Renee Fullerton gets at least five telephone calls each week from people
looking for help with a business they have just started or for advice
for a business they are thinking about starting.
Fullerton is executive director of the Homebased Business Association of
Rhode Island, which has operated out of the Central Rhode Island Chamber
of Commerce in Warwick since 1995. The organization has 300 members —
and it’s growing.
“Over four years, we have really gotten the word out,” said Fullerton.
“We have developed strategic partnerships with the Small Business
Development Center at Bryant College and the Entrepreneurial Centers at
Johnson & Wales University and the Community College of Rhode Island.”
“Because the state is so small, we’ve been able to make alliances
quickly,” Fullerton said. “That’s a strength of this organization. What
we have in Rhode Island is an enormous amount of resources. There is
help at every level.”
Fullerton describes HBARI as a “business resource and assistance
center.” More than anything, she said, it’s a place for entrepreneurs to
meet other entrepreneurs and share experiences. Members pay $150
annually. A membership includes:
Business seminars
Referrals to professional service providers
Monthly meetings with guest speakers
Business trade shows
World Wide Web and Internet presence
Business directory listing
Access to Business Assistance Center that includes; Service Corps of
Retired Executives, Small Business Development Center and SBA On-line
Communication product/service discounts
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To Fullerton, getting involved in HBARI is a sound business investment.
More than ever, she said, budding entrepreneurs are being born – in part
the result of the continued downsizing of Corporate America.
“The downsizing is continuing, which means there are a lot of talented
people out there,” Fullerton said.
Many of those talented people, Fullerton said, have specific technical
skills. But because they might have worked for a private company for
many years, they might not be prepared to market those skills
effectively.
HBARI offers resources, and connections to other entrepreneurs who might
have had similar experiences.
“When people think of homebased businesses, they often think of
crafters,” Fullerton said. “But that’s not the case anymore. These are
enormously talented business people with varied experiences.”
Fullerton estimates there are as many as 10,000 homebased businesses in
the Ocean State.
“We are a state of small businesses,” she said. “There are a lot of
Rhode Islanders who have always had small businesses on the side. Now, a
lot of them have to use the homebased business for their primary income.
Computer technology has enabled people to do this.”
HBARI has planned the following events for January:
January 14, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Village at Hillsgrove, Warwick, $10 per
person; Creating A Harmonious Work Environment Using The Principles of
Feng Shui. Presentation and paintings by artist Robert Cicione. Light
supper included.
January 13 and January 20, 9 to 11 a.m. at the Commerce Center 3288 Post
Road, Warwick, Karen S. Hayes will present a seminar entitled Developing
Your Business Brochure. Admission of $20 includes both sessions.
January 22, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Commerce Center 3288 Post Road,
Warwick, Priscilla Young will present a seminar entitled Resolve To Get
Organized, which will focus on helping you develop your personal
organizational skills. Admission is $5.
For reservations and/or further information about HBARI, call Renee
Fullerton at 732-1100. HBARI can also be reached at
www.homebasedbusinessri.com.
Another resource Fullerton recommends is the First Stop Business
Information Center, which operates out of Secretary of State James R.
Langevin’s office.
Since it was created in August 1995, the center has helped thousands of
Rhode Islanders start their own business. The focus of the center is to
bring together information from numerous federal, state and local
agencies, including government assistance programs and resources, as
well as permitting and licensing requirements.
Paul Caranci, director of the First Stop Business Information Center,
said his office receives an average of about 125 calls per month from
people interested in starting a business. Of those, said Caranci, about
40 to 50 are homebased businesses.
Caranci can understand the popularity of a homebased business. It’s a
great way, he said, for an entrepreneur to gauge the potential success
of a business, without having to cope with expensive overhead.
“It’s an easy way to start a business without a huge capital
investment,” Caranci said.
For more information about the First Stop Business Information Center,
call 222-2185.
