Want help starting or growing a business? New entrepreneur program opening in Columbus
A new way for local residents to learn how to start a business or improve the one they own is coming to town.
StartUP Columbus, a business incubator, is accepting applications for its inaugural Certificate of Entrepreneurship program. The 12-week course begins this fall.
This initiative is part of the Georgia Mesh Network, a pilot program also in Atlanta, Augusta, Macon and Savannah, targeting historically disadvantaged communities needing more resources for entrepreneurs.
“We believe our region is full of untapped potential,” Ben MacMinn, director of the nonprofit StartUP Columbus, said in a news release. “Our hope is this program opens doors for those who have been sitting on a business plan but are not sure how to get funding or have recently started a business and are ready to grow. This program can help open businesses and create jobs in our area.”
The impact on aspiring or struggling entrepreneurs from disadvantage backgrounds could be “great,” Lower Chattahoochee Workforce Development Board director Howard Pendleton told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“They already have a hard time just trying to get financing, trying to get a loan to start a business or expand a business,” he said. “So once the training is all done, … it’s going to enable some people to see some of their dreams come true.”
The course covers topics such as business planning, technology, financing and law to help entrepreneurs identify product-market fits as well as sales, distribution and fulfillment channels. Six months of mentoring follows the course.
“After completing the program,” MacMinn said, “our starters will have all the knowledge needed to grow their business to the next level.”
The local classes will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the incubator, 1190 Front Ave., in downtown Columbus.
Anyone in the Chattahoochee Valley is welcome to apply for the maximum of 15 spots in the first Columbus cohort, but organizers hope by offering financial aid through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act they can eliminate money as a reason to not participate.
Qualified applicants for WIOA scholarship may receive full funding to cover the program’s $5,900 fee, which includes course materials, a two-year subscription to QuickBooks and a membership in the StartUP Columbus Incubator.
Applications are available online at startupcolga.com/mesh.
According to the website, applicants must provide “a well-articulated description of the product or service you offer (or plan on offering) and a description of your consumer, client, or target audience. We’re looking for entrepreneurs who represent a diverse range of sectors and backgrounds to establish a cohort that incorporates both established businesses and startup concepts.”
The Georgia Mesh Network is funded by a $250,000 grant from the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation. The partnership is a public-private coalition launched last year under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan. The partners included the State of Georgia, Georgia Tech and corporations trying to advance technology, opportunity and shared economic success across the state.
The local version of the entrepreneur program is part of Columbus 2025’s effort to make the region more prosperous.
This story was originally published October 19, 2021 at 9:51 AM.
