PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Getting a great idea or service to market can be challenging, even for those with business savvy.
That's why 1Berkshire and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are building on last year's Business Bootcamp to create a free program aimed at "fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout the Berkshires."
"One of the challenges we face here in Berkshire County is we have more entrepreneurs than what we think we do and they need support," said David Curtis, economic development specialist with 1Berkshire. "They don't know that the help is there simply for the asking."
Business Bootcamp, part of the Berkshier Starts program, accepted 13 entrepreneurs last year. The program was designed to guide participants through the elements necessary to start up and evolve a successful business in the Berkshires — from developing a business plan to pitching investors.
"We had some great people go through we're still working with two or three of them," Curtis said, including three MCLA students who presented their deep-sea fishing gear finder at the college's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge. "It was worth running it again this year."
This year, the program hopes to double that number and is getting the word out early. The deadline to apply is Nov. 15 and the workshops don't start until next March, but Curtis said the goal is to raise awareness that there are resources available.
Applications will be screened for viability to get the best available candidates and concepts, but the deadline may be pushed back to ensure a good field of candidates. The program is open to students, entrepreneurs, and early-stage business owners.
"We're very excited to partner again with MCLA to offer this important educational resource for entrepreneurs," Jonathan Butler, president and CEO of 1Berkshire, said in a statement. "As the scope and breadth of small business ownership continues to evolve in the Berkshires, programs like these are critical to supporting the changing needs of those leading those businesses."
The 12 workshops planned to run between March and April next spring include canvas business plan modeling, legal structure and intellectual property, funding, marketing and pitching investors, with extra focus in business accounting and design thinking. Each three-hour workshop will be presented by MCLA faculty and by business mentors in the Berkshire Starts program.
"The idea is to expose them to all the different aspects that they need," Curtis said. "They come to the table with a pretty good skill set but it's not perfect and we try to fill in the gaps."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Letter: Berkshire Community Action Council Rumors Hurt Fundraising Efforts
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
Most of you are familiar with BCAC. We are the federally designated anti-poverty agency for Berkshire County, serving nearly 12,000 families each year. We work hard to maintain the trust and respect of the communities we serve.
Overseen by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, we are required to comply each year with a rigorous 78 performance standards which govern all aspects of our organization. Proudly, we can boast that we are consistently 100 percent compliant with these standards which range from our community involvement, our transparency in reporting, our administration of programs, our financial accountability and much more. This positions us as one of the best run agencies in the commonwealth. Furthermore, as part of these standards, we are required to survey the community each year to assess satisfaction with our services.
This year, as in years past, we received an overwhelmingly positive response from our community. We just closed our online survey. With 436 individuals responding, 96.7 percent of those surveyed reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the services they received and for how families were treated. We pride ourselves on our accountability using less than 10 percent of our revenues each year to pay for administration.
Given this, we were shocked to hear that there are members of our community who are spreading untruthful accusations about our programs. We pride ourselves on the collaborative way we work with our partners in the community. We have always recognized that we can accomplish more when we work together. We have shared our resources with the community, not looking for recognition but for the sheer satisfaction of knowing that we are able to help close service gaps and serve more families in need of help. So, these rumors are not only hurtful but very damaging to our programming and reputation.
This year, donors have reported that they have heard these damaging rumors, and it is impacting our ability to raise funds to purchase the coats and boots for our Children's Warm Clothing program. I want to assure you that we administer our programs under the highest standards and always with the utmost respect for our families and their well-being. I am asking if anyone is concerned about rumors you have heard, to please contact me directly so that I can address these issues personally.
Residents continue to express concerns about PCB exposure from the former General Electric campus but health and environmental experts say there is no risk.
click for more
More than 200 early childhood professionals gathered at Taconic High School on Monday for the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children conference. click for more
The Select Board on Tuesday voted to delay any action on setting a special election to fill its vacant seat until the town confirms that proper legal procedures were followed. click for more