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 Janet Adams | Business First 
A desire to interact with others helped lead Chaz Freutel and SandyBlanquera to ditch home-based businesses for the DublinEntrepreneurial Center.For Chaz Freutel and Sandy Blanquera, operating their smallbusinesses from home lost its appeal. So when they learned about theDublin Entrepreneurial Center, which opened its doors in March, theydecided to move their ventures out of the house and into the office.Blanquera, 41, said she had planned on continuing to run her socialmedia marketing business, Social Boomerang , from her home until sheheard about the opening of the business incubator in Dublin. The newspace fit her needs, she said, and it would be easier to concentrate inan office setting rather than at home. Blanquera moved into her newoffice space at the center on Post Road in the spring.“I’ve been a home-based business for 2 ½ years prior to that, and Iwas really looking for a more professional atmosphere,” saidBlanquera, who is the mother of four girls.After spending 17 years working in corporate America, she said she
 
decided to branch off on her own. Blanquera had invested in an interiordesign franchise a few years before Social Boomerang, but said theeconomy took a toll on the business. She realized she had a knack forsocial media with her franchise after she started looking for alternativeand inexpensive ways to promote it. Although she ended up quittingthe franchise, she used the social media skills to start up her latestbusiness.Freutel, the creator of Get-U-Connected, was in a similar situation.Freutel, 47, started his business development firm in January andmoved into the Dublin center shortly after its grand opening in March.Freutel also thought he’d keep his one-man operation based out of hisDublin home but said the space he found at the Dublin EntrepreneurialCenter was “too good to pass up.”He was recently hired by the city of Dublin as the center’s managerand is in charge of working with current tenants, showing visitorsaround the center, helping find furniture and equipment for the facilityand connecting tenants with the other businesses and the variousresources within the center.Freutel said his business already has benefited from being located inthe center.“Being able to network with other businesses that are part of theDublin Entrepreneurial Center helps my business by just being able tomeet other people,” he said.Blanquera and Freutel’s business models are centered on using socialmedia and networking to help grow young companies that don’t yethave a focused strategy to market themselves. They said that beinglocated in the center has helped them grow by having access to avariety of resources.
Finding resources
 The Dublin Entrepreneurial Center was created through a partnershipbetween TechColumbus and the city of Dublin.Dana McDaniel, director of economic development for the city, said theentrepreneurial center is the city’s effort to “help create newbusinesses, which helps create new jobs.”McDaniel said the center’s goal is to provide three crucial tools forstartup businesses: access to training and education, venture capitaland entrepreneurial support.In tough economic times when people are losing their jobs or can’t findwork, McDaniel said the center is a valuable support system for
 
entrepreneurs. During a recession and periods of slow economicgrowth, McDaniel said, there are more startups because people out of work are looking for other sources of income.“I’m a firm believer that in times like these, people have to reinventthemselves,” McDaniel said.For Freutel and Blanquera, the center helped them do just that. The facility provides 11,590 feet of rentable office space in addition toa training room, conference room, two offices, a common area, WiFiand fiber optics technology. All the spaces on the fourth floor areoccupied while another tenant, Vitality Distributing, takes up the entiresecond floor The Ohio Small Business Development Council, TechColumbus andOhio Statewide Development Corp. offer counseling, training and othereducational services for residents and visitors of the center.Dublin is investing $900,000 over a four-year period to promote thecenter’s efforts to attract new businesses. So far, Dublin has invested$500,000 in the TechColumbus partnership.Such arrangements have worked for the city thus far. Other Dublinbusinesses have enjoyed a residual effect of $5.4 million worth of funding the city has received in the way of investments through TechColumbus, Ohio Tech Angel Fund grants and debt financing,spokeswoman Nancy Richison wrote in an e-mail response toquestions.In addition to Social Boomerang and Get-U-Connected, the center ishost to Opticon Medical, a designer of medical products; DHBNetworks, which develops and operates network infrastructure;Runnymede Capital Advisors, a wealth management company; Socius,a software consulting firm; and Vitality Distributing, the creator of anenergy water drink.
Sowing seeds
 The Dublin center has held several events so far. Blanquera said she iscoordinating several others, including workshops that will featureCentral Ohio businesses that have developed iPhone applications andarea entrepreneurs who have developed effective social media tools.Additionally, jellies are held monthly where participants can networkand collaborate on projects.A similar endeavor in another Columbus suburb, the New AlbanyBusiness Development Center, opened last month at the New AlbanyBusiness Park off West Campus Oval. TechColumbus also is a partner in
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