Two business start-up classes being offered soon through SBDC

“Do you have an idea for a product or service, and you want to bring it to market? Maybe you have people ready to buy your products, or customers ready to sign up for your services, but you’re not sure how to start getting paid. You may have an idea what your concept is but you’re not sure if it will make a profitable company. One or both of these programs can help you,” a news release from the Lynchburg Small Business Development Center said.

The StartUp Toolbox Workshops are the Small Business Development Center — Lynchburg Region’s program for those who are just starting out or who have basic questions about starting a business.

“It’s a toolkit for you to do things right the first time,” the release states. “StartUp Toolbox is free, online and is designed to answer most of the general questions that people have when getting started.”

Those interested can join a “Getting Started” workshop on the third Thursday of each month, which introduces the most basic concepts and connects business owners to other resources.

Other Toolboxes classes offered include “Hiring Your First Employee,” scheduled for Aug. 31. Additional workshops focus on Funding Basics, Web Based Media, and Budgeting and Taxes. StartUp Toolbox is free and counts toward the Start Small Campbell Grant requirements.

“The Toolbox isn’t a series of workshops,” Stephanie Keener, director of the SBDC said in the release. “Those classes are meant to give you the right tools for your new business at the right time. You can use all the tools, or just one!”

Entrepreneurs who are looking for a more in-depth series can apply for CO.STARTERS, a ten-week cohort-based program that equips aspiring entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships and tools needed to turn ideas into action, and turn a passion into a sustainable and thriving endeavor.

The nationally-based program has been proven to jump start entrepreneurial ideas and provide a foundation for success, the release states.

To date, more than 100 Lynchburg businesses have graduated from the CO.STARTERS program. CO.STARTERS is hosted in part by the Office of Economic Development & Tourism, Small Business Development Center — Lynchburg Region and Vector Space.

CO.STARTERS Core is a three-month, cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs of all kinds with the insights, relationships and tools needed to turn business ideas into action.

“Working together, a small group of participants develop and fine-tune their ideas, critically examining every part and determining next steps through real-time feedback from people in the community, using a simplified version of the Business Model Canvas,” the release states. “This approach enables entrepreneurs to rapidly uncover flaws in their concepts and find viable models more quickly. Participants leave the program with a deeper understanding of how to create a sustainable business, articulate their models, and repeat the process with the next great idea.”

Applications for CO.STARTERS are due Aug. 21 and can be found at sbdclynchburgregion.org.