By Coconino County Health & Human Resources — Business Empowerment Services
If you are interested in our next Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs (BBE) business plan development training, please apply early. Trainings are now capped at 15 businesses for more personalized assistance. If you know someone else in Coconino County potentially interested, please forward this email to them and copy me if you want me to follow-up with them. [Note: Only one fee is charged per existing or new business, which is good for partnerships and family enterprises, allowing all members to attend classes.]
Coconino County’s Fall 2023 BBE business plan development Zoom-based hybrid training will run 6-9pm, Tuesday evenings, September 19th through November 14th. To enroll in this training, please reply attaching a fully completed BBE application and all other required supporting information. The purpose of this training is to assist development of viable business plans leading to enterprise success. Lack of planning is one of two main reasons for business failure. BBE training is available to confirmed Coconino County residents. Attached are a fillable-PDF BBE application flyers for BBE and our match-saving grant opportunity.
To enroll candidates should provide:
- Fully completed BBE application, including on page 1 their residential address, on page 4 and 5 type-in name/date where signatures are required, and on page 6 indicate the number of adults and children in the household, those working, and the total household income, liquid assets and debt amounts.
(Note: Arizona State subsidizes BBE trainings and requires this data to assess community socio-economic penetration.)
- Photo/copy of the document proving legal AZ state residency per page 5 (e.g. AZ driver license, but if the address isn’t a current Coconino County residence also provide item #3),
- Photo/copy of a utility bill, voter registration card, or other document or official mail showing the candidates name and Coconino County residential site address,
- Copy and paste total and sub-scores after taking a 12-minute entrepreneurial self-assessment (https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-toolkit/business-assessments/pages/self-assessment-test-your-entrepreneurial-potential.aspx), and
- In an email reply indicate adequate PC and Internet resources to login to our online, Zoom-based classes and LivePlan Web-portal . (Note: BBE classes are recorded and available online in case a class is missed or review is needed.)
When we receive and approve all of the above, a weblink is emailed for online payment of our $125 BBE class fee. Those eligible for our 50% scholarship pay only $62.50.
After payment is received, enrollment confirmation is emailed.Typically, no later than 2pm the first day of your BBE training, a Zoom login and other related information is sent to all BBE enrollees by our BBE facilitators at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Hybrid instruction allows participants to attend online via Zoom or in-person at Coconino Community College’s 4th St. campus, behind the eastside branch of the Flagstaff Public Library.
Surveys indicate, 70% of U.S. residents have dreamed of starting a business, but only 10% do, mostly for lack of know-how and capital. BBE provides Coconino County residents with know-how to start and/or expand a home-based or other micro-business(five or fewer employees). Individual Development Accounts (IDA), aka Save Then Spend More (STSM), match-saving grant opportunities help those eligible to fund their businesses, addressing lack of capital, the second main reason businesses fail. A separate email can be sent to candidates for IDA/STSM match-saving grant enrollment, or you can visit www.coconino.az.gov/ida.
Since 2007, ~700 local residents have enrolled in BBE trainings. In 2020, the BBE name changed from “Basic Business Empowerment” to “Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs,” and all trainings were only online. Starting this year most BBE classes may be attended online or in-person. More resources have been available for BBE present and past enrollees. Follow-up assistance is now through the BBE Support Services Group (BBESSG) partners (SBDC, SCORE, and others).
Visit www.coconino.az.gov/bbe or call me if you have any questions. Please forward this email to other Coconino County residents who you think may benefit.
Apply early, the BBE class is capped at 15, and approvals are less certain the longer candidates wait. Enrollment is secured once all required information is received and the class fee is paid online.