Fort Bragg – Following the success of the StartUp Mendocino 2022 Business Accelerator Program, the West Business Development Center (“West Center”) is pleased to announce that applications for StartUp Mendocino 2023 will open on October 3, 2022. This free program is designed to give local entrepreneurs the opportunity to participate in an intensive training program and inspire new thinking about what they can do for their businesses, their communities and the economy of Mendocino County. . Participants build stronger and more lasting business and community connections, enabling businesses to become self-sufficient and resilient.
StartUp Mendocino 2023 builds on West Center’s successful entrepreneurial program, which began with the 2019 Pitch Competition and continued with the 2022 Business Accelerator Course. The 2022 program has 13 early stage entrepreneurs on their way to success.
Anthony Wells, owner of the Mendocino Drone and graduating from the program in June 2022, said: Our instructor, Rachel Clarke, encouraged me to become a business leader rather than spending a lot of time as a business technologist. “
The StartUp Mendocino 2023 program is application-based. Up to 12 entrepreneurs will be selected to participate in a specially designed curriculum. Participants will be provided with the tools to make their businesses more efficient, effective, productive and profitable. They will then become part of the growing StartUp Mendocino peer-to-peer network that provides ongoing collaboration across program timelines. During the 21-week program, participants will be introduced to a new approach in his series of five modules. These modules address business and financial planning, branding and marketing success, e-commerce technology and best practices, time management, and how to market your business.
Lead instructor Rachel Clark said: Knowing that the future of business is being tackled the right way empowers attendees to dream bigger and do more. Mendocino County needs more leaders like this. I look forward to leading the StartUp Mendocino 2023 program. “
The program will begin on Thursday 12th January 2023 with an in-person orientation session in Ukiah and will run every Tuesday from 16th January to 6th June 2023. The program graduation event will be held on Thursday. , 18 June 2023.
Throughout the program, the West Center provides participants with subject matter experts in marketing, financial planning, technology, and goal setting. In addition, participants benefit from community her outreach on each participant’s business her ventures, and access to planning departments, media contacts, and local organizations that support their growth.
Laura Brooks, program director at StartUp Mendocino, said: They really put their time into their business and have grown together as a cohort. Seeing their progress and collaboration has been inspiring and has given all of us who have supported the program hope for the future of small businesses in Mendocino County.With StartUp 2023, we will grow our economy together. You can keep it going and be one creative and brave small business at a time. “
The main criteria for submitting a StartUp Mendocino application are: His business is in Mendocino County. The business has been in operation for 1 to 3 years. Cannabis-related businesses are not eligible for this program at this time.
Those interested in the program and its requirements can sign up to receive information at https://www.westcenter.org/programs/startup-mendo–2023. Registration for the program opens at 8:00 am on Monday, October 3rd. The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 24th at 5pm. All applications will be submitted to a selection committee composed of business and community leaders and stakeholders, and finalists will be announced on Wednesday, November 23rd.
StartUp Mendocino 2023 is made possible (at the time of writing) with the generous support of our sponsors. Includes Tri Countys Bank, Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Redwood Credit Union, and County of Mendocino. The West Center is actively seeking sponsors and volunteers for this Mendocino Business Accelerator Program.
For more information on the program, please visit https://www.westcenter.org/programs/startup-mendo-2023 or contact Laura Brooks at laura@westcenter.org.