Wis. (WBAY) – Aspiring entrepreneurs in the Manitowoc area can learn from local professionals this fall through a training program focused on building a foundation for business success
Progress Lakeshore, in partnership with the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center, hopes to continue bolstering its small business base again this fall.
Lily Schuette, co-owner of The Nook Lounge & Bookstore, went through the program.
“You get a business idea and you think this is going to be great, wonderful. You have no idea your market in, you know, where you live or anything like that. So she really just gave us a lot of help with that, just understanding Manitowoc and the community and then she gave us a lot of good resources,” Schuette said.
Organizers of the program feel it could directly boost Manitowoc’s economy.
“They walk away with a business plan at the end. They work through some of the elements that go into planning a business, not just starting a business, but planning a business,” said Jamie Zastrow, the executive director of Progress Lakeshore.
The course costs $1,000, but the price can drop as low as $50 total through grants and scholarships.
“This week alone, I visited a couple businesses that are about to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Well, those started with somebody having an idea 70 years ago and has grown to many employees and tens of thousands of square feet of manufacturing space. That’s where it all starts. And you need to continue that cycle so that this community can continue to thrive into the future,” Zastrow said.
“It was really just like great tips and tricks, and we just worked a lot as a group to get our businesses up and running,” Schuette said.
Classes will take place on Thursday nights from Sept. 17 through Nov. 12.
Anyone interested in signing up can learn more on the Progress Lakeshore website
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