Incubators: A Realist's Guide to the World's New Business Accelerators - Hardcover

Barrow, Colin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 047084292X ISBN 13: 9780470842928

Publisher: Wiley, 2001

Synopsis

A global overview from an objective authority

The first global incubators-environments that allow startup businesses to gather momentum and existing businesses to accelerate their growth-have let their fledglings fly solo. This fascinating new area of business is explored in Colin Barrow's Incubators, an in-depth analysis of the positive and negative aspects of the incubator phenomenon. Using his own hands-on experience at Cranfield Creates, an e-business incubator affiliated with Cranfield School of Management, the author provides a critical overview of the current global incubator space. Relying on real-life case studies, he provides insights on how entrepreneurs can get the best, and occasionally the worst, out of being in an incubator. He also provides authoritative guidance on what sort of options are available-like which type of incubator you should choose, or whether to incubate at all-along with coverage of less formal business incubators.

About this title

About the Author

COLIN BARROW brings all his academic credibility, forthright style, keen insight, and business knowledge to bear on this new work. He is one of a rare breed of authors who successfully combines rigour with first-hand knowledge, whilst maintaining a global view. He holds senior positions in both industry and academia, and has more than once committed his expert knowledge to books, at a number of different levels. He is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging public speaker, and draws admiration and envy in equal measure for his honesty and principles. Colin maintains a full working schedule in his roles as academic, consultant, author and non-executive director. In the little spare time he has left, he is taking snowboarding lessons from his fifteen-year-old elder son, learning the butterfly stroke from his nine-year-old, and discovering the therapeutic effect of gardening courtesy of his wife.

From the Back Cover

Incubation is all about providing fertile conditions in order to foster new business ideas and encourage entrepreneurial spirit.

Within the field of incubation there are a number of different operators, offering a choice of services, at different levels, with varying degrees of success. The question is how to make an informed choice about whether or not to go for an incubation service and its likely fit with your venture's strategic objectives. As well as pulling together all the available research on the current incubator space, Colin Barrow takes a critical look at the likely outcomes of undertaking each type of incubation.

This is not a book for the faint-hearted. It is for the open-minded. Make sure you benefit from this excellent resource before you mortgage the future of your business...
This is the first book ever to include a world directory of the key 500 enterprises offering incubation services. The directory provides an excellent starting point in identifying some of the players who can help you realize your aspirations for your fledgling business.

From the Inside Flap

It is essential to note that Incubators are not a new economy phenomenon. They have in fact been around since the late 1950s. The recent wave of dot.com 'for profit' incubators are only a small part of a fascinating and critical story in the development of new business ventures. Another misnomer is that incubators only service small business enterprises. In fact they can help new arms of much larger, established concerns. Incubators may also offer a wide variety of support; from straightforward funding, to intellectual capital, office space, networking opportunities or a combination of all of these.
What is certain is that within the incubator marketspace, one size does not fit all. It is therefore vital that entrepreneurs and business pioneers are able to make informed choices about what type of incubation service is the most appropriate for their own needs. This is a thoroughly realistic, entertaining, warts and all walk-through the world of incubators and what they actually mean for business. The author, Colin Barrow, pulls no punches in posing some of the most important questions that businesses need to ask themselves before considering incubation.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 047084292X
• ISBN 13: 9780470842928
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 364