Douglas County Chamber Launches Co.Starter Program

DC Chamber Launches CO.STARTERS Program for Budding Entrepreneurs

Douglas County, GA (August 23, 2018) – The Douglas County Chamber, in partnership with the Douglas County Economic Development Authority, Douglas UnitE3 BB&T, and Mercer University will soon offer a new program for entrepreneurs and start-up companies. CO.STARTERS is a nine-week, cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs of all kinds with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn business ideas into action. The Chamber is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2018 program.

Drawing from the experience of successful entrepreneurs and start-up veterans from around the globe, CO.STARTERS walks creative small-business owners through lean, effective business modeling methods in a simple and intuitive way, and with the help of a supportive community. Rather than treating a start-up as a large corporation and writing a detailed business plan, CO.STARTERS participants are encouraged to build and test small models first. In the process, participants receive real-time customer feedback, update their models to meet customer needs and avoid creating businesses based on incorrect assumptions. The CO.STARTERS program has a global reach, serving numerous communities across the United States, New Zealand, and Australia.

In Douglas County, CO.STARTERS will be implemented and facilitated by Mercer University’s Douglas Campus. The nine-week CO.STARTERS program will kick off in October and finish with a celebration open to the community in December. The program is sponsored by the Douglas County Chamber, Douglas UnitE3, and BB&T. Cohort participants will receive high-level training weekly on Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. at Mercer’s Douglas County Campus located at 975 Blairs Bridge Road in Lithia Springs.
CO.STARTERS is offered as part of the Build Business Success Pillar of the new community strategic plan for Douglas County that was recently unveiled. The program aligns with the strategy to enhance support systems for entrepreneurs and startups. Small business remains one of the fundamental economic drivers for local economies and job creation, but these smaller-scale startups have not received the same level of support as their high-growth counterparts. CO.STARTERS aims to narrow that gap.

“The key to creating a thriving environment with an excellent quality of life, a strong talent pipeline, and community pride starts with building business success,” commented Chris Pumphrey, DC Economic Development Authority Executive Director, and Douglas County Community Strategic Plan Pillar Leader. “Strong, sustainable businesses are the driver for a successful community and we are excited to offer a program that will help entrepreneurs and Douglas County for many years to come.”

For more information, call the Douglas County Chamber at 770-942-5022.