Co.Starters Bootcamp +
Small Town Entrepreneurship
CO.STARTERS Bootcamp is a two-day intensive that helps aspiring entrepreneurs put ideas into action, and turn a passion into a sustainable and thriving small business.
Small Town Entrepreneurship Cohort
SPRING 2023 CLASS
Status: Applications Open
Location: Choose between Grainger County on June 10 & 11 or Cumberland Gap on June 24 & 25!
Classes: Two Days, from 9-4pm. Two sessions per day.
Program Fee: $20
CO.STARTERS Bootcamp meets for two days from 9-4 pm, two sessions each day, lunch provided. Facilitators include educators and active entrepreneurs, and guest speakers include specialists and professionals from leading marketing, branding, legal and finance firms and agencies, as well as local entrepreneurs.
To apply, please fill out the application at the bottom of this page.
*class will be in-person, location TBD
ABOUT
Need a business plan? We do it a different way. Throughout this business model discovery process, participants identify and test business assumptions through customer interactions, develop a functioning business model, learn valuable management and marketing skills, and receive constructive feedback from advisor, peers, and former grads. At the end, you’ll have the tools, framework, and momentum you need to make your vision a reality–and the best part is you won’t be in it alone. It’s business plan 2.0.
WHO’S IT FOR?
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, or a seasoned entrepreneur looking to launch a new product or service, CO.STARTERS Bootcamp is for you. Co.STARTERS Bootcamp helps you build your business plan in a flexible community environment. The only real prerequisites are: having a business idea you’re ready, willing and excited to share and work on; and a willingness to study, shape and fine-tune that idea in a supportive, collaborative and welcoming environment. If you’re creative and community-minded, and you’re serious about turning your passion into a sustainable small business, we’re looking for you. No business plan required.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During CO.STARTERS Bootcamp, you’re not being lectured. This is isn’t your parent’s business plan class. This is an action-driven, collaborative process with a small and supportive group of like-minded entrepreneurs, led by a facilitator who’ll introduce concepts and help you immediately put them to work. We’ll discuss concepts, problems and solutions during class; you’ll apply them to your project or business during the week; and we’ll review and fine-tune together, so we’re all shaping toward success. You’ll leave the program with a deep understanding of how to create a viable business, and how to repeat that process with your next great idea.d
WHY CO.STARTERS Bootcamp?
APPROACHABLE
Uses simple, easy to understand language and addresses the full spectrum of adult learning styles.
COLLABORATIVE
Brings people together to learn from one another, creating a strong network of support for startups.
COMMUNITY CENTERED
Helps you and your business benefit from our welcoming community of creative entrepreneurs.
PRACTICAL
Offers a tangible process for identifying, testing, and adapting business assumptions to create a viable startup, and provides practical steps to launch, rather than theoretical concepts.
CUSTOMER FOCUSED
Assumes customers should be the primary concern in every aspect of creating a business, rather than spending months on a business plan.
INCLUSIVE
Helps shape passions into viable and sustainable business models, whether you’re a graphic designer, a jewelry maker, or the next next big software success story. Don’t spend months in garage writing the perfect business plan, come build a business model with us.
CURRICULUM
During CO.STARTERS Bootcamp, you’ll develop and fine-tune your business idea, building models based on your assumptions, tweaking your next steps through real-time customer feedback, learning valuable management and marketing skills and receiving constructive feedback from advisers, peers and local businesses. By honing your business (rather than your business plan) and updating your approach based on real feedback and customer demand, you’ll gain the skills you need to develop a viable business model.
- Part 1: Discover: Understand your business model and how to refine it.
- Part 2: Promote: Learn how to market your business.
- Part 3: Build: Dive into the basic building blocks needed for your financial modeling.
- Part 4: Launch: Build momentum by goal setting.
Pricing
The course fee is $25 (please inquire for scholarship opportunities). Full payment is required at the start of your first session. This fee is non-refundable.
KEC will send out an invoice through PayPal or Stripe to receive your payment.
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
If you feel that CO.STARTERS could add value to your community, we’d love to hear from you!
