A business incubator is being developed by Bourbon County to attract new entrepreneurs and professionals back to the area.
What is a business incubator?
It is a facility established to nurture young, startup firms during their early months or years, according to businessdictionary.com. It can provide affordable space, shared offices and services, hands-on management training, marketing support and, often, access to some form of financing.
“The business incubator is still under development,” Bourbon County’s Economic Director Jody Hoenor, said. “But is available… it’s a county-wide service.”
“The vision is to have a workspace for a professional business, someone who needs office space,” she said. “The first six months are free, then rent is negotiable. The maximum stay is two years.”
“The point is to get their business up and going without initial opening costs,” she said
Skilled professionals such as web designers, architects, and lawyers. for example, who want to start a business, are the target for the incubator.
Retail would not be appropriate for the space, she said.
“Shane Walker (Bourbon County Information Technology) and Justin Meeks (Bourbon County Counselor) have been working on this before I started in October 2018,” Hoenor said.
There are six office spaces available, one with a reception area attached.
There is a lobby, conference room, kitchen space and bathroom that goes with the office spaces, and includes high-speed internet access.
Hoenor can be reached at 210 S National Ave.,
Fort Scott, KS 66701, or 1-620-223-3800 or
1-620-215-5725 Mobile, or
Bourbon County repurposed the building at 108 W. Second Street, just west of the courthouse. Years ago it housed the Social and Rehabilitation Services offices, most recently the Bourbon County Attorney had an office there until that office was moved to the second floor of the courthouse.
Currently, the building is being used also by the community corrections office and the driver’s license bureau.