Date & Time: Every other weekday from Wednesday, July 15th - Friday, July 24th | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM CST
Location: Online via Zoom
The Rural CO.STARTERS Online Bootcamp is a fully virtual, hands-on program designed for aspiring entrepreneurs across South Dakota and neighboring states. In just five focused sessions, you’ll collaborate with peers and experienced facilitators to shape your idea and take real steps toward launching a business. This interactive experience guides you through five key stages: Ideate your concept, Discover your customer, Promote your value, Build your model, and Launch with clarity and confidence.
Whether you're starting from scratch or refining an existing idea, this bootcamp equips rural entrepreneurs with practical tools, personalized support, and a community of like-minded doers.
Facilitators:
Bea Smith, Northern Innovation and Startup Center
Amanda Anglin, Sturgis Economic Development Corporation
Diana Goldammer, Dakota Wesleyan University
Matty Kerr, Brookings Regional Growth Alliance
Paula Jensen, Dakota Resources
What will we cover?
Wednesday, July 15th
Part 1: Ideate - Generate and shape your business idea.
Exploring and clarifying your ideas
Identifying problems worth solving
Matching your skills, passions, and market needs
Choosing the idea with the best potential to move forward
Friday, July 17th
Part 2: Discover - Understand your business model and how to refine it.
Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset
Building your business model using the lean canvas
Refining your model with customer discovery
Refining your model by starting small
Monday, July 20th
Part 3: Promote - Learn how to market your business.
Building relationships through marketing
Crafting your message
Choosing your marketing channels
Developing your “pitch”
Wednesday, July 22nd
Part 4: Build - Dive into the basic building blocks needed for your financial modeling.
Distributing your product or service
Knowing your value (before you set your price)
Understanding your costs
Calculating a break-even point
Friday, July 24th
Part 5: Launch - Build momentum by goal setting.
Setting priorities
Identifying 30, 60, and 90-day milestones
Getting SMART about tasks
Creating a plan + staying on track