SURE (Start Up Retail Entrepreneurship) is a 12-week program, to help entrepreneurs accelerate the process of starting and growing a retail business by providing affordable retail-based training covering merchandising, inventory, product pricing, packaging, marketing, and more.

If you’re creative and community-minded, and you’re serious about turning your passion into a sustainable retail business, we want you.

Entrepreneurs who are selling goods are the ideal candidate for the SURE program: think jewelry, jams, journals, and juices. If you have physical product ready to sell or that you are already selling, we want you to apply!

Is this for me?

What to Expect

During CO.STARTERS+ at StartUP Columbus, you are not being lectured. This is an action-driven, collaborative process with a small and supportive group of like-minded people. Led by a facilitator who is an experienced entrepreneur, you’ll identify your assumptions about why and how your businesses will work and then talk to customers in order to validate your ideas. This approach enables you to rapidly uncover flaws in your concept and find viable models more quickly. You’ll leave the program with a deeper understanding of how to create a sustainable business, articulate your model, and repeat the process with your next great idea.

Curriculum

During SURE at StartUP Columbus, you’ll develop and fine-tune your idea, critically examining every part of it and tweaking your next steps through real-time feedback from people in the community.

Over the 12 weeks, we’ll cover the following topics.

  • Week 1: Knowing Yourself

  • Week 2: Knowing Your Customer

  • Week 3: Getting the Relationship Right

  • Week 4: Building Blocks

  • Week 5: Structures & Systems

  • Week 6: Intro to Retail Math and Discovering the Bottom Line

  • Week 7: Intro to Costing Goods 

  • Week 8: Intro to Product Pricing and Financial Modeling 

  • Week 9: Intro to Storefront 

  • Week 10: Intro to Virtual Merchandising 

  • Week 11: Planning for Growth and Intro to Assortment Planning 

  • Week 12: Celebration!

General info

  • SURE, Start Up Retail Entrepreneurship, is a 12-week program to help entrepreneurs accelerate the process of starting and growing a retail business by providing affordable retail-based training covering merchandising, inventory, product pricing, packaging, marketing, and more.

    Entrepreneurs who are selling goods are the ideal candidate for the SURE program: think jewelry, jams, journals, and juices. If you have physical product ready to sell or that you are already selling, we want you to apply!

  • The total course fee for our SURE Program is $1,000, which includes course materials, a StartUP Columbus Incubator Membership, mentors to address your business development needs, and access to community events, networking opportunities, & small business resources. All class participants will be added to StartUP Columbus’ network of startups for up-to-date access to new resources.

    Please note: Scholarships are available to those who qualify.

  • StartUP Columbus can offer up to 50% scholarship funding to applicants who qualify, along with payment plans for the balance remaining beyond scholarship coverage.

  • The cohort will be held at StartUP Columbus Incubator. 1190 Front Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31901. Entrance on Front Avenue.

  • We encourage you to apply if you’re an existing business owner selling goods. You will need a well-articulated description of the product you offer and a description of your consumer or target audience. We’re looking for for-profit entrepreneurs from diverse sectors and backgrounds to establish a cohort incorporating established businesses and startup concepts. We screen our applicants, and space is limited.

  • There is no application fee. Payment is due prior to start of program or prior to week one seven (7) days. If payment has not been received seven (7) days prior to the start of the course, your position in the program could be given to other applicants.

Ready to take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey? Click below to apply today!

Applications are currently closed

StartUP Columbus is a part of the CO.STARTERS® network.
Learn more at costarters.co.