SUPPORTS
Core (9-week)
How is the data collected through the impact measurement system used?
The data is used to help you understand how your local programs are working, as well as integrated with everyone else’s data to give us a pulse of the CO.STARTERS community as a whole. We [...]
Why should we use the impact measurement system?
You will know who is in your programs and how you’ve helped them. You’ll know how CO.STARTERS programs are being effective in your community. You’ll have the concrete data on both activities and outcomes that [...]
Is the impact measurement system mandatory?
The system works best for all of us if everyone uses it. We strongly recommend using it because it will help you: know who is in your programs and how you've helped them. know how [...]
What do we need to do as an organization for the impact measurement system to be helpful?
The more priority and support you give this, the better the information we’ll be able to provide. We count on you to remind, encourage, and incentivize your participants to complete the surveys. You may even [...]
How do I contextualize CO.STARTERS Core for ________ audience?
Sometimes our members want to focus a cohort on a specific type of business or entrepreneur—food, arts, women-owned—and ask how they can best contextualize the program. CO.STARTERS was designed to be able to address [...]
Can the Get Started Workshop be used as a recruiting tool for CO.STARTERS Core?
Absolutely! In fact, we encourage you to use the Get Started Workshop as a teaser to help recruit participants for CO.STARTERS Core. Since it minimally covers some of the same information (like the Canvas), it [...]
What are some best practices for marketing or tips for recruiting participants?
While we provide helpful templates for flyers, social graphics, and other recruiting tools, many organizations overlook one of the most important sources: strategic partners. Determine what other groups already exist in your community and then [...]
How should I price CO.STARTERS Core for participants?
Our members charge anywhere in the range of $90-$1,995 per person; the average participant fee is around $350. While we require that an exchange of value needs to occur between your organization and program [...]
Can CO.STARTERS Core be done in less than 10 weeks or in a different order?
Much time and testing was put into the development of the CO.STARTERS Core program to ensure each participant gets the help they need. Information is meant to build slowly and follow a particular progression [...]
How do facilitators become trained on CO.STARTERS Core?
In order to facilitate CO.STARTERS Core, facilitators must go through either an in-person Community Training or a two-day virtual National Facilitator Training and be certified. Visit this link to sign up for an upcoming [...]
What is the structure of CO.STARTERS Core?
Groups of 10-15 entrepreneurs meet together for ten weeks, meeting one day a week for three hours, led by a facilitator.
What do participants get out of CO.STARTERS Core?
Our guarantee is that participants will know their next step. Additionally, they'll get: A deeper understanding of how to create a sustainable business, i.e. a process for figuring out whether or not an idea is [...]
Who is the ideal participant for CO.STARTERS Core?
The best candidate for CO.STARTERS Core is either (1) someone with a new idea for a business or (2) an existing business looking to become more sustainable, launch a new product or service, or scale. [...]