Introduction
Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest is disrupting the way people view this 100-year-old nonprofit organization. To fulfill its mission and vision of creating an ethical marketplace and being the leader in advancing marketplace trust, BBB understands that it must assist by providing the necessary tools and resources needed by the business community. BBB provides impactful resources such as a Business and Community Center, ignite sparked by BBB–a coworking and community space–and educational programs.
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BBB’s Business and Community Center is Arizona’s multi-use, affordable, meeting destination available to all businesses. In 2019 they welcomed over 12,000 visitors to the campus at 610 meetings held by local businesses and nonprofits. As they strive for innovation in 2020—they’ve hosted signature events that directly impact entrepreneurs such as Phoenix Startup Week, Conscious Capitalism, Business Power Summits, and more.
Ignite sparked by BBB, a new venture for BBB, is a modern, inclusive, and affordable co-working space located in the heart of Phoenix. They aspire to be a one-stop-shop for small business owners and entrepreneurs who share meaningful work, collaboration, and a sense of community. The ignite community, or “igniters”, are a diverse group of professionals aligned around a common goal: building better businesses and nonprofit organizations.
They seek to provide resources, connections, and knowledge to help entrepreneurs and business owners grow their businesses legally and ethically. As one of the only nonprofit coworking spaces in Arizona, they understand how important it is to invest and give back to the local communities. For every drop-in day pass that is sold, BBB will donate one to a nonprofit organization so they can have equal access to their resources and amenities.
A partnership with Empower by GoDaddy helped ignite sparked by BBB to launch a 16-week business incubator program geared toward main street entrepreneurs and startups. Cohort participants learn strategies to help them grow and scale their company through inperson training, business development, mentorship, and networking opportunities. The program aims to boost small businesses and nonprofits by giving them economic opportunity. In addition to supporting main street entrepreneurs, the incubator will partner with local nonprofit organizations to offer specialty track programming to refugees, minorities, veterans, and women entrepreneurs.
In another effort to offer inclusivity of all businesses, BBB created a pre-incubator Bootcamp called Business Blueprint. The two-day intensive Bootcamp guided entrepreneurs through the Business Model Canvas to help them refine their business strategies and identify areas of improvement. Valerie Bertrand, a participant of this program, reflected that her most valuable takeaway was “a better definition of who I am within my service. This workshop is essential for entrepreneurs, and the value came from the total cumulative experience. BBB personalizes the human experience within business.”
As the largest trade association in Arizona, BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest has a unique and storied history serving consumers and businesses in the community. Visit the beautiful campus in Central
Phoenix to learn more about how they are innovating to build a community of trustworthy businesses.
