Texas Border Business
MISSION, TX (November 20, 2015) – Mission EDC is excited to announce that it will be strengthening its entrepreneurship efforts through a partnership with online marketplace provider Etsy to launch a craft entrepreneurship program.
“The Mission EDC Board of Directors along with the City of Mission City Council is dedicated to nurturing small businesses and entrepreneurs. This partnership with Etsy is another example of that commitment. As leaders in our community, it behooves us to leave it in a better position than when we started our terms. Entrepreneurship education is one way for us to do that,” stated David Deanda, Mission EDC Board Chair.
Etsy has designed a Craft Entrepreneurship program to enhance and supplement micro-enterprise training programs in cities across the world. The model entails identifying individuals with existing artistic skills, teaching them business and ecommerce skills, and helping them start and build their own craft businesses using the Craft Entrepreneurship curriculum. The key goal of this program is to deliver hands-on education that provides pathways to entrepreneurship for creative individuals in the City of Mission.
Mission EDC will offer five-week courses that provide qualified Mission residents with micro-business training to help supplement their income and sell their products to new markets. Local makers who already have established businesses on Etsy will teach the classes and students will learn the basics of starting and running an online business including pricing, basic accounting, product photography and marketing.
“The Mission EDC Board and Council have made it evident that we are committed to investing in initiatives that harness the creativity of each and every person. Initiatives like the Etsy’s Craft Entrepreneurship program allow us to both strengthen the workforce and the economy. We know that supporting local businesses and local talent is the key to a prosperous Mission,” said Mayor Norberto “Beto” Salinas.
Registration will begin in January with classes starting in March and space will be limited to the first 20 qualified applicants per semester. To qualify for the program, participants must be able to attend all five weeks of classes, have access to a computer and have a handmade craft product. The City of Mission is the third city in Texas behind Austin and Dallas to partner with Etsy. For more information, please contact: Mission EDC at (956) 585-0040.
