A new program promoting entrepreneurship will be coming to the South County area on Jan. 23.
The Entrepreneurial Growth Center aims to teach business owners and entrepreneurs repeatable strategies that, when applied systematically, will increase their sales and profits.
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David Nash said he founded the program in response to questions asked by business owners attending seminars at which he spoke. He owns and operates Engage Marketing Advisors Inc., a business consulting firm based in Coventry, which runs the new program.
“It really, truly is a marketing program,” Nash said. “It’s about bringing people to understand the new rules of marketing.”
Many of the business owners Nash meets, for example, are investing in advertising that does not give them a return on investment.
“Mass media is failing us,” he said. “Consumers aren’t giving us their attention or trust because they are being bombarded by advertisements.”
That’s why the Entrepreneurial Growth Center focuses on specific strategies, such as one-to-one marketing, that engage the consumer in a more personalized way.
Amazon.com is an example of one-to-one marketing, Nash said.
The dot-com media retailer offers returning customers a personalized Web page when they sign in, along with book and movie suggestions based on their past purchases.
“I think it’s one of many of the tactics and strategies one can incorporate to create a new advantage,” Nash said.
Sixteen people are now taking the first Entrepreneurial Growth Center class in Warwick.
For the second class, Nash teamed up with the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce, which helped promote and sponsor the program by finding a space for it at The Goddard School, a new private school in South Kingstown for children ages six weeks to 6 years. Bank Rhode Island also is a sponsor of the program.
A $200 deposit is required upon registration. The rest of the $1,800 tuition can be paid in monthly installments of $100.
Most of that money will go to Engage Marketing Advisors to help finance future programs, Nash said, but the consulting firm will also compensate the Chamber for its help with marketing.
The program requires a 16-month commitment.
Students will meet once a week during the first 10 weeks, to learn about creating a brand, differentiating their business from the competition, identifying “razor-thin” niche markets, creating a powerful marketing message, etc.
The next component of the program will require the students to attend 12 monthly “mastermind” meetings, where they will meet other business leaders and entrepreneurs.
The purpose is to expose them to breakthrough business strategies and friendships that could help them grow their businesses, Nash said.
In addition to the mastermind meetings, he said, the students will be required to attend weekly networking luncheons and one-on-one business counseling sessions, tailored to their specific needs.
Six people have signed up so far for the South County program, said Deedra Durocher, membership advocate at the South Kingstown Chamber. The maximum class size is 24.
