Bluffton's Don Ryan Center teaches business skills to succeed

The toilet seat idea gave him pause.

"At first, I wasn't too high about being associated with a toilet seat,'' said David Nelems, executive director of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation, the Bluffton-based facility that has mentored and developed local entrepreneurs since 2012.

Nelems was talking about the Freedom Seat, created by Bluffton resident Tony Mastropole, a specialized seat for those who have lost mobility and need help getting on and off the toilet. A seat attached to a foldable frame gently lowers and lifts the user.

Mastropole and his partner Barbara Henry have produced and sold several seats locally and hope to come out of test marketing in coming months and produce them for regional sales.

"Their product is very useful to people with special health needs,'' Nelems said.

Teaching new or small businesses the skills that will help them grow, is after all, what the center was created for.

"Our innovators utilize the space for research, collaboration and meeting with mentors," said Nelems. "It's a great way to exchange ideas.''

The center is a private-public partnership between the town of Bluffton and the Clemson University Institute for Economic and Community Development. Bluffton was the first non-metropolitan municipality to partner with Clemson to advance regional economic development.

Located in the CareCore National building in Buckwalter Place, it provides regional start-up companies with consulting, resources and office space to accelerate their business growth.

So far, nine participants have graduated from the incubator, and another nine are enrolled in training programs and come in on varying weekdays for training.

The current and graduate companies that have been a part of the center collectively employ 64 people, with an annual payroll of nearly $3 million, Nelems said.

"Our center helps startup and early stage businesses grow their resources,'' he added. "Sometimes they just need help with sales advice or finding financing.''

Nelems said that when participants find success, it helps the region diversify its economy and improve its tax base.

"We are looking for a company that is doing something different,'' he said.

'THE BEST IDEAS'

Joshua Hale is one of the new innovators in training and is at the center almost daily.

His startup business, Village Features, works with architects and property developers who want virtual-reality, digitalized renderings of their projects created while construction is either pending or underway.

Hale said his company has developed an innovative collection of visualization services that help his clients improve their marketing, increase sales and impress their customers.

His company recently developed high-tech renderings for the renovations of Sea Pines Beach Club and the Harbour Town Golf Links clubhouse, he said.

"We try and promote the best ideas and designs, whether it is a park bench redesign, custom home or a planned community,'' he said.

Hale said the center has helped him with business planning and developing sales strategies.

Hale's company, based on Simmonsville Road in Bluffton, has been in business for two years. He has one employee, and they have produced digitalized renderings for clients in the region and out of state.

SCAD PARTNERSHIP

Last month, the center launched a monthly seminar program to teach business skills to students from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

"This partnership is a perfect complement; the center has access to creative minds who may be future business owners in our area, and SCAD students can develop their business skills before graduating," said Nelems.

The first seminar on Jan 22 covered best practices, ideas, recommendations and personal experiences on how to begin as an entrepreneur.

The seminar was conducted by Nelems and Patricia Breen, a former Northern Virginia-based CEO and business development consultant.

The seminars are free and open to all students.

Nelems said the SCAD program expects to have students work at the Bluffton center in coming months.

"While SCAD is able to develop their (students') technical art skills, we can help them develop their business ideas and skills,'' Nelems said. "Some of the companies in this area can utilize students with design and graphics skills.

"Hopefully, upon graduation they'll stay in the area and get jobs or develop businesses here and not move out of state."

Nelems, a successful innovator himself, started a .com company more than a dozen years ago and sold it in 2007.

He was semiretired as a consultant before moving from the Atlanta area to Beaufort County. He started his director's job in August 2013.

While the center gets some funding from sponsors, 90 percent of its $200,000 budget comes Bluffton.

Nelems said the center recently received a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce to help fund its programs.

This story was originally published February 11, 2015 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Bluffton's Don Ryan Center teaches business skills to succeed."