STRICTLY BUSINESS: HELPING LOCAL BUSINESS SUCCESS

Business incubation has come a long way in 20 years.

This worldwide industry creates opportunities for almost any type of entrepreneur, from the smallest communities to metropolitan areas.

Let's take a look at some numbers.

An incubation program's main goal is to produce successful graduates -- businesses -- that are financially viable and freestanding when they leave the incubator, usually in two to three years. Thirty percent of incubator clients typically graduate each year.

According to a recent study conducted for the National Business Incubation Association, 87 percent of incubator graduates are still in business.

The survey, which enlisted incubator companies, graduates, managers, and stockholders, shows how effective the incubator program is:

* Most firms that graduate from business incubators remain in their respective communities.

* The average incubator nationally created 468 jobs directly and 234 additional "spin-off" jobs in the community.

* The cost of creating each job was $1,109, three to six times below the normal cost per job of other economic development programs.

* Not all incubators are alike. Some focus on the technology business, others include manufacturing and many are mixed-use facilities.

* The program has grown from 12 incubators in 1980 to more than 900 in the United States today.

A look at some numbers:

* There are 2,000 to 3,000 incubators worldwide.

* There are more than 900 incubators in the United States, 45 percent in urban areas, 36 percent in rural areas and 19 percent in suburb areas.

* Incubators created 20,000 new businesses.

* Incubators create more than 250,000 new jobs.

* Area incubators include those at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Ill., with 17 tenants; the Ozark Foothills Business Incubator in the Poplar Bluff, Mo. Industrial Park, with three tenants; and the Farmington Industrial Development group's Business Incubator at Farmington, with three tenants.

Local businesses to close

Children's Bazaar, which was founded in Cape Girardeau more than quarter-century ago, is closing operations.

"We have mixed emotions about closing," said owner Judy Wilferth. "But, I will continue to operate the Crossroads. I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family."

Children's Bazaar opened 27 years ago, and has been located at No. 1 The Crossroads, a business and profession office complex at the intersection of Kingshighway and Independence for the past 11 years.

Wilferth said the Children's Bazaar space will be leased.

Another long-time retailer, Glik's Ltd., located in Westfield Shopping Center, will close in January.

Glik's Stores, one of the oldest family-owned retail businesses in the country, has been in Cape Girardeau a dozen years. It originally opened in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Glik's, founded in 1997, originally sold goods out of a horse-drawn wagon and has grown to the current chain of 56 stores. The group opened its first store in the state of Ohio last month. Glik officials did not comment on the Cape Girardeau closing.

Some facts about donuts

Did you know that donuts area the No. 21 pastry in America, second only to breads in baked goods products.

Cape Girardeau will have a new donut drive-in later this month when Houchin's Do-nut Drive In opens on North Kingshighway.

This information was sent to us from the Donut fact book.

We found that:

1. The average American eats at least 2 donuts a day.

2. Men eat more donuts than women with teen-agers being a close second.

3. Donuts are eaten for breakfast more than any other time of day.

4. The most popular American donut is the glazed, with chocolate yeast-raised as the second most popular.

5 More donuts are sold during bad economic times than during good economic times.