By Judy Castleberry

Business Columnist

One of the new buzz words in economic development is "location neutral business." This can mean anything from the high-tech road warrior operating his business from a smart phone and a computer to the retiree selling trading cards on eBay.

It also includes the many home-based businesses in our community: consultants, writers, artists, plumbers, lawn maintenance companies, and on and on. It might be your neighbor, your babysitter, your friend, or you. All of these are legitimate businesses that are able to operate without a bricks and mortar location other than the kitchen table, a desk in the extra bedroom, or the table in the coffee shop.

The Enterprise Center, the business incubator at the Quality Center for Business, is developing a program to support these businesses. One of the first steps was to hold focus groups to find out what our home-based/location neutral businesses see as their needs.

The discussions were lively and interesting. One of the most striking messages that

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came through was the need for community. Home-based workers often work in isolation which can be great for getting a big project done, but can also be very lonely.

Other needs that were mentioned were the need for business education, support services and the occasional need for a private place to meet with clients or customers.

This is what EntrŽSpace is all about. Based on suggestions from the focus groups and research on similar projects across the country, EntrŽSpace will offer space, services and supports. Space will include co-working space, a private office, a small private conference room and access to a larger conference room. Potential services are broadband wireless, use of a copier and postage machine, and a professional mailing address.

Support will be the most important part of the program, just as it is with the entire Enterprise Center. We will encourage our EntrŽSpace clients to participate in the business training available to Enterprise Center clients. As needs develop that are unique to home-based business we hope to develop educational offerings specifically for them.

One of the best ideas that came through the focus groups was to help organize a networking group among the location neutral businesses for both business networking and to provide the sense of community that many felt was missing.

EntrŽSpace will also be an opportunity for entrepreneurs to experiment with new business concepts. By providing space, services and support the budding entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to plan their business with the assistance they need right at hand.

Some of these may eventually move into the Enterprise Center business incubator while others may find their permanent space someplace else. The important thing is that they will have gone through the steps from idea to business plan to opening their business.

The Enterprise Center was designed to support new and emerging businesses in our community. The 50 businesses that have benefited from this program have all gained from their time in the Enterprise Center. By developing EntrŽSpace, we hope to expand this program to reach a broader group of businesses.

More businesses and stronger businesses will lead to job growth and a stronger local economy. And this is something that will help everyone.

Judy Castleberry is interim director at the Enterprise Center at the San Juan College Quality Center for Business in Farmington. She can be reached at castleberryj@sanjuancollege.edu.