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Welcome to

the Pioneer Centers Welcome to the website of the Pioneer Centers for Business

Opportunity. The Pioneer Centers are the only business incubators serving

the LENOWISCO Planning District (including Lee, Wise, and Scott Counties and the

City of Norton). The purpose of an incubator facility is to provide a

sheltered environment conducive to the growth and development of small

businesses.

A business incubator assists new and developing entrepreneurial companies by

providing a nurturing early-stage environment, with flexible leases at

affordable rates, plus business services such as fax/copying, conference areas,

and management/clerical support. According to the U. S. Small Business Administration, small businesses

constitute more than 90 percent of all businesses in the United States, and

create more than 80 percent of new jobs. Yet, despite these impressive

statistics, as many as 80 percent of all new small businesses fail within their

first five years of operation. Nationwide studies show that business incubators help reverse this

failure/success rate, with more than 80 percent of incubator

"graduates" surviving that high-risk phase. Incubators are part

of a growing nationwide trend to help small businesses - and local economies -

survive and flourish. Incubator tenants are not "permanent residents," but remain in a

facility for an average of two years before graduating, being replaced by new

tenants. The Pioneer Center at Duffield also hosts a satellite office of the Small

Business Development Center. Professionals from the SBDC provide

invaluable support in financial management, tax planning, marketing, and much

more. To learn more about the Pioneer Centers for Business Opportunity, review this

web site. If you have specific questions, or are interested in becoming a

tenant.