Incubator Kitchen Willmar Multcultural Market

Applications Available at 215 4th Street SW, Downtown Willmar or Contact Roberto Valdez at 320-905-3966 or roberto.valdez@swsc.org.

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Technical assistance specific to food industry endeavors will be provided to assist the business owner into self-sufficiency.

Project Overview - Kitchen Incubator
The WAMM incubator kitchen project aspires to serve as a launch pad from which minority entrepreneurs can make their business dreams a reality. WAMM plans to offer commercial kitchen space at affordable rental rates to individuals who have the desire, determination and commitment to make a success of their businesses. Technical assistance specific to food industry endeavors will be provided to assist the minority business owner into self-sufficiency. WAMM believes that fostering the entrepreneurial spirit with the right resources will create independent businesses that will be a positive force for themselves, their families and the community as a whole.

The Break-Down
This new space for WAMM will provide an appropriate setting and equipment for all the requirements of developing not just entrepreneurs but also food entrepreneurs. WAMM will expand its offerings and ultimately achieve its goal of developing and filling a public market space with strong prepared businesses.

The community will have a full service micro entrepreneur program with a wide variety of offerings. They will have improved meeting and classroom space as well as hard to find, but necessary, commercial kitchen facilities to help develop fledgling food entrepreneurs. The kitchen will offer a starting place for food businesses to leam industry skills, develop their products and customer base, create income earning opportunities and most importantly create a sense of community for all of WAMM's existing client business owners and potential business owners. The "Kitchen Incubator Group" will have easy access to technical assistance, workshops and trainings as well as other opportunities that could be created by the staff at WAMM. These food businesses can be included as vendors and volunteers (along with Latino Service Providers Network -LSPN) in the many community activities that have been collaborative efforts between WAMM and various community groups/agencies. The center will have the effect of bringing the community together in an environment of learning, sharing and opportunities for all using the resources of the LSPN to provide mentoring and some non-industry workshops to kitchen incubator participants.

The kitchen will be available on a scheduled basis and its use will be billed out at an hourly rate of $7 to $13 per hour. This will generate program income for WAMM and help to offset some costs incurred for maintaining this aspect of the program. There would be approximately 240 units of time in any given month. There other related costs such as utilities and insurance which would be incurred over and above that which would be incurred for the just office space. With regard to income, at 25% of capacity (60 hours of use per month) income will be between $420 up to $780 each month. Conversely, 50% of capacity (120 hours of use per month) income will be between $840 up to $1,560 each month. The expectation is not to balance the budget via program income but it certainly does set a good example of how WAMM can "walk the talk" of business. The day to day operation of the kitchen will initially fall to the WAMM staff. However an advisory board made up of the Kitchen Incubator entrepreneurs and other business community members such as LSPN members could be involved in and support this WAMM prograrn.

The typical kind of clients who will use the incubator kitchen can be caterers, producers of specialty deserts or specialty ethnic foods, sauce or salsa producers, candy makers or someone wanting to prepare certain foods for sale at a street fair or community event.

It must also be added that capitalization is an important element of any micro entrepreneurship program. That said; the ability for a start up business owner to access capital is greatly improved if they can demonstrate knowledge of their industry, experience in the production of their product, understanding of their customer base and some real financial records which could support realistic financial projections for how loan proceeds would be used. This is where things get real and real economic development and change can happen.

A very important aspect of the creation of this offering will be to use the opportunity to attract individuals not just to the kitchen but also to other offerings. Re-introduce locals and folks from surrounding communities to downtown Willmar as well as a renewed sense of community and the camaraderie of micro entrepreneurship. Additionally the center will be a resource and opportunity for learning, not just about business but also how to get involved in community activities. The WAMM program with strong micro entrepreneurial support services, economic development opportunities and a commercial kitchen will serve as a center for the community on many levels.