Mt. Pleasant hopes class will help dreams come true

MT. PLEASANT — Have you ever wanted to start your own business?

According to Kristi Perry, the executive vice president of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, you can start your own business right here in Mt. Pleasant this fall.

With a little help from the experts in the technical aspects of business, you can learn the dirty details of how to run your business and craft a business plan so that you can pitch your idea to a bank.

This fall the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Mt. Pleasant are hosting an eight-week class to teach prospective business owners the technical side of running a business.

“If you have always dreamed of owning your own business, we encourage you to join us for Dream Builder. This course helps you explore and plan your dream, market and sell your dream, manage and profit from your dream plus much more,” said a news release from the Chamber of Commerce.

Dream Builder is a hybrid of online courses that teach you how to start or grow your business. It incorporates local speakers and conversations with successful businesses right here in the community. Classes will be held at Iowa Wesleyan once a week.

The cost to attend this session is $120 per business idea. If you complete the entire eight-week course, that money will be refunded to you. Once completed, you will walk away with a business plan and will even have the opportunity to pitch your business idea for prize money.

The idea to own your own business has become popular in the community, especially after COVID. While working from home, many people began thinking of trying a new direction, according to Perry.

“A common analogy of a strong economic development strategy is that of a three-legged stool. The first leg, and the one that gets the most attention, is attracting new business. The second leg, and one that is just as important, is retention which is the act of helping an existing business grow. But that third leg of the stool is the one that most people dream about — the act of entrepreneurship and owning your own business” Perry said.

The program is here to bring economic independence to many prospective small business owners and to help grow small business in Mt. Pleasant and the surrounding communities.

“You have to have people that are willing to start a business, and when you look at it Sam Walton was an entrepreneur in his day — everyone starts somewhere,” Kristi said. “A lot of it is having that confidence to walk in there that first night and say I have a dream, and I want to own my own business.”

If you are interested, contact Kristi Perry at 319-385-3101 or email kristi@mpiowa.org. This program is brought to you by the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, Main Street Mount Pleasant and America’s Small Business Development Center.