GRAND RAPIDS ? All businesses start with an idea. But many of those ideas need a lot of fleshing out before they?re ready to be described in a business plan. Taking business ideas to the next step is what StartupCentral hopes to do.
StartupCentral was formed a year ago by David Brenner and Tom Edwards of IdeaWorks, which is part business incubator, part accelerator, part business consultant. Brenner also is chairman of Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest.
Brenner said StartupCentral provides networking opportunities with other entrepreneurs and investors, as well as an educational component to teach would-be entrepreneurs business basics well before they begin to craft their business plans.
StartupCentral recruits entrepreneurs from a region that extends west to Ann Arbor and south to Muncie, Indiana. It?s aimed at helping very early stage companies find seed capital to get them beyond the friends and family round of investing.
?We work with people that come up with something on the back of an envelope,? Brenner said. ?We discuss with them their various business issues. The group also serves as a match maker and information source for service providers. I?d like to see more activities like this to stir the entrepreneurial juices in the state. It?s good for everybody.?
On Dec. 6, StartupCentral will move business theory to practice with an event Brenner bills as Pitch Your Business in Five Breaths. It will be held at the Crush bar in the BOB in downtown Grand Rapids from 6 to 8 p.m. Here?s the scenario:
?Imagine yourself at a holiday cocktail party where you encounter a potential investor for your start-up business. You have a very short time to make your pitch and need a message with impact to open the door for further contact. It?s not an elevator pitch, but rather a more disciplined approach to anticipate questions and respond in a succinct, persuasive manner.?
The practice pitch session in front of real investors also will celebration StartupCentral?s first year. Investors and entrepreneurs who want to participate should contact IdeaWorks at (616) 454-4033 or click on
IdeaWorksLLC.Com for more information.
