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Launch JOCO asks Johnston County for $75,000 annual support to expand small-business pipeline
Summary
Launch JOCO presented program results and requested a $75,000 annual line item in the county economic development budget to fund microgrants, coordination, curriculum and ongoing business support.
Launch JOCO, a countywide small-business development initiative, asked the Johnston County Board of Commissioners on May 5 for a $75,000 annual appropriation to scale its entrepreneurship pipeline.
Dana Wootton, president and CEO of the Clayton Chamber of Commerce and representative of the Launch JOCO coalition, described a program that provides sequential services: Launch Now (one-on-one counseling and seminars), Launch Next (a 14-week business academy with six months of mentorship and grant opportunities), and Launch Beyond (continuing education and networking for alumni). Wootton said the program is countywide and targets independent entrepreneurs; nonprofits, franchises and multi-market companies are excluded.
Wootton told the board Launch JOCO has received more than 40 applications, accepted 72 participants and graduated 69 (a roughly 96 percent graduation rate). She said the program has awarded $17,000 in participant grants and received nearly $80,000 in community support from local businesses and donors. Launch JOCO’s current funding mix, she said, is 52 percent sponsorships, 27 percent donations and 18.8 percent grants.
Wootton asked the board to add a $75,000 line item to the county economic development budget, with the proposed breakdown: $30,000 for microgrants, $20,000 for program coordination, $10,000 for curriculum development and $15,000 for ongoing business support. She said any county funding would be performance-based and evaluated annually through jointly set metrics.
Wootton named partners and supporters, including Johnston Community College’s Small Business Center, KS Bank, Delta Sigma Theta’s Johnston County Alumni Chapter and municipal partners. She told commissioners the program has enlisted more than 56 local businesses as funders or mentors and represents "a pathway to economic self-sufficiency for our residents." The board did not take a vote on the funding request during the May 5 meeting; Wootton said the next cohort timeline begins with a June class and applications opening in July and August.
