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Background Information <br />On Business Incubators <br />A business incubator can be a lot of different things. At its most basic definition, a business incubator is <br />an organization or a program that helps develop new or small businesses. Usually, a business incubator <br />provides services or resources to its users, although the level and intensity of this support can vary widely <br />from incubator to incubator. Business incubators may provide one or more of the following: communal <br />working space, equipment, expertise, mentoring, apprenticeships, funding, programming and events, and <br />more. Business incubators can be run for -profit, by nonprofits, or by public institutions. Business incubators <br />can inhabit physical space or can be a network of resources. Business incubators are an extremely flexible <br />way of servicing businesses in a community, which is both a benefit and a challenge. The flexibility of <br />business incubators means that there is almost certainly some arrangement of a business incubator that <br />can successfully support the business community of an area. The flexibility of business incubators also <br />means that there is no one -size -fits -all approach that can be seamlessly applied to a unique area. A business <br />incubator must be conceptualized in the specific context of an area, its industries, its workforce, its supporting <br />organizations, and more. <br />On Business Climate <br />Ramsey has a reputation for being incredibly active with the local business community. City officials have <br />fostered a strong business climate and outreach to stakeholders is robust. An interview with the President of <br />the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce Peter Turok revealed several important issues for the business climate <br />in Ramsey. Ramsey has a need for more retail space, especially as it grows and becomes more of a regional <br />hub for goods and services. Ramsey also has an already large manufacturing sector as an asset that can be <br />strengthened and built upon. Additionally, the Anoka -Hennepin School District in conjunction with Anoka <br />Technical College formed the Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP), which provides courses in <br />advanced machining and engineering for college credit. The city could tap into this existing resource. The <br />largest issue facing the Anoka -wide business community is a shortage of labor, both for service positions <br />as well as technical jobs. Both retail and manufacturing industries are expected to grow in Anok, but filling <br />many of these positions will be increasingly difficult in the future. Any city business development initiative, <br />in addition to providing commercial space, should strongly consider including workforce development and <br />training components. A major barrier to business expansion in the future will be a lack of access to qualified <br />workers. <br />Business Incubators and the City of Ramsey 5 <br />