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Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission (SAP&DC) focuses on promoting economic and community development, fostering cooperation among communities and the agencies that serve them, and working to make the Alleghenies a better place to live, work and do business.
“With this goal in mind, SAP&DC recognized the need for a robust, organized and responsive ecosystem to develop a culture in the region to encourage and support entrepreneurship,” Debbi Prosser, Director of Business Development for the Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission, said. “Startup Alleghenies is the outcome of the effort. SAP&DC continues to be the administrative group working behind the scenes to empower all our partners who work face-to-face with the entrepreneurs.”
“Startup Alleghenies’ recipe for success has resulted in 322 new businesses established that have hired just under 500 new employees in the past five years.”
SAP&DC helps entrepreneurs directly in addition to supporting Startup Alleghenies administratively. “We can assist businesses with three marketing channels: domestic, international and government. We can help them to evaluate these channels to determine which provides the best opportunities and then assist them to develop and implement specific strategies in one or all the markets. Also, we may be able to provide financial assistance in the form of low interest loans that can match funds being provided by banks and other lending partners for eligible businesses and projects,” Prosser added.
SAP&DC typically works with more than 200 businesses in the region each year to assist their growth. On average, those businesses see more than $35 million in new sales activity and create more than 100 new jobs annually.
Prosser said that Startup Alleghenies has been successful beyond what they envisioned. “We have been pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of entrepreneurs that we have discovered in the region. The team that we have built with the coaches and the other partners is tremendous. They are all so committed to helping the entrepreneurs succeed. That recipe for success has resulted in 322 new businesses established that have hired just under 500 new employees in the past 5 years and we have just begun,” she said.
The collaboration between SAP&DC is crucial to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. “SAP&DC works for six counties, so we are accustomed to regional projects and initiatives, and Startup Alleghenies is one of the best. The collaboration we experience is beyond anything else we have ever seen. People from outside the region actually ask me how we can get everyone from so many groups and agencies working together so seamlessly.”
“After I gave that some thought, the answer is so clear,” she said. “The entrepreneurs themselves are so amazing that it comes so naturally to all of us to want to help them succeed and realize their dreams. We truly all have the same goal, and we always give it our best, there are no egos in the game. One of our coaches said he wants to be the first person they think to call when they need help or they have exciting news, that is really what it is all about for us.”
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.