Center creates new jobs, lowers business costs

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A new UNCW development will raise awareness of great starter companies that are right in our backyard. The Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship opened off of South College Road near Cookout Thursday night, and is already creating new local jobs.

Companies say the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or CIE, is the last leg to the stool of economic development in Wilmington. The idea is to create more Wilmington jobs by first lowering the cost of starting business. CIE offers an ideal working space close to home.

"This is a very cheap office," said CIE Executive Director Jim Roberts.

Roberts says the companies CIE wants to work with are in the napkin stage of business.

"They could fit their whole business plan on a small, white restaurant napkin," said Roberts.

CIE provides both mentors and workshops in an effort to prevent fundamental mistakes these starter companies might make.

"You don’t necessarily get an investor to say yes when you give a good presentation," said Roberts. "But they give you a quick no when you give a bad presentation."

Powerplay Mobile’s CEO Jeff Gallop joined the center already.

"We are among our peers here," said Gallop. "It is all a bunch of companies that are in the inception phase of their business. It is a great networking opportunity."

He says there really was not a central meeting place for new businesses until now.

"It really has that feel of we are all sort of in this together to make sure we are all successful," said Gallop.

Companies involved with CIE have already created 20 job opportunities after just one day of operation. To learn more about CIE and its upcoming workshop, just head to their website.