A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of Greater     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News December 18, 2004 - More business boot camps set. Four sessions planned for 2005 By Colin Atagi, Daily Tribune Staff Wendy Klotz is running her own cake-decorating business less than a year after she lost her job when County Market closed in January. It's a step she said she couldn't have taken without attending the Community Progress Initiative's entrepreneurial boot camp. "It was just very helpful to be able to talk to other people thinking of going into business, and talking to people who were already in business and learning a lot from them," she said. "They pretty much talked about what they did, and what worked for them and what didn't work for them." The next boot camp will be in January. Klotz attended the training session during the summer, and she opened Party Time Cakes and More two weeks ago at 1850 Eighth St. S. Two boot camps were held in 2004, a number that will double in 2005. About 20 people attended the first two camps, and organizers of the Community Progress Initiative hope to get 20 people to attend each of the camps next year. "The program is still underutilized, and we need more participants," said Heather Wessling, business development specialist for the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance, which organized the boot camps with the Community Foundation of South Wood County. Wessling encourages anyone interested to participate because the boot camps take advantage of local expertise and are a good place for participants to network. It also provides an environment for everyone to test their ideas in a confidential setting, she said. Klotz worked at County Market for more than six years as a cake decorator and also taught the art form at Mid-State Technical College for a while. Although she already had the skills to create a good product, the boot camp taught her how to run a business, she said. "It went very smoothly, and it was extremely helpful that you had other people to bounce ideas off of," she said. Each boot camp is held over a four-day period and is designed to motivate students and develop their ideas into workable business plans. The session closes with a panel of local business experts critiquing the business plans. "The five of them sit on this panel and when someone presents their business plan to them, they'll gauge the feasibility to get financial backing and if they think the business plan will work," Wessling said. "It's like having your own personal board of directors, and it's real." Organizers also are trying to put together an entrepreneurial club for the graduates to network with each other. The boot camps cost $75, but Klotz doesn't think anyone should be turned away by the cost. "The money isn't even an issue," she said. "It's the time and what you learn. It's worth its weight in gold." You can reach Colin Atagi at 422-6728 or at catagi@wisconsinrapidstribune.com About the Initiative The Community Progress Initiative is a three-year program organized by the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and the Community Foundation of South Wood County. The goal is to enhance the local economy and build optimism in south Wood County communities and the town of Rome. The first entrepreneurial boot camp of 2005 is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15 and 8:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 16 at Mid-State Technical College. It will cost $75 to participate, and food and drinks will be provided. The deadline to enroll is Jan. 7. Future courses are scheduled for April 21, June 16 and Sept. 29. For more information, call the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance at 422-4856.
		Copyright © 2004, Community Progress Initiative, South Wood County & Town of Rome