THOUSAND OAKS : City Studies ‘Clusters’ for Small Businesses

Eager to help entrepreneurs launch new endeavors, Thousand Oaks officials are studying how to set up “business clusters” so small firms can share office space, computers and support staff.

The concept calls for clusters--also called incubators--to gather similar small businesses into a common office with a pooled copy machine, fax, secretary, library and possibly even a shared consultant.

The city would not subsidize the incubators, but act as a clearinghouse to help draw together like-minded entrepreneurs--setting up, for example, an environmental business cluster or a software design cluster.

“It’s an exciting concept for our community,” said Mayor Elois Zeanah, who has asked city staff to look into the cluster concept. “The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well here in Thousand Oaks.”

Councilman Frank Schillo said he would support the cluster program, as long as the city did not step in with direct financial support.

“This should be an entrepreneurial thing, where someone says, ‘Hey, I’m going to come up with the money to invest and start one of these up,’ ” Schillo said.

Hundreds of city residents hold permits to run businesses out of their homes, and the cluster program could help some of them move to office space without prohibitive start-up costs, officials said.

“Small entrepreneurial businesses have enough trouble as it is,” Councilwoman Judy Lazar said. “This would give them a better chance to succeed.”