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Amarillo is made up of innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs. The local community has founded many organizations and programs to harness the growth potential on the high plains. 

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WT ENTERPRISE CENTER

Since 2001, the WT Enterprise Center has been helping local entrepreneurs build great companies. With access to certified business coaches, industry expert specialists, top-notch facilities and high-level programs, business owners gain the support system and resources needed to take their business to the next level

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INNOVATION OUTPOST

The mission of the Innovation Outpost is to advance industrial innovation, digital transformation and twenty-first century skill development to foster a more competitive and advanced economy in West Texas. 

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THE WIRE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

WIRE stands for Workforce, Innovation, Regional Connectivity, and Entrepreneurship. The WIRE Accelerator, a program of the WT Enterprise Center, is a process of intense, rapid, and immersive education aimed at accelerating young innovative companies and technology. The program offers 13-weeks of programming, seed capital for development, over $1 Million in perks, and a Demo Day for startups to pitch their company to investors for additional investment.

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AMERICA'S SBDC AT WTAMU

America's SBDC in Amarillo is hosted by West Texas A&M University to provide no-cost business consulting and low-cost training to new and existing businesses. Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs can come to us for face-to-face business consulting and at-cost training on a variety of topics.

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1 MILLION CUPS

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation developed 1 Million Cups in 2012—a free program designed to educate, engage, and inspire entrepreneurs around the country. Each month entrepreneurs present business ideas to the local community and learn how those around them can support their business in its growth.

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COWORKING SPACES

As an entrepreneur, it's important to have a space to do business, meet clients, jump on conference calls or just brainstorm! Amarillo is full of entrepreneurial environments that can support freelancers, business owners, and even your side hustle!

  • Union Hall is a cozy, collaborative nook for entrepreneurs in the bustling retail, restaurant, and historic Wolflin district. Quick access to I-40 will get you to downtown or to the growing south end of the city within minutes.

  • Downtown Tower Executive Offices and Coworking Plug & Play Space offer stunning office space and conference room areas with premium amenities and administrative services. Located in the city's tallest building, the Downtown Amarillo Tower has newly remodeled full-service offices conveniently located in Center City.

  • Revolution at 800 is Amarillo’s newest coworking space located in the historic Levine’s Department store in downtown Amarillo. Hosted by the WT Enterprise Center, Revolution at 800 is focused on assisting those who work remotely for large companies, travel frequently for work, or are looking to work with others.

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Learn 10 ways Amarillo can help your business succeed

THE BENEFITS OF BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION PROGRAMS

The primary sources of job growth exist in every community:

Existing business expansions account for 80%

Incoming new businesses account for 11%

And start-up operations account for 9%

WHY WE SHOULD SUPPORT EXISTING BUSINESSES:

  • Existing businesses provide even more return on investment in smaller, rural market areas where entrepreneurial and recruitment opportunities are limited.
  • While customer attrition is a fact of life in both the private and public sectors, it's 10 times more cost-effective to work with existing customers than to continually cultivate new ones.
  • Business retention and expansion provide the customer -- the existing private sector firm in your market area -- with a seamless customer contact and service experience.
  • Less than 10% of business closures result from business failures. More than 90% are caused by work movement through mergers, consolidation, restructuring and deliberate decisions to relocate businesses.