Calling all entrepreneurs and other start-up companies, here is a resource you will definitely want to know about! The Butte County Business Incubator Program aims to give small businesses the tools they need to succeed. "The idea was to be able to provide an entrepreneur with an executive team, so we can start with a single individual and almost immediately provide them with professional resources of a full blown business," Ryne Johnson, CEO of The Chico Project, stated.
The program was started in 2002 through the Community Development Block Grant. Roughly $300,000 dollars is alloted about every two years. Butte County, Three Core and the Chico Project are all involved. To qualify for the program, companies must have five or fewer employees and be in the unincorporated area of Butte County.
The program helps about ten businesses per year, including California Organic Flowers and other local entrepreneurs. One of those entrepreneurs is Rod Page, who invented a product he says cures the side-effects of poison oak. "With my product you are going to get itch relief within one to fifteen minutes and it only needs to be applied once or twice a day," Page explained.
Page says he would not be as successful as he is today without this assistance. "I personally cannot say enough for what they have been able to do for me. I couldn't have afforded the type of art work, the type of graphic work that I needed to have for my label produced, the website designed and produced for me."
The Tehama County Business Incubator Program was just lauched last month and was modeled after Butte County.
