The Livingston-Overton County Chamber of Commerce will host a free one-day contractor business bootcamp Saturday to help tradespeople learn how to turn their trade into a more efficient business.
Chamber Director Zach Stephens said the bootcamp will feature experts covering the basics of the business side of contracting, including communicating professionally with customers, managing finances and pricing jobs. Stephens said many contractors are highly skilled in their trade but less confident when it comes to running the business side of their work.
“A great craftsman can struggle if he or she does not know how to bid a job, or really structure their business for growth,” Stephens said. “So that is why we are holding this, to kind of fill that gap.”
Stephens said registration for the bootcamp has already closed due to overwhelming demand. He said the event is designed to benefit both experienced contractors and TCAT students working toward their certifications.
“Entrepreneurship can happen at any age, from, you know, 20 to, you know, 50 or beyond,” Stephens said. “So, yeah, we really kept it pretty broad, and we’ve just had over, honestly, we did not expect the turnout we’ve had, and had to close registration about a week and a half after we opened it. So, we’re really proud of the turnout from a broad range of folks.”
Stephens said supporting entrepreneurship and small business development is a key part of the chamber’s mission. He said events like the bootcamp can benefit the broader local economy.
“It will have a direct impact on hopefully all these craftsmen and trade people, but it will hopefully more broadly impact, you know, their customers, and also the tax base, you know, they are growing, hopefully a thriving business. So we think it will have, you know, like anything, it takes time to build something like that, but we believe it’ll have a broad economic impact.”
Stephens said because of the strong response, the chamber has created a waiting list for those interested in participating in a future bootcamp. He said the high demand shows the chamber is making a positive impact on the community.
The bootcamp will be held on Saturday at the TCAT Livingston campus.