CO.STARTERS +
Startup Sioux Falls

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How CO.STARTERS Helped Startup Sioux Falls Create 400 Jobs in 3 Years

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How can a legacy entrepreneurship hub reimagine its role and jumpstart local economic growth?

That was the question facing Startup Sioux Falls when they joined the CO.STARTERS network in 2020. Transforming the local business landscape is a huge undertaking, but with the right tools and approach, Startup Sioux Falls has accomplished just that.

Our Work Together

2021

15 entrepreneurs in their first cohort

The best outcomes follow when you treat entrepreneurs like individuals first. That means being their champion no matter what they decide to do with their business. When they feel unconditionally supported, they’ll be set up to make the best decisions for them and their businesses.

27% increase in coworking revenue

Using CO.STARTERS programs as a customer acquisition method for its other offerings, Startup Sioux Falls stabilized their business model in the aftermath of 2020.

$1 million grant from SBA Navigators program

Startup Sioux Falls leveraged its CO.STARTERS activity to demonstrate how it could support entrepreneurs at scale across the region and state.

2022

5 strategic partners engaged

To grow its organizational reach, Startup Sioux Falls engaged local partners to serve immigrant, Indigenous, and other underserved entrepreneurs in South Dakota.

114 underserved entrepreneurs reached

By expanding the definition of "entrepreneur" to include those typically overlooked, Startup Sioux Falls was able to tap into the talent and promise of a diverse range of entrepreneurs.

65+ mentorship connections made

CO.STARTERS programs help organizations build whole pipelines of support, preparing and vetting entrepreneurs for more specialized support like mentorship programs. The mentor's job becomes much easier when the entrepreneur already has a solid foundation.

2023

200 businesses launched

Because CO.STARTERS teaches participants  to validate their ideas through customer discovery and small-scale testing, graduates are equipped to build viable business models that are sustainable over time.

400 jobs created

When you put all your jobs in one basket, like one large employer, the job environment becomes dependent on a single business. Having lots of sustainable small businesses that each employ a few people, on the other hand, leads to stability over time.

$330 spent per job

Startup Sioux Falls spent $170 less per new job than the lowest common industry benchmark (2,000 jobs per $1M invested, or $500 per new job).

5.2% population growth in 3 years

To get your city on the map, you need more than the promise of a good in-person desk job. You need to cultivate an attractive place to live. Lifestyle and Main Street businesses are key to creating the “x-factor” that the best places have.

"CO.STARTERS' training has allowed our organization to be nimble in serving the needs throughout our area as we implement our SBA grant in five counties across the state. Whenever questions arise, the support is there. We couldn't be happier with our partnership with CO.STARTERS!"

Brienne Maner
President
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One year after graduating...

54%
of Startup Sioux Falls businesses make a profit

70%
of graduates are working full time on their buisness

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With the help of CO.STARTERS programs and local partnerships, Startup Sioux Falls is changing South Dakota's entrepreneurial landscape for the better.
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