By Coconino County Health & Human Resources — Business Empowerment Services
Coconino County’s Summer 2023 Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs (BBE) business plan development Zoom-based hybrid training will run 6-9pm, Tuesday evenings for 9-weeks, July 11th through September 5th. To join this training, please fully complete and email the BBE application and all other required supporting information. The purpose of this training is to assist development of viable business plans for successful enterprises, addressing the need for planning, one of two main reasons for business failure. BBE training is available to confirmed Coconino County residents. Attached are BBE and match-saving grant flyers and a fillable-PDF BBE application.
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.)
Once 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 arrives, enrollment confirmation is emailed. Usually 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. 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,” trainings were only online and are now hybrid. New partners are providing additional services for BBE present and past enrollees. Follow-up assistance is now available quarterly through the BBE Support Services Group (BBESSG) and our 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 may benefit.
Apply early, the BBE class is capped at 20, and approvals are less certain the longer you wait. Enrollment is secured once all required information is received and the class fee is paid online.