Education & Training for Business Owners
When you run a business, there are never enough hours in the day. As a business owner, you know the full meaning of the wisdom that time is money. Fortunately, a wide number of government and other agencies recognize that your time is valuable and needs to be focused on solving the specific problems that stand in the way of your business's success. The result is a variety of free and low-cost educational and training programs, often scheduled for evenings and weekends. Everyone knows that running a business means working hard. Investigate the support available to help you work smart as well.
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Local Government Support for Business
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Contact your local, county/regional and state governments to determine what practical help is available to business owners. Departments of commerce, taxation and business regulation, along with local workforce development agencies, often offer online as well as in-class programs to keep business owners current on changing rules and procedures. Governments increasingly realize that business success is critical to community survival and are taking action to support business function and growth.
Free Federal Government Support for Businesses
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The Federal Small Business Administration assists businesses with organizational and financial issues. SBA loans are of greatest interest to many owners. Depending on the industry, SBA definitions extend to businesses with as many a 500 employees or average annual receipts of up to $25 million. Business owners also can obtain free advice on staffing, marketing, advertising and other organizational concerns from SCORE, the national Service Corps of Retired Executives. The U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Development Centers in every state offer educational opportunities for business owners and affordable staff-training for personnel. Check local public library calendars for free federal education opportunities in your area.
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Help for Starting a Business - General
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Contact your local community college to ask about education in starting and running a business. Classes can range from how to locate capitalization to how to keep records. Community colleges are also a good potential source of new employees. First-time and returning students can learn basic skills like truck driving or update their knowledge to meet new green building standards. Classes can be online or scheduled in the evening, and some community colleges maintain other business-assistance programs as well (see Resources).
Starting a Business - Targeted
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In some areas, government, educational institutions, industry and chambers of commerce have joined forces to create opportunities for very specific kinds of start-up businesses. Often focusing on technical skills needed to support business development, business incubators nurture and mentor start-up businesses, providing advice, problem-solving, professional networking and affordable facility costs. Contact your state department of commerce to locate incubators in your state, especially if you believe your business services meet an already-defined need.
Starting a Business - Owner-Defined
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Contact your state, county or local Office of Minority Business Enterprise if you qualify as a minority or woman business owner. These offices focus on locating minority-owned businesses capable of fulfilling government purchase contracts, but they also might be able to refer you to the educational support you need to achieve that goal. SBA Small Business Development Centers offer education and training in Spanish, for example, through its Organization of Latino Entrepreneurs.
Starting a Business - Professionally-Defined
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Whether it's all about interior design or fried fish, look into educational and training opportunities offered by professional organizations in your field. For example, in 2010 the Alabama Restaurant Association created a session with BP oil representatives to help seafood restaurant owners follow damage claim procedures correctly in the wake of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The New York State Bar Association Women Lawyers Alliance offered a webinar on advancing women's issues in times of shrinking revenues. Classes might be restricted to members and fees vary.
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References
Resources
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