How to Obtain Small Business Training

If you are planning to go into business for yourself, you may require training in certain areas of business development and/or management such as: developing a business plan, financing a business or starting a new business. Even some of us who are already in business may require training in areas for which we have little or no expertise such as: business management, marketing and advertising or human resources. Only a handful of people ever enter into business with all of the skills necessary for them to be successful. However, it is possible to increase your chances of success in business by seeking out and obtaining training in your weak areas.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Contact information for the your state's Small Business Administration (SBA) office
• Contact information for your state or locality's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) office
• Contact information for your city and your state Chamber of Commerce
• Contact information for your local or state Economic Development Council (if such an entity exists in your area)
• Contact information for your city and county offices
• Contact information for your state's central tax and Secretary of State offices
• Contact information for any local vocational-technical centers (if any exist in your area)
• Contact information for any local colleges, universities, or private educational entities (if any exist)

1. Gather all of the above required information from local, county and state phone books and/or online sites.
2. Contact your local SBA or SBDC office (if either exists) to find out what types of business training they provide. Be sure to request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
3. Contact both your local and state Chambers of Commerce to find out what types of business training they provide, if any. Be sure to ask if Chamber membership is required to access those events. If viable, request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional provided by either or both entities. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
4. Contact both your local, county and/or state Economic Development Council (if one exists). Find out what types of business training they provide, if any. If viable, request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional provided by either or both entities. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
5. Contact both your city and county offices to determine if they offer any type of business training. If so, request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional provided by either or both entities. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
6. Contact both your state tax and/or Secretary of State offices to determine if either of those entities offers any type of business training. If so, request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional provided by either or both entities. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
7. Contact any city or county vocational-technical centers to determine if they offer any type of business training. If so, request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional provided by either or both entities. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
8. Contact any local colleges, universities, or private educational institutions to determine if they offer any type of business training. If so, request a schedule of workshops and seminars, whether online or traditional provided by either or both entities. Be sure to find out if you receive college credit for their courses. Also ask to be put on the list for any future training events. Determine both the financial and time cost involved for each workshop or seminar and then prioritize them according to those of most value to those of least value.
9. Armed with all of the potential training options available for you in prioritized format according to those of most value to those of least value, compare like courses against one another. Determine which of the like courses appears to most closely match your specific business needs, time allotted for training and price tag. Mark each of those with a rating of 1. Continue the process, ranking each and every course in a descending order from the most valuable, taking into consideration time and cost effectiveness, to the least valuable.
10. Make arrangements to attend those courses that you have identified as most valuable to you.
11. Complete the same process periodically as new needs are identified or as new training is made available.

Tips & Warnings

• Be honest with yourself concerning your training requirements.
• Keep ahead of the curve whenever possible, learning new technology before it surpasses your abilities.
• Make the most out of every training experience by participating wholeheartedly.
• Consider taking multiple courses on the same subject in order to broaden your knowledge base even more.
• Provide positive incentives for your employees to participate in business training.
• Make suggestions with regard to the type of training you would like to see made available in the future.
• Don't summarily dismiss online courses as less effective or too much trouble since such course work often offers the most flexibility.
• Don't make assumptions about the quality of the training you will obtain from any potential source.
• Don't dismiss a particular workshop or seminar based solely on cost.