BOUNTIFUL ó The Bountiful Rotary Club was introduced to the DATCís Davis Business Alliance by its director, Steve Cloward, last week during the clubís weekly meeting. Cloward talked about who is housed at the Davis Business Alliance, which is its own building on the campus of Davis Applied Technology College. He also talked about what the Alliance offers to students and brand new entrepreneurs. ìWhen you walk in that door, you can get some free counseling, along with the advice to take some classes,î said Cloward. ##M:MORE##

The Davis Business Alli-ance building is almost three years old and it is pretty packed with various businesses and people who are there to help encourage those interested in starting their own business.

The Alliance houses the Davis Chamber of Commerce, the Utah Defense Office, UBid, USTAR and others. The building also offers classes and lectures at what Cloward says is a minimal charge.

ìDuring our counseling, we evaluate what you need to start your business and to establish a plan,î said Cloward.

He said they also encourage continuing education. Some of the businesses who use the space in that building also provide the teachers for the lectures and classes. ìThe building has been very well received by the local business community,î said Cloward.

Money for the building was raised from private funds donated by local businesses and individuals. ìWe work a lot with city and county development with these new businesses,î said Cloward.

ìWe can provide a lot of support services for new and older businesses,î said Clo-ward. ìWe also help with an exit strategy.î

Cloward said that the state of Utah wanted the Davis Business Alliance to be a role model with the resources that are available.

ìWe are always finding people who have these ideas, but donít know what to do with them,î said Cloward. He said there is a retired NASA astronaut currently at the Alliance center starting a company called H3Tech.com. He said that if the technology this person has takes off, ìItíll be bigger than Microsoft.î

Cloward also said a lot of their focus is on young people taking their classes, going to their lectures and starting up businesses in Davis County, in Utah and around the nation.

sroberts@davisclipper.com