Startup week to brainstorm Great Falls business ideas - Great Falls Tribune

Businessman Jeff Mangan is a co-organizer of the Startup Week Great Falls event to encourage business development.(Photo: Courtesy Photo)

Organizers of a Great Falls area brainstorming event designed to spur new business startups are trying a new approach with a four-evening series of meetings from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9.

Great Falls Startup Week is designed for people interested in starting a business, making their idea a reality, exploring entrepreneurship or mentoring others who are doing so.

The group initially planned a Startup Weekend Great Falls for a long weekend in mid-May, but canceled the event about 10 days before because of "slower than anticipated registration," according to co-organizer Jeff Mangan.

The group received feedback from many folks who expressed some interest, but said they were reluctant to devote so many hours from Friday evening to Sunday evening to the process, which called for selecting specific business ideas and forming teams to brainstorm ways to develop, design, finance and market them, he said.

"We chose a different, more relaxed first step this fall that has a Great Falls feel to it, with a little bit of food, a little bit of learning and questioning and a little bit of fun," Mangan said.

Each night, from 5:30 to 8:30, will feature different business leaders discussing how they launched their businesses, workshops on particular business topics and panel discussions in which business folks and those considering businesses can ask questions.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the team that created the Hotel Arvon and Celtic Cowboy will speak; there will be workshops on team building and business model canvas and market validation and time for participants to practice pitching ideas.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, Alison Fried will discuss how she created Dragonfly Dry Goods; there will be workshops on industry research, marketing and sales as well as marketing experts discussing use of websites, social media and traditional media. There also will be networking roundtables with business mentors.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, Claude Smith of Pasta Montana will discuss market innovation; presentations on patents and business management, a workshop on intellectual property, and a presentation on insurance types for business.

On Friday, Oct. 9, Thad and Heidi Reiste will discuss their new Electric City Coffee business. There also will be a panel on financing featuring the Great Falls Development Authority, commercial banks and the Small Business Administration.

If this event goes well, the group hopes to draw enough interest to try the full weekend approach next year, Mangan said.

"Interested folks can pick and choose which of the evenings will benefit them the most or go to all four," Mangan said.

The event is sponsored by 15 businesses and agencies, Mangan said. Refreshments will be available and no fee will be charged, but organizers ask that folks sign up ahead of time by going to greatfalls.startupweek.co.

Read or Share this story: http://gftrib.com/1FwACKn