Speedy
Start-up
Get your business up and running in 12 weeks!
The Bucks County Workforce Investment Board is partnering with The Bamboo Project, Inc. to help 10-12 unemployed residents of Bucks County, PA start their own business.
We'll help you come up with a business idea and create a simple plan. Then you'll test market your idea and get your business up and running within 12 weeks. You'll learn how to minimize your upfront costs and maximize your profits. And the process you'll learn can be repeated again and again to continue building your business.
Our next class runs from January 21-April 8, 2015. You'll have your business up and running by Spring!
Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business?
ABOUT SPEEDY START-UP
The Project
The Bucks County Workforce Investment Board is partnering with The Bamboo Project, Inc. to help 10-12 unemployed Bucks County residents start their own small business.
Over a 12-week period, we'll walk you through weekly activities and assignments designed to take you from the idea stage to actually implementing your business plan. You'll receive structured support, ongoing coaching and guidance, access to resources and information and, best of all, you'll be working with other entrepreneurs who are going through the same process with you.
The Winter 2015 Speedy Startup Class will run from January 21-April 8, 2015. It includes:
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Mandatory Full Day Jumpstart Session (9 a.m.-3 p.m.)--January 21, 2015. Please note that if you cannot attend this full-day session, you will not be able to participate in the course!
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Wednesday Meetings (1-3:30 p.m.) from January 28-April 8, 2015.
The Full Day Jumpstart Meeting will take place at the Bucks County CareerLink, 1260 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA.
After that, all weekly meetings will be held at the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce, 409 Hood Blvd., Fairless Hills, PA.
FAQ
Do I have to have an idea for my business to participate?
Although it can be helpful to have some idea of the business you want to start, it's not necessary. In fact, we'll be spending some time in the first few sessions brainstorming and refining your ideas so you can select one to work on launching throughout the rest of the Speedy Start-Up Series.
Do I have to attend all the weekly meetings to participate?
Although we understand that sometimes life can intervene, our expectation is that you will attend all in-person meetings of the Speedy Start-Up, including the full-day start-up session and the 11 weekly sessions.
Previous participants have found that the weekly sessions were the best way for them to stay on track toward achieving their business goals. They also provided a valuable place to share contacts, resources and ideas for their businesses.
Will I need money to participate and set up my business?
Participation in the Speedy Start-Up is free--costs are being covered by the Bucks County Workforce Investment Board.
As for starting up your business--our goal will be to help you minimize your start-up costs as much as possible. We will help you identify how much money you have available to invest in your start-up as part of the initial decision-making process about what idea to pursue. And then we will help you look for ways to leverage your resources so you can get the most bang for your buck.
One of the key rules of entrepreneurship is to understand and work within your means. There are tons of business ideas you can get going for only a few $100 (or less). We'll help you find and think through those opportunities.
What happens in between the weekly meetings?
One of the major things we'll do in our weekly meetings is help you set your goals and identify what you'll be working on throughout the rest of the week to get your business up and running.
You will have homework assignments to complete that will help you accomplish key tasks for building and launching your business. You will also identify additional tasks based on your specific business plan.
If you're serious about launching your business within the 12-week series, you will be doing a LOT of work throughout the week to keep things moving. Think of it as your new full-time job--one that can have huge payoffs if you invest your time and energy in yourself and your new business venture.
Our expectation is that you will use the time between meetings to do the bulk of the work on your business. So be prepared to not only commit to the 2.5 hour weekly, meetings, but also to doing the daily work necessary to get your business up and running.
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Eligibility
To participate in the project, you must:
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Be a resident of Bucks County, 18 or older.
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Be laid off or you have received a notice of lay-off.
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Complete the eligibility process for WIA services through the Bucks County CareerLink.
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Demonstrate your committment to working through the process of starting up your business through an interview with the Speedy Startup facilitators.
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Be committed to going through the weekly activities and following through with the homework assignments that will get your business up and running
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Be able to attend our weekly in-person sessions, including the full-day Jumpstart session on January 21, 2015
