ForumsStarting a Business

My experience with business incubators has been as one those "targeted resources and services" providers you mentioned.

Why don't more businesses work with incubators? The following might be some reasons:

Incubator programs aren't available everywhere or for every type of business, so businesses in some regions and within some industries have never had a chance.

Whether incubators are publically or privately funded, they generally have an economic growth and development agenda. For them, "success" means that the emerging business is able to provide an increasing number of secure good-paying jobs, create an expanding tax base, and improve the quality of life for a community at large. Business owners who have a similar focus tend to work well with incubators. Most small business owners don't have that outward vision, however. Most are on a mission to fulfill their own needs and wants (which is fine, but often incompatible with the incubator philosophy).

The incubator environment is one where experienced people are protecting, guiding, teaching, and nurturing the fledgling new owner. The owner has to listen and learn -- and as we often see in THIS community, there are an astounding number of small business owners who simply refuse to listen and learn. Not only do they stubbornly insist on doing things their own way (even when it isn't working), they insult the very people who offer help. You can get away with that in the anonymity of a social network, but not face-to-face in a room filled of the most respected men and women in your community. Be obnoxious just once in that climate and you're done for.

An incubator is a team -- and since we're in the heart of football season, I'll use a football metaphor. The business owner is the starting quarterback. He is going to get the glory for the wins and take the heat for the losses. He is the high-visibility big star, and one in charge on the field of play. Yet he has an offensive coordinator in the booth, a position coach on the sidelines, and an array of other behind-the-scenes personnel who have worked all week toward the same goal -- winning the game. Unfortunately, a lot of small business "quarterbacks" are lousy team players. They don't want to be a key part of a winning "system." They want to make up plays as they go, and be a 100 percent in charge of everything. So they are stuck playing the business equivalent of a pick-up game in the backyard.