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Date: 5/25/2021
EASTHAMPTON – The city of Easthampton and Blueprint Easthampton are starting an initiative to support informal entrepreneurs in the Easthampton area.
Titled the “Business Blueprint Program,” the eight-week initiative aims to help entrepreneurs access resources involving mindset and business basics. The program is made possible by a Massachusetts Urban Agenda Grant provided to the city of Easthampton.
This grant “offers funding on a competitive basis to local partnerships in urban communities,” and allows these cities to implement projects that are based on creative collaborative work models with the goal of achieving economic progress.
The specific Business Blueprint Program is a part of Easthampton’s overall initiative called Blueprint Easthampton. According to Kasey Corsello, who is a local integrative coach assisting with this program, Blueprint Easthampton is a part of Mayor Nicole LaChapelle’s pledge to promote innovation, education, and entrepreneurship by partnering with key constituents in the city to strengthen “regional innovation.”
“We meet weekly with our regional resource partners because we’re small,” said Corsello. “We tend to have a pioneer valley connection, which is great because we can help businesses collaborate.
Corsello, who also owns Corsello Butcheria on Cottage Street, said a program like Business Blueprint Program would assist the town in achieving equity, and allowing families to develop generational wealth.
“People have their circles, and if you don’t make a point to outreach or really impact areas that need support, then the information just kind of sits there,” said Corsello, who added that this Business Blueprint Program came from trying to develop people’s entrepreneurial mindset.
According to Corsello, many entrepreneurs have fear when they are first starting out in the world, especially during the pandemic. “Some people have taken the opportunity of having this pandemic to reevaluate what it is they’re doing with their life,” said Corsello. The program gives people a way to acquire assistance when they are thinking of pivoting in another direction, or if they need help starting out.
Dee Dice, consultant and business advisor, will be working with the businesses involved with the program on business planning, according to Corsello.
The first cohort is set to begin on June 1, and Corsello said that the plan is to have multiple cohorts following the one they are about to do now. “Our cohort is full,” said Corsello. “We have 10 businesses, and five of those businesses are not registered to the city, and five are.”
There are no prerequisites for the program, but Corsello did say that the city wanted to include groups that are usually underrepresented throughout the community, including women of color and people from the LGBTQ+ community.
When asked what advice she would give to a rising entrepreneur, Corsello said that they should start with the “why.”
“When we can connect to why we’re doing what we’re doing, and the bigger vision of it, it helps to inspire action to move forward,” said Corsello. “It’s a learning process, and you learn as you go.”
Those looking to find more information on the Blueprint Easthampton initiative can visit the Blueprint Easthampton website at https://blueprinteasthampton.com/.