ACEnet focuses on small businesses, including start-ups, primarily in the food, agriculture, artisan and wood sectors, giving priority to those who are lower income and reside in Appalachian Ohio.
ACEnet has taken a multi-faceted approach in supporting small business development and expansion. The areas of support provided by ACEnet are summarized below.
ACEnet Business Innovation
This effort incorporates adult and youth entrepreneurship training, business incubation, technology training and resources, and regional initiatives in the art, wood, and tourism sectors. A major focus of Business Innovation is the networking of regional art, wood and food businesses, as well as the development of an E-commerce site to promote and sell the local products developed by those businesses.ACEnet Food Ventures Food Ventures offers assistance to start-up or existing small food businesses that can benefit from the use of a commercial kitchen and thermal processing facility. By producing products under the supervision of a food scientist in a licensed facility, small food businesses are able to minimize costs and avoid the heavy financial burden of equipment investment. Recipe development, product design, marketing assistance and business counseling are also available for small or specialty food businesses.
Food We Love is regional branding, marketing and distribution program within Food Ventures that promotes the identity and availability of locally produced food products.
Business Facilities and Networking ACEnet offers office, light manufacturing, and warehouse spaces for rent at its Athens campus and at the Nelsonville Business Center. Tenants benefit from competitive lease rates as well as convenient access to business incubator services that entrepreneurs need to become successful.
Available shared services include reception, mail and package delivery, copier and fax machines, internet access, conference rooms, training facilities, and convenient off-street parking. Within each facility, businesses can network with each other, share ideas, reduce operating expenses, produce joint marketing, and increase market exposure.
ACEnet Ventures A small business owner can consult with ACEnet Ventures about business loan opportunities. ACEnet Ventures offers financing assistance to small businesses so that they can expand and create quality jobs for low-income residents in the distressed regions of Central Appalachia. ACEnet Ventures will often partner with conventional lending sources to provide joint financing to small businesses where the other lending sources are not willing to provide sole financing for those small business projects.
ACEnet Institute The ACEnet Institute supports small businesses through research and policy development. The Institute authors papers, books, and training materials and offers consulting, workshops, and speakers bureau services.
In addition, the ACEnet Institute is developing InFlow software and toolkit to help communities map social networks in order to analyze and enhance those networks to create stronger communities.