New businesses and current businesses looking to start or expand in Athens County should take their first step by visiting the Athens County Economic Development Council in the Innovation Center on West State Street.

If you know only a little bit about the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks, commonly known as ACEnet, you may associate it mainly with the incubation of food-related businesses.

But while ACEnet's Food Ventures Center on Columbus Road which provides a shared, FDA-approved production facility used currently by 108 local food businesses is a big part of the organization, it's not all of it by any means.

When it comes to businesses helping businesses, the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce stands out as an invaluable resource for over 400 local shops of all types and stripes.

In Athens, an offshoot of the chamber is the Athens Uptown Business Association, which meets once a month and works to address the concerns, wants and needs of all of the uptown businesses.

The National Business Incubation Association's (NBIA) headquarters have been in Athens for almost 25 years, yet many residents aren't aware of the nonprofit's presence or purpose.

The organization, located on East Circle Drive, provides business professionals with information, education, advocacy and networking resources in the process of assisting early-stage companies, according to the NBIA website.