CenterState CEO’s Small Business Basics Course Graduates Newest Cohort

Twenty-one individuals are a few steps closer to starting their own businesses in Central New York. CenterState CEO’s Start It! Business Basics course graduated its most recent class in June. This class is larger than the typical Start It! class, and businesses ranged from salons and clothing lines to real estate developers and an IT business. 

During the 12-week course, students learn the necessary skills to create a business plan and be a successful entrepreneur. This includes understanding entity structure, accounting basics, marketing skills, and more. By the end of the course, students should have what they need to draft a business plan. This group utilized a new live business plan tool, enabling even more students to complete a business plan and prepare for their next steps.  

This round of Start It! brought in Greg Ayers as the instructor, a leader with 15 years of supervisory expertise. Ayers knows that this program is not only beneficial to those taking the courses, but to the whole community.  

“They play a crucial role in fostering entrepreneurship. It is imperative to have more individuals who are willing to take bold risks, contribute to their family legacies, and actively participate in building the local economy,” Ayers said.  

Start It! focuses on not only business creation, but sustainability. Small businesses often overextend themselves in the early days of their business. The curriculum is designed to teach new entrepreneurs how to take on the right projects that will keep their business going. This, coupled with mentorship received from their instructors and other members of the Central New York business community, keeps individuals from missing vital components that make up a successful business. 

“They are equipped with valuable insights into the common pitfalls encountered by entrepreneurs, including the importance of avoiding financial mismanagement and the mishandling of funds,” Greg Ayers said. 

The assistance students get during the course doesn’t stop with graduation. CenterState CEO is committed to being a free, long-term resource to those who go through its small business development programs. The CenterState CEO team provides follow-up business plan reviews and connection to a network of existing businesses that can help those at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey.  

Another Start It! course is taking place this fall, this time focusing specifically on food business. For those interested in joining the course as a student or in a mentor capacity, contact Erik Jankowski.