The Paris Business Center (PBC) will be the first full-service business incubator in the Northeast Georgia region. The service area includes parts of north Georgia, west North Carolina, and east Tennessee.
Designed to help both new and existing business owners either start, expand or retain their company, the PBC and its partners will offer assistance with putting together a solid business plan and obtaining financing and will put its clients in touch with attorneys, accountants, bankers, and marketing experts.
In addition, graduates of the program will be eligible to rent space in the incubator, which is in a prime location right on Main Street. Incubator space will be made available at reduced rates for between 18 and 24 months, during which time their rent will increase in increments every three months, eventually reaching the same level as normal market rates. Once they leave the incubator, they will become tenants of other buildings throughout the region, thereby adding to the economic development of not only Hiawassee and Towns County but also the surrounding counties in our area.
Funded by a combination of grant money, a matching component from the City of Hiawassee, and private donations, the Downtown Development Authority’s goal is to raise $1.5 million to complete construction, of which we have already raised over $1.2 million. Ongoing operating costs will be offset by income generated from other DDA-managed properties in Hiawassee, such as the building next to the PBC, which will be home to a new restaurant, and the Shook House, a 950-square-foot facility available for rent.
