The Northern Alberta Business Incubator is a mixed-use, not-for-profit, incubator that has served the needs of Edmonton area entrepreneurs for almost twenty years. As a mixed use incubator, NABI's focus is not limited to any specific sector, and the range of businesses that hold tenancy within the building is quite diverse.

History

The incubator was launched by the city of St. Albert, Alberta

St. Albert, Alberta

St. Albert is a suburban city in Alberta, located northwest of Edmonton, on the Sturgeon River. It was originally settled as a Métis community, and is now the second largest city in the Edmonton area. St...

 in 1989, aptly named the St. Albert Business Development Centre. With a focus on expanding the local economy, the incubator focused on providing local entrepreneurs with a starting point to help establish their business. After operating for many years as the St. Albert Business Development Centre, the incubator switched the name to the Northern Alberta Business Incubator, or NABI. Since 1989, the incubator has contributed significantly to the local economy, allowing for over $100 million in economic development, with their current tenants generating $11 million in annual sales. In 2002, NABI was awarded with the Business Incubator

Business incubator

Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...

of the year award by the National Business Incubation Association in recognition of the impact that NABI has had on the local economy.

Services

NABI currently provides services to help the aspiring entrepreneur achieve success within their business. The main focus is on providing educational programs and seminars for better business planning as well as individual business coaching with current and potential business owners. The business programs that are offered are part of the NxLevel series of entrepreneurial education and are done in conjunction with a business coach as well as the business owner. In the future, NABI would like to develop the business plan training and individual coaching as the core services they provide. Also, NABI is currently fund raising for a new, state-of-the-art building to allow for a greater number of businesses to host their businesses within the incubator.

Graduates

Since its inception, NABI has helped over seventy five businesses graduate from the incubation process. These graduates have since gone on to conduct business outside of the incubator, although some still utilize NABI's small business coaching programs.

External links

• NABI - Northern Alberta Business Incubator Site
• Canadian Association of Business Incubation
• National Business Incubation Association