By Patrick Adrian
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — A fledgling program in Sullivan County to support microbusinesses and aspiring entrepreneurs is recruiting a new cohort of participants for its microenterprise development program, which provides entrepreneurial training, assistance and office spaces at zero or minimal cost.
River Valley Community College, in partnership with Sullivan County, the city of Claremont, The Claremont Makerspace, and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is currently accepting applications for its spring session of CO.STARTERS, a 12-week cohort-based program for aspiring business starters, who may have the idea for a viable product or service but need the guidance, support, and resources to get a business off the ground.
CO.STARTERS is one of two tiered programs launched last fall by the partners to provide low- to moderate-income business owners or entrepreneurs with a range of educational and technical resources to launch or grow their microbusinesses, according to Alison Chisolm, director of workforce development and entrepreneurship programs at River Valley Community College.
Collectively the programs help a person move “from idea to first sale to profitability,” Chisholm told the Eagle Times.
While the programs are open to anyone, applicants with a low-to-moderate income may qualify for a free scholarship, courtesy of a community development block grant (CDBG) from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA).
Last year, River Valley Community College was awarded a $64,000 CDBG grant through the CDFA to launch the program, which launched last fall.
On Monday, the Sullivan County Commissioners unanimously approved the county, who is acting as the grant administrator on the community college’s behalf, to reapply for this year’s grant funding.
Of the five individuals who enrolled in the first cohort, two individuals qualified for a grant-funded tuition.
Sullivan County Manager Derek Ferland said the number of scholarships, while low, is expected for a newly created program that “we started at square one” and “has taken a little longer to get going.”
Importantly, the grant is structured as a “draw down,” which does not set deadlines for recipients to spend the funding, Ferland said.
“So we aren’t on the hook if we don’t spend it, is the good news,” Ferland said. “As this program hopefully continues to grow and blossom, this program just ensures that we have the resources approved to provide those microentrepreneurs.”
A second program, Grow.co, is designed for existing business owners or completers of CO.STARTERS.
Grow.co is a three month program that provides a one-to-one advisor, a cowork space at the Claremont Makerspace, networking resources and peer-to-peer counseling.
Grow.co, Chisholm explained, moves “beyond the training” that one acquires in CO.STARTERS to help business starters build vital community partnerships.
“Connected businesses are more likely to thrive,” Chisholm said, noting that new business owners can learn significantly from one another when sharing about common challenges and their solutions.
As program participants transfer from CO.STARTERS to Grow.co, the peer-based group is expected to grow, which also helps build the regional business network, according to Chisolm.
“[It creates] a positive spiral of success,” Chisholm said.
Grow.co, being a continuing program, accepts new participants at the start of each month.
The cost of Grow.co is $300 per three-month quarter, though scholarships are similarly available to people with low-to-moderate incomes. Participants may renew their co-working space through grow.co participation for up to three years and each quarter there are “intensive” workshops offered in business topics including leadership, finance, operation and marketing and sales.
The cost for CO.STARTERS is $325, unless one qualifies for a scholarship. The program meets on a weekly basis from March through May. The meetings are currently scheduled for Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., but may be adjusted based on the group’s preference.
To learn more about each program, including the applications for enrollment or a full scholarship, visit rivervalley.edu, open the menu “Community and Workforce” and the category “Entrepreneurship & Innovation.”
reporter @eagletimes.com
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