For about 20 years, Connie Baker planted seeds and enjoyed the harvest of vegetables. The excess went to friends and family. This year, she decided to change that.
“I went online and googled entrepreneurial programs,” said Baker, who finished theClubhou.se’s 12-week Make Startups Aug. 12.
The deadline for registration of the fall class for students in need of financial aid is Aug. 18; other students have until Sept. 10 to register; and classes will start Sept. 20.
MORE: theClubhou.se To Pilot Entrepreneur Training Program
She wanted to make her urban farm a source of income, so she signed up for the class.
The training and the relationships have been invaluable to her, she said.
She received her journeyman farmer certificate from the University of Georgia and began to market her fresh produce. She built relationships she’s made with others in the class, discovering outlets for her vegetables including Augusta Locally Grown and the Georgia Food For Health Vegetable Prescription Program. Another classmate plans to open a vegan restaurant in December and use Baker’s vegetables for the dishes.
Classes meet two nights a week for four to six hours a week. They cover several areas including creating a business plan, market analysis, branding, incorporating technology, accounting and bookkeeping, licenses and contracts.
Make Startups students receive a nine-month membership to theClubhou.se and one-on-one mentoring with coaches and mentors.
“That was the main thing that got my attention,” she said. “I needed a mentor.”
Tonia Gibbons is another program graduate.
She needed a push to take her idea to the next level, according to a news release from theClubhou.se.
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“I had some pieces missing,” she said of her business, Farr More & Associates. “The training prompted me to work on my business plan, do research on my market to make sure it’s viable, encouraged me to make sure that the business is structured right and can earn money to sustain and grow.”
For those who need financial aid, no-interest loans with a repayment plan are available at this website.
Make Startups is a program developed by business leaders to give entrepreneurs the tools to “help entrepreneurs master the skills necessary to improve their access to capital,” the news release said.
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“We know that customers, capital and connections are what make a business successful. That’s why we teach a human-centered approach to help entrepreneurs understand customers and meet their needs,” said Grace Belangia, co-founder of Make Startups and theClubhou.se in a news release. “We work with investors, bankers and financial service professionals to teach entrepreneurs how to acquire and manage investment. And we help entrepreneurs build their network through mentorships, partners, events, and our collaborative workspaces.”
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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