Business Incubators

The U.S. Small Business Administration has found that after four years, only 44 percent of firms remain in business. In contrast, the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) has found that 87 percent of business incubator graduate firms were still in business.

Below are a few incubators available in the Lehigh Valley:

• Ben Franklin Tech Ventures Incubator – Located on the Mountaintop campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, this 109,000-square-foot facility is a nationally acclaimed high-tech workspace and community for early-stage companies, with incubator space and affordable wet laboratory facilities.
• Bridgeworks Enterprise Center – Founded in 1989 in the refurbished former Mack Trucks Plant 4A, this 64,000 square-foot facility is the only business incubator in the Lehigh Valley dedicated primarily to manufacturing startups.
• Pi: Partnership for Innovation – Located in the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone, on the 2nd floor of a 1911 silk blouse factory, Pi includes shared facilities and private, secure office suites ranging from 115 to 1,900 square feet.

LVHN–One City Center, Photo Credit: Halkin | Mason Photography, Architect: granum a/i

PA Business One-Stop Shop

The Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop is the go-to resource for planning, registering, operating, and growing a business in Pennsylvania.

Serving as the first point of contact for Pennsylvania business development concerns, the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop connects and guides businesses through all stages of development — from planning and startup to operating and expanding. Whether seeking information about registering a business, Act 32 and Local Earned Income Tax withholding, Unemployment Compensation (UC) tax, diverse business resources, and more, the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop can help provide answers to business-related questions.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop, visit business.pa.gov.

Coworking Spots

A total of 71 percent of coworkers said their creativity had increased since joining a coworking space, according to the DeskMag Global Consulting Survey of 2012.

Below are a few coworking spots located in the Lehigh Valley:

• Easton Coworks (Easton)
• Flex Launch & Coworking (Allentown)
• SoBeCoWorks (South Bethlehem)
• Velocity (Allentown)
• Venture X (Bethlehem)
• CoWork 414 (Bethlehem)
• Easton CoWorks (Easton)
• IntegrityOffice CoWorking Space (Allentown)
• Pi: Partnership for Innovation (Bethlehem)
• The Sovereign Building (Allentown)
• The Office Quarters (Allentown)
• Ben Franklin TechVentures (Bethlehem)

Additionally, the Fab Lab, a prototyping lab offered by Northampton Community College, is open to the community.

Please reach out if you’re not sure where to start. Contact Andrew Kleiner, Director, Community Outreach and Redevelopment, at [email protected]