Train Yourself for Small Business Success
There are many things to know about building a successful small business—from marketing and tax issues, to technology, finance, human resources management and more. Most entrepreneurs don’t have expertise in all of those areas. That’s why individuals interested in starting or expanding a business have been tapping into training programs at a record pace.
For many business owners, learning opportunities and training programs are becoming vital steps to planning, launching and growing a business. During one recent 12-month period, a record 2.5 million people sought help from one of many U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) training and assistance programs.
Seeking help is simply smart. No business owner can be adept at every aspect of operating successfully. Plus, conditions change, so keeping yourself informed is vital to long-term success.
The single most popular program in America is probably the SBA Small Business Training Network/E-Business Institute, which registers nearly a million users at its Web site each year. The Small Business Training Network is a Web-based conglomerate that can link you to online courses, workshops, publications, learning tools, information resources and access to electronic counseling and other types of technical help. For details on the Small Business Training Network, go to the main SBA Web site at www.sba.gov and click on “Training.”
Free online courses are offered on about 75 topics in areas such as business startup, growing your business, home-based business and re-engineering your skills. Sample titles include: Growth Strategies; Analyzing Profitability; Building Your Brand; and, Understanding Business Insurance.
Local SBA-sponsored training events are offered nationwide. These range from breakfast talks on local economic conditions, to brown-bag networking lunches, loan seminars, startup workshops and free business assessments. Click your state on the Web site map for a calendar listing dates and event details in your area. In addition, dozens of top colleges and universities offer business training courses you can take online. Most of these require a fee.
To learn more about training opportunities your small business, contact SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners. Call 1-800/634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you, or find a counselor online at www.score.org.