Small Biz Owners Have Many Learning Options
An entrepreneur who’s mystified by accounting or putting a marketing plan together can get some help, and soon, with the arrival of the fall semester. Schools, colleges and universities around the country offer a variety of courses aimed at small business owners, and many cost little or nothing.
Some of the courses are given on campus, while others are online, and in most cases, they aren’t part of a degree program. And there are plenty of learning opportunities beyond higher education — chambers of commerce and trade associations may also offer classes, and Web sites aimed at small business owners can help owners get at least a grounding in a variety of business topics.
Many who take courses became entrepreneurs after working for someone else for years. They have a great deal of knowledge about the services or products that are the heart of a business, but someone who spent 10 years in information technology often knows little about marketing, and someone who worked in a public relations agency usually finds accounting to be almost a foreign language.
How much money or time an owner wants to commit to learning depends on his or her educational needs, location, finances and schedule. Some decide to pursue MBAs on weekends, while others grab a quick three-hour class here or there to help them pick up the basics.
Small Business Development Centers often are operated out of colleges and universities and offer advice, training and assistance to small business owners. That includes courses on some of the essentials of running a business, and how-to courses on using business accounting software.
SBDC locations can be found at the SBA Web site.
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