where like-minded businessowners can come together and grow, Jaques said. Businesses interested injoining the center can fill out an application on the Center’s website,www.neocenter.org.

“I guest the biggest thing is passion,” Jaques said. “Wewant to see people who have a passion and want to start a company or started acompany and need help.”