EforAll helping Pioneer Valley entrepreneurs start local businesses

Nov. 12, 2020 | Danielle Eaton
daniellee@thereminder.com

HOLYOKE –  A Massachusetts-based business with an office in Holyoke is working to continue to help Pioneer Valley residents with hopes of starting a business.

Tessa Murphy-Romboletti serves as the executive director of EforAll in Holyoke. Murphy-Romboletti said SPARK Holyoke, a co-working space in the city, was started years ago by the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.

“SPARK used to be a program of the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, we joined forces in September 2018,” she said.

After joining forces with EforAll, Murphy-Romboletti said that while there were some changes, they already had similar offerings. “Prior to joining, we were doing really similar things. We had our accelerator program offered several times a year for new businesses, people who have an idea,” she said.

The program, she said provides participants with an entrepreneurship program and provides them with the resources to do so. “Tapping into residents being entrepreneurial, and giving the access to networks and resources that exist in the Valley,” she said. This, she said, “has stayed true as we’ve transitioned.”

Murphy-Romboletti said this was one of the many aspects about EforAll that she “likes about their program.” She explained that this has allowed for communities such as Holyoke to “get businesses in town by local residents,” and “give economic opportunity” to areas that “typically aren’t economically developed.”

EforAll, Murphy-Romboletti said, focuses on providing participants with opportunities through two programs: an accelerator program and their pitch contests.Their business accelerator program, she explained, became “a bit more rigorous” when they joined EforAll. Murphy-Romboletti said two times a year, people with entrepreneurial ideas across the Pioneer Valley apply to their free, year-long business accelerator program.

She said two times a year, eight to 10 entrepreneurs are accepted into an English speaking version of the program. At the same time, she said eight to 10 entrepreneurs are accepted into a nearly identical program that’s for those who speak Spanish. She said they work with a vast network of about “150 volunteers a year” who help run the programs. “We recruit volunteers who speak in English and Spanish. They’re people who have started or own their own business,” she said. “They remember how confusing it can be.”

These volunteers serve as advisors to each entrepreneur enrolled in the program to offer guidance, advice and feedback. “Each member is matched with three mentors, [that are] meant to be a board of advisors,” she said. “We get a lot of volunteers who have a wealth of knowledge.”

Murphy-Romboletti explained that prior to joining EforAll, the program did not have a board of advisors. This, she said, has “made it stronger.”

She said while the program is free, they are “asking people to commit the time [and] be motivated to get their business started.” Part of this time commitment, she said, was participants attending classes and meeting with mentors.

“Our classes meet on Tuesday nights, they also meet on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’re also meeting with mentors once a week. We are meeting with people who are serious,” she said. “In that sense we have to ask questions to see how committed someone is. We’re looking for people who are open to feedback and open to being coached.”

Additionally, she said those who apply and are ultimately accepted into the program need to be able to be “open to feedback and shift.” She said, “We’re finding people who are willing to pivot and adapt as they need to.”

This, she said, has been crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Any ideas or plans you had for your business just don’t make sense now. For some people they never had to rely on having a website, and now it’s so important because they can’t rely on the foot traffic,” she said. “They have the ability to shift when they hear no and make it work.”

Murphy-Romboletti said another program run by EforAll is their pitch contests. The contests, she said, are run four times a year and allow people with ideas from all across the valley to present their business ideas to volunteer judges. The idea of the event, she said, is “to encourage people to share ideas and get feedback and set the tone that the Pioneer Valley is a great place to be entrepreneurial.”

She described the contest as “a fast-paced event.” She said, “Everyone gets two and a half minutes to present [and] judges get to ask questions.”

Cash prizes are awarded to first place, second place and third place winners. Murphy-Romboletti said first prize for the pitch contest is $1,000, second place is awarded $750 and third place is $500. She said an additional $500 is given to the crowd favorite. However, even if participants don’t win the contest, they walk away with valuable experience and feedback.

“Volunteers get feedback. Even if you don't win a cash prize, you walk away strong,” she said.

From there, she said, a lot of those who participate in the pitch contests often go on to apply for their entrepreneurship program. “The pitch contest is where you’re dipping the toe in. We’ve had a lot of our success stories start out at pitch contests,” she said.

Those interested in more information about the pitch contests and the business accelerator program, including dates and applications to apply, should visit https://eforall.org/.

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