According to Jordyn Paul-Slater's reporting for the Ledger-Enquirer, small business owners in Columbus now have a unique opportunity in Highside Market. StartUP Columbus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs grow new businesses in the Chattahoochee Valley, launched its retail incubator, called retailLAB, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Highside Market yesterday. According to Paul-Slater's report, a retail incubator is a low-risk environment where entrepreneurs can test out their business plans by selling their products or services in a supported environment. StartUP Columbus received a grant from the Knight Foundation to accomplish this project. Ben MacMinn, Executive Director of StartUP Columbus, told Paul-Slater that the space was designed to help entrepreneurs with administrative tasks like printing and conferencing with clients. According to Paul-Slater, retailLAB will house three small businesses in one shared space, with each signing a one-year lease with an option to extend for an additional year. Businesses in retailLAB will be responsible for their own marketing, products and services, and staffing.
Officials in the Turner College's Butler Center for Research and Economic Development recently put the finishing touches on an extensive report on trends in educational programs and occupations in the Columbus area. The report also includes data on business and technology trends. According to Fady Mansour , Director of the Butler Center, there are several key takeaways from the report regarding 10 occupational gaps that currently exist in the Columbus area. First, software development occupation exhibits the biggest labor shortage, with the report adding that the TSYS School has a bachelor's degree program in information technology along with a new AI track for the bachelor's degree in computer science, both of which can qualify students for this occupation. Other educational programs are in demand, such as computer programming and cloud computing. Second, there is a gap of 30 employees per year in general and operations management. This gap could be addressed by the Turn...
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