Small Business Incubation for West Virginia

The pre-incubation program addresses the pre and early seed stages of a business venture. Through 10 sessions of deep mentoring and coaching the Innovation Center helps clients determine their potential and viability behind their innovative idea. Through this program the Innovation Center helps clients validate ideas, recognize challenges and opportunities, identify customer segments, competitive advantages, and design a business strategy.

The incubation program is designed to assist clients in the early stage of development. The incubation process is a customized approach to fill gaps and needs of our clients in four main activities of a business venture: business concept, customer relations, operations, and organization. Once accepted into the Incubation program our clients will have access to our support programs and entrepreneurial partnerships. Depending on the industry an incubation process can last 8 months to 3 years, or longer depending on the industry.

Once the client has developed a product and has a customer base it qualifies for the acceleration program. Through this program the Innovation Center helps clients unlock their full potential and prepares them for long-term market success. Through the acceleration program, the Innovation Center provides clients with need specific resources that help them push their business venture to the next level.

Post-Graduate program is designed for companies that have graduated from the Hive Innovation Center’s programs. Support programs and entrepreneurial partnerships are made available to our post-graduate clients. Our graduates serve as role models for the participants within the business incubation program and are an example of our success in being an innovative force within the New River Gorge business community.

The soft-landing program is designed to support business ventures that relocate or branch into the Coastal Bend region. This includes, but it is not limited to, foreign companies as well as those from other regions of the nation. We offer to conduct feasibility studies to help these companies test the market in terms of competitiveness, demand, and regulations before making further investment.

The co-working space is designed to provide an inspiring, creative, flexible, and comfortable working environment for students and professionals to explore ideas in entrepreneurship. It offers a solution to the isolation that professional freelancers experience while working at home. The co-working space provides its members with connections to other business experts, access to educational workshops, and visibility within the entrepreneurial community.

Many startup enterprises are in need of specialized equipment to improve the product and/or develop prototypes. The WV HIVE can assist in locating and even negotiating the use and assistance with such specialized equipment. From 3D-printers to the ability to coordinate with, other universities, area manufacturers, or even to an outside firm this service and assistance gives clients a way to do more without spending on expensive tooling or other startup equipment costs.

• Specialized Equipment
• High Speed Internet
• Physical Security
• Library & Access
• Public Access Computers
• Electricity and Water
• Janitorial Services
• HVAC Services
• Parking Services

The WV HIVE offers incubator and accelerator clients office space and access to many shared administrative services at rates that are well below market. Wherever possible, the HIVE offers tenants space that can be adjusted to meet their changing needs.For the active start-up this service can be the difference that provides an opportunity to more rapid incubation success.

• Office Space
• Conference Rooms
• Lab Facility (Facilitation)
• Teleconference Rooms
• Kitchen/Lounge
• Training Rooms
• Exhibition Space
• Co-Working Space

There are many, many business ideas that surround each new product or service at any given time. So which one is the best one to commercialize? This service provides the start-up entrepreneur and the established business with the techniques and expertise to focus on the business ideas that will meet the businesses expectations and objectives.

NETWORK & COMMUNITY ACCESS

ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICES

• Management Needs Consultation
• Team Building Consultation
• Advisory Board Development
• infrastructure Program Access
• Strategic Partnering
• Capital Need Planning
• Process & Organization Flow Consultation

EDUCATION/TRAINING