US Incubator and Job Center Map

Our map is a one-stop-shop if you’re looking to either find a job or start a business. As you will see in the legend, you can turn on or off the different layers, depending on what you are looking for in your location. And we plan to update it, as more information becomes available.

If you are looking for a job, we have also included some tips.

Incubators

What are business incubators and how can they help? 
On the face of it, this is a really simple question, however, dig deeper and we find business incubators come in all shapes and sizes and can offer a range of small business solutions, in training, networks, funding possibilities, and coaching, that lead to new businesses and jobs. Incubators tend to specialize a bit. For example, our farming incubator map layer helps aspiring farmers find the resources they may need to start a farm, even an indoor farm, and address food insecurity locally. We also have two more map types, business incubators, and accelerators which provide excellent support and mentorship to startups in exchange for a percentage of revenue or equity stake in the company. This is usually less than 6% revenue or equity stake.

Farming incubators
With the average farmer being about 57.5 years old according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (2017 census), the agricultural landscape is likely to vastly change in a couple of decades, especially as indoor farming gets moving. Farming incubators can help address this change by providing new supply chain lines that are local, more sustainable, and provide more jobs. The underlying factors for food insecurity, unemployment, and poverty, are largely felt in rural communities of the U.S. Farm incubators can help address food insecurity by providing the necessary tools, training, business knowledge, and land tenure to help allow aspiring local farmers to create their own products. Additionally, the spread of Covid-19 has eliminated the tremendous progress made towards reducing food insecurity within the United States. A March 2021 report from Feeding America projects that 1 in 8 people (1 in 6 children), will experience food insecurity in 2021 and beyond. This could be just the right moment to get into farming, as people will always need to eat!

Incubators at no-cost entry
These are often community-based and provide kitchens that allow the farmers to create a variety of end-products that can enhance their profit margins such as desserts. However, there are other incubators that are no-cost entry and cover other light industries. It’s up to you to hunt for what might be interesting. They may or may not provide training and start-up funding, but it is likely they will provide ongoing support and coaching, and networks that could lead to starting a business or joining an existing business.

Incubators that cost to enter
These types often have a training system or a programme in place, and a relatively sophisticated method for bringing ideas to readiness for pitching to a group of investors. Such incubators may also be plugged into wide-ranging networks of advisors and supporters. Those with established companies looking for good growth might find these useful. These incubators are marked by an asterisk which annotates the program fee required for participation.

Makerspaces that help bring your idea to reality

These makerspaces often referred to as “hackerspaces”, have space available with a wealth of tools that you can utilize to physically realize your ideas. They often provide access to otherwise expensive tools, mentorship, and collaboration with others to help build and innovate upon your ideas. They generally take a small membership fee for maintenance upkeep of their tools and whatnot.

Get plugged in!
The great thing about incubators is that once you get inside one, and begin to make new friends, it’s highly likely you will “find your level” because they tend to know about each other. This means if you need some tailored or specific help, it is very likely they will be able to point you in the right direction, to another incubator, to help boost what you need.

Forget what they teach at business school

Never be put off if you don’t feel you have the brains or talent to make a new start. Colonel Sanders started again, with KFC aged 62 years old, with one restaurant in South Salt Lake.

Research has discovered that the one key success marker is “determination” and “never giving up”. It does not mean never change your mind, or your tactics, it does mean never give up.

That’s also the Omaha Business School ethic, never give up.

And the incubators are there to help you, and we hope our mapping helps show you where to look.

Job Centers

Here is where you can find online support for job hunting, including advertised jobs possibilities nearby, through some great search tools.

Whether or not you have been out of work before, you may know there many “hidden” jobs, which are not advertised, that are only found by word-of-mouth, and often the competition for these jobs is smaller than advertised jobs. In other words, the Job Center is great, but not the only source of inspiration!

Jobvite’s 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey reports that even though most applicants apply for jobs on a job board or employer career site, 35% found job postings on social media, 50% of respondents heard about jobs from friends, and 37% say they also learn about jobs from professional networks. (1)

Some tips for job hunters

Therefore, if you are job hunting, it is worth asking anyone and everyone, (including the Job Centers) about types of work and employers that are of interest to you, and then following up.

It is to be fully expected you will receive plenty of rejection before obtaining a job you like.

You may even need to get a humble job to pay the bills, while you search on your day off or upskill by taking some courses, or volunteer somewhere, to make your resume look better.

The key to job hunting is not just about a good resume and letter. It is more about persistence and always replying with something positive, even “thank you for considering me” to every rejection. This way, you will sleep better at night, and your mind will be full of “ticks” and not “crosses”. Secondly, any potential employer is more likely to remember you as a person who made the effort to say something positive, and in this age of fake news and harsh news, this counts for something.

Here are some key job-hunting strategies:

• Contact employers of interest. Write a covering letter with a resume, or better, turn up in person and ask to see their human resources leader.
• Volunteer at companies of interest. One way to make connections at a company is to volunteer, for free, for a limited period.
• If you are still in a job or have connections at your old company, then dig around. If you are interested in staying at your company, but in a different position, quietly ask around about job openings in other departments.
• Subscribe to news alerts. Follow companies of interest on LinkedIn, and consider subscribing to news alerts (such as Google Alerts) for companies you’d like to work for. (1)
• When you go to the interview, research the organization, and have answers to these sorts of questions: 1) Why I can do the job. 2) Why I will finish the job, each time. 3) Why I am reliable. 4) Why the customer/employer will like me.

Sources

(1)   https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-the-hidden-job-market-2062004

We hope you find this combined map useful and wish you the best of luck!

The GMA team who made this map are Alexandra, Laura, Roshan and Glenn in the US and Gopendra, Justin and Rupert in the UK.