Christmas came early this year at Green County Development Corporation! The gift to the businesses in our county came from Blackhawk Technical College.
BTC President Tracy Pierner approached GCDC with a proposal to use the north end of the Monroe BTC campus as a business development center. Newly named the Enterprise Center, this 2,850-square-foot space with a separate entrance (across from the Alp & Dell Cheese Store) and five rooms will transform businesses in Green County.
We now have a dedicated space for business owners to work one-on-one with our business consultants or their clients; host presentations for small groups and high-level meetings; attend business development seminars; and have the opportunity for peer networking and learning.
The need
Over the past four years, GCDC has been on a journey to identify how to best meet the needs of new and current business owners. We embarked on a process of interviews to test assumptions about the need for business incubator programs and incubator space. (Business incubators are a combination of business development assistance programs and infrastructure designed to nurture new and small businesses by helping them survive and grow through the difficult and vulnerable early stages of development.)
It became clear through our interview process that Green County needed a well-defined business assistance program with help from our partners such as BTC, Small Business Development Corporation, Southwest Community Action Program, Department of Workforce Development, Prosperity Southwest and the Center for Dairy Research.
The collaboration
Through grant funding from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the William S. Knight Foundation, we have launched a new program to support entrepreneurs, early-stage growth businesses and business in transition to start and grow in Green County. These services will be housed at the Enterprise Center at BTC Monroe Campus.
BTC's commitment has gone above and beyond expectations for the Enterprise Center space. All of the rooms have been freshly painted and equipped with computers, projectors and high-speed internet for training and presentations.
Enterprise Center Open House - April 19
We invite businesses and community members to join us for an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at the new Enterprise Center, 210 4th Ave., Monroe. We will host tours, and partners will be available to talk about how we work together to strengthen our businesses.
Business Assistance Seminar - April 17
If you are a business owner or entrepreneur, you may want to get a sneak peek at the Enterprise Center when we host the "Your Keys to Business Success" seminar at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 17. This two-hour coaching session is designed to help businesses with marketing, financing, human resources and legal questions. The seminar is led by economic development professionals, local lending institutions and business advisors. The cost for the program is $10. Register at www.prosperitysouthwest.com/business-resources. Or find a link on GCDC's Facebook page. (And like us while you're there.)
Let us know
If you are a business owner, please let us know what you need. We work closely with our partners to ensure Green County businesses continue to grow and thrive. GCDC is committed to building the economic future of our communities through these partnerships. We promote Green County as the place for businesses to start, grow or relocate. Find us online at www.greencountyedc.com or call us at (608) 328-9452.
- Cara Carper is executive director at Green County Development Corporation. She can be reached at cara.gcdc@tds.net.
BTC President Tracy Pierner approached GCDC with a proposal to use the north end of the Monroe BTC campus as a business development center. Newly named the Enterprise Center, this 2,850-square-foot space with a separate entrance (across from the Alp & Dell Cheese Store) and five rooms will transform businesses in Green County.
We now have a dedicated space for business owners to work one-on-one with our business consultants or their clients; host presentations for small groups and high-level meetings; attend business development seminars; and have the opportunity for peer networking and learning.
The need
Over the past four years, GCDC has been on a journey to identify how to best meet the needs of new and current business owners. We embarked on a process of interviews to test assumptions about the need for business incubator programs and incubator space. (Business incubators are a combination of business development assistance programs and infrastructure designed to nurture new and small businesses by helping them survive and grow through the difficult and vulnerable early stages of development.)
It became clear through our interview process that Green County needed a well-defined business assistance program with help from our partners such as BTC, Small Business Development Corporation, Southwest Community Action Program, Department of Workforce Development, Prosperity Southwest and the Center for Dairy Research.
The collaboration
Through grant funding from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the William S. Knight Foundation, we have launched a new program to support entrepreneurs, early-stage growth businesses and business in transition to start and grow in Green County. These services will be housed at the Enterprise Center at BTC Monroe Campus.
BTC's commitment has gone above and beyond expectations for the Enterprise Center space. All of the rooms have been freshly painted and equipped with computers, projectors and high-speed internet for training and presentations.
Enterprise Center Open House - April 19
We invite businesses and community members to join us for an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at the new Enterprise Center, 210 4th Ave., Monroe. We will host tours, and partners will be available to talk about how we work together to strengthen our businesses.
Business Assistance Seminar - April 17
If you are a business owner or entrepreneur, you may want to get a sneak peek at the Enterprise Center when we host the "Your Keys to Business Success" seminar at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 17. This two-hour coaching session is designed to help businesses with marketing, financing, human resources and legal questions. The seminar is led by economic development professionals, local lending institutions and business advisors. The cost for the program is $10. Register at www.prosperitysouthwest.com/business-resources. Or find a link on GCDC's Facebook page. (And like us while you're there.)
Let us know
If you are a business owner, please let us know what you need. We work closely with our partners to ensure Green County businesses continue to grow and thrive. GCDC is committed to building the economic future of our communities through these partnerships. We promote Green County as the place for businesses to start, grow or relocate. Find us online at www.greencountyedc.com or call us at (608) 328-9452.
- Cara Carper is executive director at Green County Development Corporation. She can be reached at cara.gcdc@tds.net.
