Elevate Entrepreneurs celebrates spring graduating class

On Tuesday, April 22, proud families and friends gathered with Elevate Branson staff and volunteers to celebrate the spring graduating class of the Elevate Entrepreneurs program. The program is designed for individuals who desire to own a small for-profit business, providing tools to help them succeed, preparing for realities and challenges so those don’t become pitfalls or barriers to success. 

The following students completed the class and are preparing to serve the community in their businesses: 

• Chris Alderton, Everyday Home Repair LLC, Handyman 

• Bruce Giggers, CForth, E-Commerce retail 

• Haley House, Nature Muhyi Mei, Natural remedy products 

• Gustavo Marquez, Gustavo el Fotografo, Photography 

• Annette Morris, Team Elite, Hospitality employee supplier 

• Jaime Segura, HealthBody, Wellness & fitness center 

• Julio Tamez, Mr. Skky Event, Social event network 

• Jeffrey Vick, Shine On Shoe Shine, Shoe shining 

• John Williams, The Spicy Gringo, Tacos & handmade salsas 

Elevate Entrepreneurs is a 12-week course, three hours per week in class and an hour a week outside of class focused on business work—some might call it homework, but it’s taking the classroom knowledge and applying it to the student’s individual business. This work consists of things business owners need to do but often don’t get around to consciously doing—for example, after learning about pricing strategies, students are asked to research possible competitors and look at their pricing, then decide on initial pricing and make revenue projections. Class members also benefit from the expertise of area professionals: 

• An accountant explaining the importance of keeping personal and business finances separate

• A banker who shows students how to open a business account

• A lawyer who discusses the benefits of different business classifications such as LLCs and S-Corps

·       An insurance company representative who explains types of coverage that might be neededClass session topics include•    Business idea feasibility•    Basic business cycle•    Profit & loss statements•    Basic bookkeeping•    Budgeting•    Cash flow managementElevate Entrepreneurs partners with the Missouri Small Business Development Center, who helps connect our entrepreneurs with resources, and with City on a Hill property management who helps connect graduates with owners who can use their services.By helping people achieve their business dreams, Elevate Entrepreneurs is part of the overall Elevate Branson mission of helping community neighbors reach their full potential. The next Elevate Entrepreneurs class will start right after Labor Day on September 2, but potential business owners or those wanting to get started improving their skills can reach out to Chris.Hunter@ElevateBranson.org, and he can begin connecting you with resources to start and grow your business.