Pasco EDCWest Pasco Chamber of Commerce Partners with Pasco EDC to Offer SMARTstart CO.STARTERS
July 13, 2016
Registration for Small Business Development Program Accepted through July 29
New Port Richey, Fla. (July 13, 2015) — The West Pasco Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Pasco Economic Development Council to present the next session of SMARTstart CO.STARTERS in New Port Richey, Florida. CO.STARTERS is a nationally renowned, ten-week program that helps small business owners and entrepreneurs validate their business ideas and learn repeatable steps for converting those ideas into reality. The West Pasco session begins August 2, 2016, from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Marchman Technical College in New Port Richey.
“The West Pasco Chamber is excited to make this program available to both our current members and future business owners,” said Chip Wichmanowski, West Pasco Chamber of Commerce President. “CO.STARTERS will give the Chamber the chance to provide our local entrepreneurs the tools to grow their current businesses or start a new company with the best chance of success.”
The SMARTstart CO.STARTERS program is led by a trained business coach in a small, supportive group setting. Participants build the foundation of a business week-by-week, sharing concepts with fellow entrepreneurs to uncover potential obstacles and quickly find practical solutions.
Pasco EDC is partnering with chambers of commerce county-wide to offer the CO.STARTERS program to help residents who aspire to grow businesses and employment opportunities in Pasco County. The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners is helping to fund this program through Penny for Pasco.
“Every business starts with an idea, and we want to help turn those ideas into successful businesses,” Bill Cronin, Pasco EDC President/CEO stated. “Over the past year we have held four CO.STARTERS sessions and helped over 20 business owners start or grow successful businesses in Pasco County.”
Entrepreneurs interested in participating should register via the SMARTstart Pasco website. Up to fifteen slots are available for the upcoming session beginning August 2. An introductory registration fee of only $295 covers all 10 weeks of instruction and all supporting materials.
Wichmanowski noted, “This is a great deal for anyone wanting to start a business or help their existing business grow. The Chamber will work alongside anyone who wants help and we have the resources to help turn dreams into reality.”
Interested participants must register no later than Friday, July 29 at 4:00 pm.
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About Pasco Economic Development Council
Pasco EDC is a non-profit organization that promotes economic development in Pasco County, Florida. Pasco EDC continues to be a strong partnership funded by corporate and public investors focused on the economic vitality of Pasco County. www.pascoedc.com
About CO.STARTERS
CO.STARTERS came out of The Company Lab, a Chattanooga, Tennessee organization that offers programs and events to support local startups and innovators in Chattanooga and the surrounding region. The program takes the lessons learned from working with thousands of local, creative entrepreneurs and combines that knowledge with the lean business modeling methods used by high-growth startups. The CO.STARTERS model has been tested for years in Chattanooga, Cincinnati, and Detroit. www.costarters.co