Entrepreneurship

Not every business in Overton County starts with a business plan and a line of credit. A great many of them start with someone who is good at something, has been doing it on the side, and reaches a point where they have to decide whether to take it seriously. What that person usually needs is a few honest conversations, a realistic look at the numbers, and somebody who has been through it before. 

The Chamber's entrepreneurship work exists to give people in that position a place to start. We are not a lender and we are not a business school, but we know the people who are, and we build the programming that gets you from an idea to a going concern. 

Programs 

Contractor Business Bootcamp 

A day long program built for contractors, tradespeople, and students entering the trades, covering the business side of the work rather than the craft. Topics include bidding and estimating, licensing and insurance, contracts, bookkeeping, taxes, and the practical mechanics of running a trade business that pays you a living. Our first bootcamp drew more than fifty registrations, and we are continuing the basic session alongside an advanced version for established contractors ready to grow. 

Lunch and Learn Series 

Short, practical sessions built around the questions small business owners actually ask, delivered over lunch so that you can attend without losing a day. Current topics include finance, bookkeeping, and QuickBooks; marketing, sales, and business development; and workforce recruitment and retention. 

My Big Idea 

A competition and coaching program for kids that gives aspiring entrepreneurs a structured way to test a business concept, get feedback from people who have built businesses, and pitch for support before risking their savings on an untested assumption. 

Our Partnership with the Biz Foundry 

Most of our entrepreneurship programming is delivered in partnership with the Biz Foundry, the Upper Cumberland's entrepreneur support organization. The Chamber has secured funding through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to bring that programming into Overton County, which allows us to offer training here in Livingston that would otherwise require a drive to Cookeville or farther. 

If you are exploring an idea, the Biz Foundry can put you in front of coaches, workshops, and a network of other founders. Call us and we will make the introduction. 

One on One Help 

Tennessee Small Business Development Center. Free and confidential counseling on business planning, financial projections, cash flow, market research, and loan packaging. This is one of the most underused resources available to Overton County businesses, and it costs nothing. 

Small Business Administration. Loan guarantee programs that make bank financing possible for businesses a conventional lender would otherwise decline, including specialized programs for particular industries. 

USDA Rural Development. Grants and loan guarantees specifically built for rural businesses, including energy efficiency and value-added agriculture programs. 

The Chamber. Call us first if you are not sure where to start. We will listen to what you are trying to do and point you toward the people most likely to help. 

Why Start Here 

Overton County has advantages for a new business that are easy to overlook if you have only ever thought about starting one in a city. 

Occupancy costs downtown and countywide are a fraction of what they are in Nashville or even Cookeville, which means the revenue you need in order to survive your first year is dramatically lower. The community is small enough that word of mouth is real marketing and a good reputation compounds quickly. Your customers are your neighbors, which raises the stakes and also raises the loyalty. And a county of roughly 24,000 people sitting twenty minutes from a metropolitan market of nearly 150,000 gives a business both a local base and room to grow. 

None of that makes starting a business easy. It does mean the odds here are better than most people assume. 

Get Started 

Call the Chamber at (931) 823-6421 or email admin@overtonco.com. Tell us what you are working on and we will help you find the next step.