In our top-10 city for starting a business, a menu of services awaits those with an appetite for growth.

I love eating at buffets! They present the opportunity to try a variety of foods, all at one time, all on one plate and all in one visit. Buffets provide a chance to taste a little of everything or a whole lot of just one thing; it doesn’t matter, it is all included.

For the past seven years, Orlando has had its own unique version of an “entrepreneurial buffet,” called the Disney Entrepreneur Center. Located in downtown Orlando, the center is home to 10 individual business organizations, which share a single facility and a single mission: to help small businesses to grow and flourish.

Much like a normal buffet, visitors may choose to visit a single organization, or they may choose to sample a little from each. Yet, unlike any other buffet, this one provides many offerings for free.

The Disney Entrepreneur Center was founded in 2003 to assist local businesses that were dealing with a very difficult economic time. Through the visionary leadership and financial support of Orange County Government, Walt Disney World Resorts and the University of Central Florida, the center was formed and began to serve the community. Additional financial sponsorship followed from Banco Popular, Regions Bank, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Orlando Utilities Commission, City of Orlando, BankFirst, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida and Orlando Magic. These financial sponsors provide the needed funding each year to operate the center, which, in turn, benefits each resident organization that provides services, training and coaching to the small business community.

The organizations located at The Disney Entrepreneur Center share everything from copy machines to clients. A shared facility is cost efficient for resident organizations, but another major benefit is the synergy that is created between organizations — the sharing of knowledge and experience. The daily collaboration and mutual cooperation has aided each organization and accelerated the delivery of practical services while providing convenient one-stop access to business assistance for local entrepreneurs.

Organizations located at the center: Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida, SCORE Orlando, Metro Orlando Urban League, Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, National Association of Women Business Owners, UCF Business Incubation Program, African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, Central Florida Disability Chamber, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and British American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.

From free one-on-one business coaching to low-cost training seminars and networking events, the center has a continually changing agenda of activities. Last year, more than 14,000 business people were coached and trained by the service providers of the center. This combination of public and private financial support, combined with nationally recognized service providers and an abundance of passionate advocates for small businesses, has produced tangible economic results for our community and has begun to attract national attention. The August issue of Entrepreneur Magazine named Orlando as a “top 10 city” for starting a business and highlighted Disney Entrepreneur Center’s efforts, and the December issue cited the Buy Local Orlando initiative as a “top trend” for business in 2010.

While our region moves to diversify the local economy, embrace entrepreneurship and nurture high-tech development, it is essential that we continue to aggressively support and fund our “main-street gardening” efforts, which promote the growth and development of small and start-up businesses.

Remember, most Fortune 500 companies started out as small businesses. According to the Edward Lowe Foundation, 90 percent of Florida’s established businesses have less than 10 employees, so it is no surprise that the Disney Entrepreneur Center serves mostly small businesses. Like any good buffet, however, there are a variety of offerings for a second-stage company, too. Larger companies might engage in a CEO roundtable group, the Small Business Development Center’s Advisory Board Council, join the Disney Entrepreneur Center 100 Club or attend advanced training classes, like our upcoming Family Business Forum.

There is something for most every taste.

This variety of offerings, unique resources, creative programming and entrepreneurial approach to delivering assistance to local entrepreneurs has made the center a hub of entrepreneurial activity and economic development for main-street businesses. If you have not visited the center yet, drop in and see what might be available for you, or you can visit the Website (www.disneyEC.com) to connect with a business coach, take a class or attend an event.

Who knows? You might just become a regular visitor to Central Florida’s entrepreneurial buffet.