CSU’s College of Business Launches Free Faculty-Led Workshops to Prevent Local Business Closures

Colorado State University’s College of Business is launching a suite of free, faculty-led workshops and video resources called Pivot Larimer County to aid local business owners and operators in navigating through the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and avoid closing permanently.

Pivot Larimer County was made possible by a $200,000 grant from Larimer County. The funding the County received to provide this grant and other programs that support the community came through the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund.

“The day-to-day effort to run a successful business is challenging as it is, without the uncertainty we have seen recently,” said Rob Mitchell, an associate professor of management in the College of Business who is helping teach the Pivot Jumpstart workshop. “And while 2020 has brought unprecedented change, the need to adapt to change is not new in business—but such an ability to adapt is especially helpful in the face of all of this,” Rob said.

Pivot Larimer County will provide local business leaders with skills that will help them be resilient and navigate any changes that may come. The faculty-led workshops and video resources will increase the odds of local business owners and operators to make it out of the pandemic while contributing to the local economy, emerging with new strategies to support sustained success.

Business owners and managers will have the opportunity to develop a greater sense of awareness regarding understanding their customers, creating value, exploring new revenue streams, re-positioning their business bases on market conditions, and making a successful exit. The College of Business has the ability to support up to 200 Larimer County businesses through the live Pivot Jumpstart workshops as the first month-long cohort will take place on Friday, November 20.

“Supporting our local business owners and entrepreneurs creates a rich ecosystem for all organizations to thrive, especially during difficult times,” said Arthur Sintas, the community impact manager for the CSU College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship, which is facilitating Pivot Larimer County. “We hope those who participate in Pivot Larimer County will begin to build lasting relationships with CSU and take advantage of all of the free services our Institute provides as we work to eliminate the barriers people can face pursuing entrepreneurship,” Arthur said.

The workshops will connect CSU College of Business faculty with industry experts and local business leaders in the classroom through socially distanced, in-person programming and live video collaboration. There will also be an online experience that will allow additional businesses to complete the workshop virtually and at their own pace.

Those who participate in the Pivot Larimer County workshops will be given eligibility to receive scholarships to enroll in two-day College of Business Executive Education courses covering topics from professional selling and marketing to data analytics, disruptive technology, and more.

For more information regarding registering for the Pivot Jumpstart workshop series, visit: https://publicrelations.colostate.edu