Through Nov. 15 — Enroll now for Fall 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).

Those enrolled for our next BBE training also can hear noon-hour, Wed. BBESSG presentation via Zoom:

• On 6/29, Morgan Baggs, Coconino SBDC, will present on small business web security, including password, security question, and other common vulnerabilities, common threats, back-up, and protection.

Coconino County’s Summer ’22 BBE business plan development Zoom-based training will run 6-9pm, Tuesday evenings for 9-weeks, Sept. 20^th through Nov. 15^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 we receive all the above, we’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 by about 1pm the day of your first class (6-9pm, Tuesday, Sept. 20^th) a Zoom login weblink will be sent to all BBE enrollees by our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) facilitator.

In 2020, Coconino County’s BBE training moved online and its name changed from “Basic Business Empowerment” to “Building Businesses & Entrepreneurs” (BBE). New funding and partners help us to provide business support services for present and past BBE participants and Individual Development Accounts (IDA) match saving grant opportunities. A separate email can be sent to further inform and enroll those eligible for IDA participation.