Starting and running a business (including art) requires a person to wear many hats in their daily work; often, they are the inventor, sales person, promoter, accountant, and HR specialist. Loveland Startup Week will give entrepreneurs and artists the opportunity to learn from local experts on all of these topics and more over the course of three days, Thursday 4/6 through Saturday 4/8 and all for free!
To assist attendees in planning their schedule, the presentations, panels and workshops are listed by subject area on the Loveland Startup Week website (https://loveland.startupweek.co/). In addition to providing the time frame and location, most programs have a description and information about the presenter(s). In fact, some courses are already filling up, so I highly recommend registering.
There are three tracks of programs throughout the days: basic business, advanced business, and arts. That said, every program is open to anyone. If you’re an artist who wants to learn more about Facebook, Instagram or blogging, please register to join us at the Loveland library on Friday morning for one of the hands-on workshops (laptop recommended). On the flip side, if you’re a business owner who wants to create and edit videos, you’re absolutely welcome to register to attend the video workshop at ARTWORKS Loveland on Saturday morning.
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about some of the local talent who will be in attendance. The Larimer County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is providing a whole crew of talented consultants and trainers to assist with multiple sessions, which include:
- Resource Pitch Back: Who’s Helping Loveland Businesses? Thursday in the late afternoon. Details at: http://sched.co/9y9v
- Basics of Starting a Home Business presented by Mike O’Connell, Director of the Larimer County SBDC on Friday in the late afternoon. Details at: http://sched.co/9zB0
In addition to the SBDC talent, we will have so many great presenters joining us that they cannot all be detailed here, so definitely check out the schedule!
We even have a presenter who has agreed to come all the way from Boston, Alex Schwarzkopf one of the founders of Pillar Technologies. He will be joining us on Thursday morning to talk about Building a Strong Business with a Diverse Team (details at: http://sched.co/9y7C). Pillar Technologies recently secured $425,000 in funding to assist with development and growth of their business, which is focused on on-site sensors that monitor construction sites for conditions such as fire and high humidity.
Finally, Jared Polis will deliver the final talk on the topic of Entrepreneurship, Tech Stars and Startup Week on Saturday afternoon (details at http://sched.co/9zBe).
Whether you’re able to attend one session or ten, there will be value to be gained. If you can only come for lunch, check out one of the many Mentor Lunches that will be offered in Downtown Loveland. You’ll have the chance to learn from a local expert, ask questions, and network with others all over lunch.
Article written by Amanda Armstrong, Business Librarian at the Loveland Public Library. She has been a key organizer for Loveland Startup Week, along with Richard Toftness, Wilynn Formeller, Roger Ison and Ann Lynn.
