Calling Cambria County creatives: Brand new business accelerator launches this summer!
Applications are being accepted through July 10th for a supportive business accelerator program, designed specifically for artists, makers, and craftspeople! Up to 10 creative entrepreneurs will be selected as a cohort for an intensive yearlong program focused on giving creative businesses the essential support they need to succeed.
Alliance for Creative Rural Economies (ACRE) provides participating creatives with the foundations to become confident business owners. Through an application process, the Creative Business Accelerator (CBA) and local ACRE partners will select up to 10 creative entrepreneurs and guide them through the program. ACRE participants will:
- Connect to other aspiring creative business owners in their community and build lasting relationships and the foundations for impactful collaborations
- Gain regional visibility for their creative business and their local community through the ACRE website, marketing, and sponsored activities
- Hear from experts on topics such as legal considerations, business finances, and successful marketing strategies
- Access direct support from business topic experts to improve everyday operations, entrepreneurial skills, and confidence in decision making
- Develop an actionable business plan that positions business owners to access investment, hire employees, activate space, or achieve other entrepreneurial goals
Applications are open now through July 10th.
Click here to apply!
Erika Broas, the founder of Erika Blair Jewelry and member of the Johnstown 2022 Cohort, credits the program with allowing her to follow her dream and professionalize her passion. “ACRE absolutely changed my life as an independent artist,” she says. “I was connected with so many fantastic artists in the cohort, who I’ve made lasting connections with. The business coaching provided by ACRE also helped me to organize and professionalize my business, leading me toward my ultimate goal: a financially independent jewelry artist.”
For more information, contact Katie Johnson (kjohnson@bridgewaycapital.org), director of the Creative Business Accelerator.
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
