Through March 7 — Enroll now for Winter Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs (BBE) Training

By Coconino County Health & Human Resources

Since 2007, over 600 local residents have enrolled in Coconino County’s Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs (BBE) business plan development training. Now we’ve added BBE Support Services Group (BBESSG) presentations, plus new cash assistance and referral incentives each worth up to $500. It’s been said 70% of the U.S. population has dreamed of starting a business but only 10% do, mostly for lack of know-how and capital. BBE training is for those starting and/or expanding a home-based or other micro-business (five or less employees).

Coconino County’s Winter ’23 BBE business plan development Zoom-based training will run 6-9pm, Tuesday evenings for 9-weeks, Jan. 10^th through Mar. 7^th. To join this training, please fully complete and send via reply email your application and all supporting documentation. The purpose of this training is to help you develop a viable business plan for a successful enterprise, addressing one of the two main reasons for business failure. BBE training is available only to confirmed Coconino County residents. Attached are BBE and match grant flyers and a blank fillable PDF BBE application.

To enroll please provide:

1. Fully completed BBE application, including a) on page 1 your residential address, b) on page 4 and 5 type-in your name & date where signatures are required, and c) on page 6 the number of adults and children in your household, those working, and their income, assets, and debt amounts. (Arizona State subsidizes our trainings and requires this data to assess the community impact.)
2. Photo/copy of the document proving legal AZ state residency per page 5 (e.g. AZ driver license, but if address isn’t your current Coconino County residence, also provide item #3),
3. Photo/copy of a utility bill, voter registration card, or other document or official mail showing your name and Coconino County residential site address,
4. Copy and paste your 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
5. In your reply indicate you have adequate PC and Internet resources to login to our Zoom-based, online classes. (BBE classes are recorded and available on YouTube, in case you miss a class or just want review something.)

After I receive all the above, if approved, I’ll provide you a link for you to pay online your $125 BBE class fee. Per your application, if you are eligible for our 50% scholarship you’ll pay only $62.50.

When we have your payment you are enrolled and will receive confirmation.  Later, usually no later than 2pm the first day of the BBE course a Zoom login weblink and other related information will be sent to all BBE enrollees by our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) facilitator.

Save Then Spend More [formerly Individual Development Accounts (IDA)] match saving grant opportunities help those eligible to address their need for capital. A separate email can be sent to further inform and enroll those eligible for saving match grant participation. In 2020, Coconino County’s BBE training moved online, its name changed from “Basic Business Empowerment” to “Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs” (BBE), and additional partners began helping us provide business support services for present and past BBE participants.

Visit www.coconino.az.gov/bbe or call me if you have any questions. And, please forward this email it to other Coconino County resident you think may benefit.

Apply early, the BBE class is capped at 20, approvals will be uncertain after 1/3, and a received class fee enrolls approved applicants.