Business incubator will help fledgling companies survive
By |olayne Flout*
(H Ihr KmefaM
While seven of every 10 new
businesses are failing nation
wide. a new business incubator
program in the Eugene/Spr
ingfield area may help fledgling
firms beat the odds.
A business incubator pro
vides a common facility for new
businesses where they can pay
lower-than-market rent and can
share things like conference
rooms, reception or clerical ser
vices and business planning
and consultation.
Eugene Mayor Brian Obie and
Springfield Mayor Sandra Ren
nie recently announced that at
least one business incubator
could be in place by mid
spring.
“If we can help businesses
through the incubator, once
they leave it. . .we've added a
major asset to the economy,"
said Abe Parkas, director of the
p; u g e n e Development
Department.
With the University's
research emphasis, a strong
business service sector and low
costs locally for starting up
businesses. Parkas said the in
cubator could help as many as
seven new businesses out of
every 10 succeed in the market
"We see lots of new
businesses poke their heads out
all the time.” Parkas said.
"We'd like to see the entire
body above ground."
A preliminary study of the
area and of the potential de
mand for an incubator is
scheduled for completion at the
end of lanuary. said |im
Roberts, president of Pryde.
Roberts and Co., the
Washington. DC.-based firm
developing the incubator.
During the study, the firm
will look at potential sites for
the incubator, financing
possibilities and what kinds of
businesses should be included
in the incubator.
Roberts, whose firm already
is developing or operating six
incubators nationwide, said
Eugene's success with an in
cubator may he greater than that
of other cities.
The g(K)d working relation
ship between the two cities, the
business assistance programs
already in place and an evolv
ing economic base make Eugene
a good candidate for the in
cubator. Roberts said.
In addition, the University
and L.ane Community College
could provide important
resource bases for the incubator,
he said.
In Buffalo. N Y., a business
incubator is located within one
of the State University of New
York/Buffalo buildings. Farkas
said. The incubator houses It
businesses, all of which an1
related to university research
Currently, about 150 to 200
incubators exist nationwide,
and Farkas said he knows of
none that have failed and had to
close.
A new business also could ob
tain seed capital funds through
the incubator to help pay for its
start-up costs. The money
would be provided through
both private and public sources.
Roberts said.
With more than 80 software
companies in the area. Roberts
said one of the firm's first
moves will be to determine if
there is demand for a software
incubator.
Two additional incubators for
general manufacturing
businesses and for research and
Using VDTs can be risky business
By Chris Norred
Of the Emerald
Video display terminals are
being used in more and more
work by more and more people.
But many questions about the
health and safety implications
of V I) T use often go
unanswered, or the answers are
unclear and conflicting.
Many of the health and safety
issues that arise from VDT use
were discussed at an educa
tional workshop on VDTs for
University clerical workers
Thursday.
The workshop was organized
by Bill Nevell. a graduate stu
dent in the University’s in
dustrial relations department.
Nevell conducted a survey of
clerical workers who use VDTs
on the University campus to
find out what issues concerned
the people whose jobs include
VDT use.
The survey results showed
•65 percent of the VDT workers
were experiencing- problems
related to vision they associated
with VDT use;
•60 percent of the VDT workers
were experiencing neck and
shoulder pain that they
associated with the long hours
of working at the keyboard;
•and 35 percent of the workers
were concerned about mental or
emotional stress caused by use
of VDTs.
Dr. Steve Decker, an in
dustrial hygienist from the
Labor Education and Research
Center, said many of the pro
blems VDT workers experience
can be directly attributed to a
poorly designed work
environment.
Decker said a work station for
ARCADIAN FARMS N.W.
Horne Riding i-esaon*
•An Alternative E»erctee"
new U ml O rater
Mart KuHlMkl
484-53#©
a VDT needs to be adjustable
The table top on which the VDT
sits should be of adjustable
height, and the machine should
be easily rotated. The keyboard
should be separate from the
VDT screen and should have an
adjustable angle, and the VDT
screen should have adjustable
angles. Decker said.
“The more the unit is tied
together, the more problems the
worker will experience," he
said.
Because VDT workers spend
much of their work day sitting,
the chair is the worker's most
important tool, he said.
The main concern of VDT
workers surveyed at the Univer
sity centered around effects on
vision. Improper lighting in the
work environment is a leading
cause of vision problems
associated with VDT work.
Decker said.
"Most work places have too
much light. The lighting is in
tended for working with hard
copy (print on paper), and it is
often three to four times what is
needed for VDT work." Decker
said.
Another problem for vision is
the glare from the VDT screens.
Several types of glare
reducing treatments for the VDT
screens are available as are glare
shades, and filters. Decker said.
Dr Kod Gillilan. a local op
tometrist who served as op
tometry's representative on the
Oregon State Senate Interim
Committee on VDTs in 1984.
said vision is almost always the
number-one concern of VDT
users.
Part of the vision problems
associated with VDTs are
We Create -^
.Resumes
• Flyers
• Menus
•Newsletters
FASTil
MO K 13th • 344-3344
44W10U. • 344-36M
Klnkos Coptms
Open 7 Day*
similar to the muscle problems
people experience from VDT
use. Cillilan said. "Bodies are
not made to sit still, eyes are not
made to stare. You need to blink
and move your eyes around
when you look ut a VDT or any
small object for a long period."
he said.
Cillilan recommended a
group of eye exercises VDT
users can do at periodic inter
vals to eliminate some of the eye
strain. Cillilan recommended
rolling your eyes in circles for a
couple of minutes or alternately
focusing on objects close to
your face and far way from your
face quickly.
"Some people don't relax
their eyes 100 percent after
working with close work. They
only relax 90 percent, and they
keep doing it and keep doing
it." Cillilan said. "In most peo
ple it's just a temporary near
sightedness. in some it's
permanent."
development businesses are
also possibilities, he said
Despite Eugene's struggling
economy. Koberts said he is not
worried about failure
"Hard economic times force
people t>ack on their own
resources." he said With an in
cubator to help them, many en
trepreneurs may decide to come
out of their garages or
basements with their
businesses, he added.
Roberts said he is looking for
businesses with innovative
ideas and whose products have
some acceptance in the market.
As a rule, the firm does not take
on raw start-up businesses. In
fact, most of those entering the
incubator have been in business
about IH months, he added.
Most stay in the incubator throe
to five years.
ONLY $8.00
ANY 16”
2 ITEM PIZZA
PLUS 2 QTS. POP
687-8600
t432 Orchard. Eugana
ONE COUPON
PER PI22A
EXP 12/18/M
& MONSTER COOKIE CO.
For your gift giving:^
• Special packaging **
and cannisters
• Treats for the
Holidays
• Specialty cookies
Lk 5th & wuiamette 687-1064 vve Deliver!
75 _»•
CAL4- COM m±c odes
CALculator mode + COMputer codes?
Oecimal & binary systems, exponents
Computer arithmetic expose
Volume I
Banned al a bookstore?
limited amount available at noon today
13th & Kincaid area* Orders will be accepted • 689-2020
SHARP PC-7000
• 100% MS-DOS Compatible
• 320K RAM, expandable to 704K RAM
• Two 360 K Floppy Disk Drives
• Backlit LCD Display
$1,