“2023 was a great year for the Ozarks Small Business Incubator — our team spent nearly 600 hours working one-on-one with 143 unique business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs,” OzSBI officials announced. “We helped start 15 new businesses in our service area ranging from consulting to coffee shops to dog boarding.”
OzSBI’s staff expanded again with the addition of Gene Weinbeck as the incubator’s mentor coordinator. He brings years of experience in entrepreneurship, money management and business mentoring, officials pointed out.
The OzSBI team continued to travel around its service region with its free Smart Start: Developing a Successful Business workshop, presenting in Mtn. View, Houston, Willow Springs and Thayer, as well as hosting the workshops locally each month. “This workshop has assisted many local small businesses with the first steps to creating a business plan and understanding their finances,” officials explained. “In total, we held 59 workshops and events that attracted 902 people throughout the year.”
One of OzSBI’s stated annual goals is to assist the entrepreneurial workforce with the creation of sustainable jobs through the growth of their businesses. Last year, said officials, 73 new jobs were created by businesses working with OzSBI, and OzSBI’s clients generated a gross revenue of about $16.88 million in the most recent full year, paying an average of $442,846 in monthly salaries and wages to employees.
The incubator also welcomed five new businesses into the incubator including Root Essence Esthetics, Engelbrecht Law and Unified Systems.
“OzSBI’s goal for 2024 is to continue to help grow strong businesses and spur new ideas and innovation right here in the Ozarks,” said officials. “We are expanding our outreach and working to engage aspiring entrepreneurs where they live.”
To learn more about the incubator’s mentoring services, microloan fund and workshops, visit ozsbi.com.
