UW and Wyoming Community Navigator Program Connect Entrepreneur to Resources to Help Launch Cheyenne’s First Birthing Center

Earthside Birth and Wellness Center, Cheyenne’s first free-standing birthing center, has launched with the help of the Wyoming Community Navigator Program (CNP).

Using resources provided by the Wyoming CNP and its business spokes, CEO Sarah Morey successfully launched Earthside Birth and Wellness Center, which provides safe, comprehensive and holistic out-of-hospital prenatal and birth care. These resources included free online courses on digital marketing; bookkeeping software and training; and support in launching a crowdfunding campaign.

The Wyoming CNP, through the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network at the University of Wyoming, provides small-business resources and assistance for traditionally underserved entrepreneurs throughout Wyoming.

“Our goal is to build a business that is sustainable, one that will outlast ourselves and continue to make an impact,” Morey says.

The Local Crowd (TLC), one of the spokes of the Wyoming CNP, introduced Morey to its crowdfunding platform and provided her with training on how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. With TLC’s guidance, Morey’s campaign officially began April 1 and has, thus far, raised over $4,000. These dollars will be used to continue the development of the birthing center.

Morey also received support from the Wyoming Women’s Business Center, which provided her access to GeekPack, an intensive online course on digital marketing for female entrepreneurs. With an internship grant from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Morey hired a social media intern, Breanna Zitzelberger, who is currently completing her degree in marketing at UW. This internship opportunity will allow Zitzelberger, of Cheyenne, to gain valuable experience.

Additionally, the Wyoming SBDC Network provided Morey with reimbursement for a QuickBooks Pro subscription and referred her to Rob Condie, Wyoming SBDC Network southwest regional adviser and a certified QuickBooks pro, who is training and coaching her on business finances.

“The Wyoming Community Navigator Program and its spokes, The Local Crowd and the Wyoming Women’s Business Center, along with their hub, the Wyoming SBDC Network, cohesively worked together to assist Sarah Morey with her business,” says Nicholas Giraldo, program manager for the Wyoming CNP. “This is an example of the hub-and-spoke model working. It shows how economic development partners can work collaboratively and leverage our collective resources to help underserved and underrepresented small-business owners throughout the Cowboy State.

“The Wyoming Community Navigator Program is dedicated to connecting small businesses to resources and support to help them start or grow their enterprises, and this success story of Earthside Birth and Wellness Center is a testament to its effectiveness in supporting Wyoming entrepreneurs,” Giraldo adds.

For more information about Earthside Birth and Wellness Center, go to www.earthsidebirthwy.com.

For more information on the Wyoming CNP, visit www.wyomingcommunitynavigator.org, call Giraldo at (307) 399-8694, or email ngiraldo@uwyo.edu.