Governed by the creed “helping entrepreneurs turn their business dreams into practical realities,†Berkshire Enterprises continues its history of aiding the growth of new and small businesses by working on the Pittsfield Enterprise Center, a new business incubator in downtown Pittsfield.
The Pittsfield Enterprise Center’s business incubator is located in the old City Savings Bank building at 1 Fenn St., Suite 302, in Pittsfield. The incubator is designed to help new and expanding businesses by providing short-term, low-cost office space, with shared business services and on-site consulting available.
Currently, 11 offices are available. “We are leasing the space from CompuWorks,†said David Roche of Berkshire Enterprises.
Steve Fogel, Berkshire Enterprises’ director of marketing, explained that “the offices can’t be sub-leased; each space will be contracted with each individual client.†As such, a qualified business may occupy space in the business incubator for no more than three years, with rent increasing over the term.
Each office space is fully furnished, provided with a high-speed, T-1 Internet connection, and is suitable for a single person operation. A shared fax and copier service is available for use by all occupants. In addition, consultants from Berkshire Enterprises will provide ongoing advice, free of charge, to all incubator clients.
The Pittsfield Enterprise Center is now accepting applications for space in the new business incubator. According to Roche, “a selection committee, made up of local businesspeople in the community, will determine each applicant’s eligibility.â€
The committee will review each applicant’s business plan and evaluate the plan based on established criteria including viability, growth potential, and ability to provide jobs for community members. “The main criteria [the committee] will look for in a business are its growth potential — defined by the number of employees they will be able to employ — and their ability to outgrow the [incubator] space within an 18-month to two-year period,†said Roche.
Roche added that while they have yet to receive any formal applicants for the Pittsfield Enterprise Center, they have already had a number of people express interest in the program. “I think that most of the businesses that apply are going to be ones geared towards high-tech; companies that use computers a lot and will want the T-1 lines,†said Roche. “That’s not to say that there won’t be any service businesses, but the most distinguishing advantage of the offices is the access to the high-speed computer lines.â€
The Pittsfield Enterprise Center is funded by the city of Pittsfield’s GE Economic Development Fund and is administered by the staff of Berkshire Enterprises.
Berkshire Enterprises is a consulting, training, and resource center, specializing in entrepreneurial and small business ventures that offers small business consulting on a fee basis to those wishing to start a new business.
The group was founded in 1989 by Pittsfield officials looking to utilize funding for federal job training towards entrepreneurial training. Its goal was to encourage unemployed people to take charge of their lives and start new business ventures.
The program founders wanted to develop something more effective than simple classroom training. The curriculum that they developed was structured toward the goal of developing an individual business plan for each participant's business. The innovative program developed at Berkshire Enterprises was recognized in 1993 when the project leaders became one of the top 10 finalists for the “Entrepreneurial Educator of the Year†award, which is awarded by the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation and Inc. Magazine.
Today, Berkshire Enterprises continues its work in cooperation with Berkshire Community College and the Berkshire Regional Employment Board, as well as private companies and individuals, and has expanded to provide entrepreneurial training in a variety of settings.
Berkshire Enterprises has a consulting staff with more than 20 years of small business experience that is made up of current or previous small-business owners. Their expertise includes, but is not limited to, the following areas: market research (focused industry information, identifying target markets, and conducting competitive analyses), market strategies (promotion, conducting market surveys, and developing personal selling techniques), and financial management (cash-flow management, balance sheets, income statements, and obtaining financing).
Berkshire Enterprises also offers an eight-week intensive training program for individuals who want to start a business. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and is free to eligible participants.
Over the years, Berkshire Enterprises has helped hundreds of individuals, businesses, and organizations achieve their goals, launching more than 600 new businesses with a reported success rate of approximately 88 percent.
“This [business incubator] is the first opportunity of this type of process in Pittsfield,†said Roche. “There’s no deadline on applications as we’re hoping that this will be an ongoing process. Hopefully people will come in and out: outgrow the space, leave, and others will come in again to take over their space.â€
To learn more about the Pittsfield Enterprise Center’s new business incubator, or to make an appointment to see the office space, contact David Roche at 448-2755, or visit www.berkshireenterprises.com.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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