The Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce announced Sept. 1 the opening of enrollment for the Fall 2021 Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp Program.

The program is a six-week program geared towards individuals interested in starting or growing a small business. The program will cover everything from legal, finance, accounting, marketing and all other essential components associated with starting and running a successful small business. The program’s Fall 2021 sessions are sponsored by the BancorpSouth Foundation through a grant it made to the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs will be encouraged to finalize their business plans and submit it to a committee for review and ranking.

The entrepreneur that develops the best and most feasible business plan will be declared the winner of a “Seed Grant” in the amount of $1,000 to help with the cost of opening up or improving their small business. The Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp Business Plan Competition is sponsored by the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce, the City of Vicksburg, Mutual Credit Union, Home Bank, River Hills Bank, Regions, Guaranty Bank, and Trustmark.

Carl Hearn, Chairman of the Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce stated, “The program is aimed at generating more small business openings in the area. It takes new or soon to-be entrepreneurs through a process that will allow them to be better prepared to decide, before they make an investment, if their business idea is likely to succeed in the marketplace. We not only want more small businesses, we want small businesses that will thrive and operate for a long period of time in our community.”

Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. added, “Small businesses are the foundation of our city and they provide thousands of jobs for our residents. The city is 100 percent behind small businesses and this program helps our own residents in starting their businesses and fulfilling their dreams. We have plenty of opportunities for businesses to be successful in Vicksburg and I believe Vicksburgers have what it takes. So, if you are out there thinking about it and are not yet one hundred percent sure, this is the program that will help you make an informed decision. I appreciate the banking community’s support for the program and hope to soon be cutting many more ribbons in the City of Vicksburg because of it.”

Dr. Jeff Holland, President of the Warren County Board of Supervisors added, “This program is an essential part of economic development for our community. It represents a wonderful jumpstart toward the types of things we are planning to highlight as part of our efforts at the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology (MCITy) starting the winter of 2021.”

Participants will also benefit from working with a business coach and listening to keynote speakers during session which will include successful entrepreneurs, bankers, accountants and lawyers among others.

The program is set to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Each class will be taught on Tuesday nights from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the new Hinds Community College Workforce Training Center. The deadline to register for this class is Friday, Sept. 24. You can register online by going to www.vicksburgusa.com/entrepreneur or by contacting the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce at 601-636-1012, or by email at info@vicksburgusa.com .