Budding business people are shown Friday evening an entrepreneurship workshop offered by the Rising Queens. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation gave the organization a $24,000 grant to offer the workshops. The second series of classes is in progress with a third planned for July.
Budding business people are shown Friday evening an entrepreneurship workshop offered by the Rising Queens. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation gave the organization a $24,000 grant to offer the workshops. The second series of classes is in progress with a third planned for July.
BELOIT—From farmers to a fashion designer, a diverse group of people planning to grow their own businesses are devoting their Friday evenings to a series of entrepreneurial workshops thanks to the Rising Queens.
The non-profit organization received $24,000 from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to provide the courses which are offered free to any interested people. The classes are held at the Rising Queens’ home offices at 401 Park Ave.
The first group of a dozen students attended the courses and graduated on March 25. Rising Queens Executive Director Tracy Dumas said the second group kicked off on Friday evening and a third section, set for July, already has a waiting list. Dumas said some of the budding business people who have attended have launched cleaning, food and other businesses.
The six chapters covered in the class deal with how to legally set up a business, creating a dynamic team, marketing, the elevator pitch and more, with a quiz each week. Successful business owners will be chatting with the students via Zoom to motivaite and instruct them.
Dumas said Beloit has a lot of talented people who don’t realize they can grow their home business revenue to support their families.
Victoria Leavy, 59, said she’s worked at the Rockford Post Office and is preparing for her next venture after she retires from her day job in three years. She was eager to take the class and get her business plans in place.
“I always wanted to open my own cleaning business. I jumped on it,” she said. “Some people like shopping, I like cleaning.”
Daniel Weston, who is working the third shift at a warehouse, said he hopes to start a clothing brand and have it running steady in three to five years. He said Friday’s class was a big step toward his dreams.
“It will take time,” Weston said. “I want to start out with T-shirts and hoodies and expand into everything I can.”
Yolanda Green, who was laid off from Chrysler in Belvidere, said it was the right time to consider her own business of real estate investment. She wants to buy up some properties to rehab, help transition low-income people into home ownership and create a senior community one day. She said her parents have been in real estate and her brother is a construction worker who can help her work on properties. She participated in the tail end of the last class and is taking the current class.
“I’ve learned a great deal of information and resources, and Tracy’s been a really good asset as far as motivation and inspiring me to be pointed in the right direction,” Green said.
This year she hopes to buy her first property.
Troy Danto, a farmer of eight years, is taking the class with his new business partner and new corn and soybean farmer Rod Cox. Cox is currently working a day job at Chrysler in Belvidere, but is planning for his retirement in three years when he hopes to supplement his income with farming.
Danto has farmed 300 acres, and Cox will tend his first 150 acres this spring.
“I’m putting him to the test already. He seems good at mechanics,” Danto said.
Danto and Cox said there is more to farming than just planting. With supplies being as much as double and triple the price this year, there are business concerns. What they planned as profits is not what is projected although the price of corn is rising and things are looking a little brighter.
Dumas, who is leading the classes, owns her own business, R Taxes LLC, which assists with personal and small business income taxes and offers consultations about starting a small business.
While facilitating the first set of workshops, Dumas worked on a plan to start R Family Care Services LLC. Her new business provides respite care for children with disabilities and cooking, cleaning and errand running for seniors.
