Slingshotting Local Entrepreneurs

Jefferson County EDC Launches New Entrepreneurship Program, Powered by Qwally.

The Challenge

Next to the dramatic landscapes at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, you could be forgiven for missing the groundswell of support building for entrepreneurs in Jefferson County, Colorado (JeffCo.). Boasting over 200 programs, services, and other resources for entrepreneurs, there are plenty of opportunities for emerging businesses to succeed.

However, despite the abundance of support, too many local entrepreneurs miss opportunities that could build their businesses, bring on their next employee, or find their home in JeffCo. This is especially true for Spanish-speaking residents needing even more tailored support.

For Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation (JeffCo. EDC), these challenges need robust solutions. The organization has been working for several years to build more on-ramps to meet businesses where they are, and entrepreneurs are in their sights.

“Simply put we want more business ideas to connect with the resources to help them thrive. For us, it’s all about providing that convener role and giving direct access. “

- Jansen Tidmore, President and CEO, JeffCo. EDC

Leading the organization is JeffCo. EDC’s President and CEO, Jansen Tidmore. He has guided JeffCo. EDC with the simple principle that a thriving community is created through access to quality jobs. Now, he aims to support the next generation of entrepreneurs as they create new jobs in Jefferson County, Colorado. “Simply put we want more business ideas to connect with the resources to help them thrive,” Tidmore remarks. “For us, it's all about providing that convener role and giving direct access.”

JeffCo. EDC needed a platform to match more entrepreneurs to resources, and help the organization build new relationships and connect with more entrepreneurs than before. They turned to Qwally for a solution.

The Solution

JeffCo. EDC is now launching a new program, Slingshot, to on-ramp entrepreneurs into new opportunities for growth. In its fastest onboard to date, Qwally delivered its engagement software to streamline resource matchmaking and create new leads for the organization. This is all a part of a concerted effort to bring entrepreneurs into the spotlight.

“It’s the one-person shops that build and grow over time that are the backbone of your community”

- Jansen Tidmore, President and CEO, JeffCo. EDC

“When we talk about businesses,” says Tidmore, “we often say all businesses matter and we mean that. But our largest deals and businesses get many of the headlines. When you dig into the data, it’s the one-person shops that build and grow over time that are the backbone of your community. Finding ways to nurture those ideas to keep them here in Jeffco is of great importance to us.”

Qwally was brought in as the easiest way to provide scalable support to every entrepreneur in the county. The Slingshot site is packed with hundreds of resources that are then matched to each entrepreneur based on their preferences.

Group 2251

Jeffco. Slingshot, Powered by Qwally Business Engagement Platform

The Qwally platform was chosen for several reasons:

To make over 200 resources easily searchable to every entrepreneur in JeffCo.
To provide a seamless, modern digital interface that integrates smoothly with existing processes.
To ensure inclusivity, with bilingual support, reflecting the diverse business in JeffCo..
To generate leads for the new program, streamline interactions, and easily create new referrals.

“Slingshot is building on our goal to meet businesses where they are,” Tidmore added. “We are crafting the on and off ramps to the resources they need when they need them.”

The Future

The launch of Slingshot on May 2nd was the latest collaboration between Qwally and JeffCo. EDC. Last year, JeffCo. EDC launched BizHub, its resource hub for existing businesses, also powered by Qwally.

Stay tuned as we continue to support the ambitious efforts of JeffCo. EDC as they build more connections between businesses and new opportunities.

###

About Qwally

Qwally enables more wonderfully vibrant business communities through approachable Business Engagement Software. Qwally Platform scales help requests, referrals, navigation, and feedback from businesses, providing better, faster, and smarter business assistance.

To learn more about Qwally and their new business engagement platform, visit https://qwal.ly, follow them on LinkedIn, or subscribe to their newsletter.

Brandon Gumm

Brandon leads sales, marketing, and customer success at Qwally, an industry-leading developer of business engagement software for local governments and support organizations. If you are a local government or support organization working with entrepreneurs and small businesses, please reach out!