The city of Coos Bay has joined forces with the Business Development Center in North Bend to offer its own virtual incubator.

Coos Bay’s former assistant city manager, Joyce Jansen, will now work as an economic and community development manager. Her new task is to help business owners and operators succeed in challenging times. The Virtual Incubator Program is funded by the Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency.

“Joyce has a questionaire and she goes around and visits businesses in both (Downtown Coos Bay and Empire) districts,” Coos Bay City Manager Chuck Freeman said.

Depending upon the responses, Jansen refers businesses to classes at the Business Development Center.

“It’s a tool to see how we’re helping business and what we can do better,” Jansen said.

The BDC offers classes and workshops on everything from hiring, to managing employees, to bookkeeping and creating a business plan.

The center also acts an incubator for start-up businesses — but it offers space and expertise. BDC staff provides office help and counseling on business and financial plans, marketing, bookkeeping and other services also are provided.  Small business owners at the center benefit from low rent. There are seven spaces that businesses can occupy, with two currently available.

Since she took over the Coos Bay position, Jansen does business out of two offices — one in city hall and the other in the Coos Bay Visitor Information Center, 50 Central Ave. By next summer, the city hopes to triple the size of the center to approximately 3,500 square feet. This will allow space for a conference center for business workshops and for Coos Bay’s own business incubator.

“The thing that’s come up the most is the downturn in the economy,” Jansen said. “For the downtown area, the challenge is getting people to stop. When they’re coming through, we need to look interesting enough to get people to stop.”