Month: December 2024

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Since a team of experienced business leaders officially launched Cobb County Business Bootcamp (CCBB) in March, nearly 150 small businesses joined the new organization focused on helping Cobb-based minority-owned small business owners. 

CCBB exists to support these owners at all stages of their enterprise, from evolving their idea to securing launch funds, from solving complex questions of marketing, sales, operations or finance to  determining when to expand or sell. 

“I recommended The CCBB to a few fellow business owners and encouraged them to join,” said Jodi Holtz, founder of Cobb-based Happy Helper Organizing. “Their team is really helpful, and the website tips and roundtables were beneficial.”

Courses around people management (i.e., hiring, onboarding, development and training), leadership and a course titled “Is entrepreneurship for you?” are for small business owners. The experienced CCBB team provides free tools, knowledge and Done With You consulting services providing support to write a successful business story. They also offer weekly webinars on topics such as financial literacy, marketing tips and website reviews. 

“We assembled a range of seasoned experts, each with a proven record, who created an A-to-Z business program with DIY online courses, live workshops, peer-to-peer roundtables and done-with-you consulting services,” said CCBB President Brian Kramer. “Our commitment is to provide minority small business owners much needed support to not only survive but also thrive and grow.” 

The brainchild of Kramer and a small group of longtime business collaborators, CCBB’s growing community is free, available thanks to a federal grant established in 2022. Kramer’s team secured funding through a competitive national request for proposal process, with resources now available to sustain CCBB for several years. The team used the second half of 2023 to prepare initial content, with a soft launch taking place in March 2024. 

With original, team-assembled content informed by the Cobb County business landscape, CCBB offers six multi-course pathways with focus on sales, marketing, operations, finance/legal, human resources and entrepreneurial evolution. 

In addition to the educational pathways, CCBB also provides a mix of live or in-person member events as well as an online community platform for collaboration. The CCBB team also helps members connect with qualified and vetted subject matter experts with a history of support for small businesses.

“We want any minority small business owner in Cobb County to know we’re open, our services are free, and we are eager to help them succeed,” said Kramer. “One of our key differentiators is that CCBB is set up to help many types of businesses, from mom-and-pop startups in a home office or kitchen to retail businesses or franchises across the community.” 

Cobb County Business Bootcamp is a community of established business owners helping fellow business owners to find success. Since officially opening, CCBB accepted 139 business owners as member participants. The detailed application process, open to business owners 21 and older, is available online via TheCCBB.com/apply. 

“It’s a team of embedded mentors providing the opportunity to grow business, develop relationships and find fellowship,” said Evan Summers, founder of Now Schmear This. “I’m looking forward to The CCBB’s launch of Done With You services providing a side-by-side mentor who will help with growth for my business and for me professionally.”

For convenience, the CCBB website includes six language options—English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin and Hindi—tailored to serve Cobb County’s diverse array of small businesses. 

“One of the biggest challenges faced by minority small business owners is simply deciding when and how to tackle the challenges they face,” said Laurie Genevish, CCBB Director of Development and Delivery. “Our evolving curriculum is designed to give everyone a place to start and to see things through to a solution with expert input, listening and exploring all the facets of the business opportunity.”

With offices based in a shared workspace at Roam Galleria Parkway at 3101 Cobb Pkwy. SE in northwest Atlanta, the CCBB team aspires and is on track to achieve engagement with over 200 members by the end of 2024. 

“The CCBB’s services resonate with me on many levels, as the organization is both local and easily accessible within the community,” said Robert Joseph, Ph.D., co-founder of Team MindShift. “Their topics align perfectly with what I need as an entrepreneur, and the opportunity to network with others adds tremendous value.”

CCBB encourages diverse applicants including all races, LGBTQ, veteran and/or women-owned businesses. 

“A community of like-minded and supportive people is so very important. It’s the being AND the doing,” said Kristen Santos, a certified professional coach and licensed occupational therapist who founded Kristen Coached Me. “Being in a community helps me become the entrepreneur I desire so I can do good work!” 

Cobb County Business Bootcamp is a community of established business owners helping fellow business owners to find success. Launched in 2024 with a federally funded grant, the Cobb County Business Bootcamp is a program created for minority-owned small business owners and those dreaming of starting their own businesses in Cobb County, Ga. The program offers education, community and practical suggestions to launch and expand sustainable businesses. For more information or to apply, visit www.TheCCBB.com and follow @theCCBB on Instagram.  

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