Rock Hill’s Technology Incubator offers help to small business owners

The Technology Incubator at Knowledge Park is starting a yearlong series of workshops to help small business owners.

The opening session is 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Technology Incubator’s office on the fifth floor of the Citizens Corner building, 157 E. Main St. in downtown Rock Hill. The topic is “effective market position for your business.” The cost is $50 per workshop.

This is the first time the Technology Incubator has offered assistance to small business owners.

David Warner, director of the Technology Incubator, said most small business owners are so consumed with daily operations that they rarely have time to look at the bigger picture.

The workshops are based on GrowthWheel program, which is a tool kit of information based on various business segments. There are worksheets to help business owners recognize gaps in their operations, as well as information from businesses that have faced and overcome such gaps.

The intent is to help business owners not only devise ways to improve their company, but to take that action. Too often, small business owners stall or don’t take action, Warner said.

“This is all about about making better decisions,” he said.

With GrowthWheel, small business owners can make decisions based on “logical, good advice,” said Warner, a certified GrowthWheel coach.

Another benefit of the sessions, he said, is the chance for small business owners to interact with other owners, sharing their experiences.

The Technology Incubator was initially formed to assist start-up technology companies. It is part of Rock Hill’s Knowledge Park economic development initiative to bring more high-paying jobs to the city, particularly downtown.

Companies in the incubator have been using the GrowthWheel. Dan Godla, founder and CEO of incubator client ThoroughCare, said the GrowthWheel process helped him visualize the status of his company and analyze the areas where it needed to spend more time and resources.

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Rock Hill’s Technology Incubator offers help to small business owners."