WASHINGTON,
April 30 -- The U.S. Small Business Administration recently introduced a new online
training resource for budding entrepreneurs to provide the fundamentals of starting
a small business. The Small Business Primer Strategies for Success online training
is a free course designed to assist individuals who are thinking about starting
a small business or who are in the early stages of running a business.
The
Small Business Primer is a self-paced assessment tool that focuses on three key
areas to help small business owners (1) determine their business readiness, (2)
provide an overview of basic small business principles, and (3) introduce them
to key SBA resources for small business counseling and training. The assessment
tool is highly recommended and useful for those who have considered starting a
business or thought about what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur.
The
Small Business Primer is available through the SBA's Small Business Training Network,
a virtual campus of business courses, trainings, education resources, learning
tools and information assistance at http://www.sba.gov/training.
It is a unique training that features an interactive assessment tool to help evaluate
readiness for starting a business. It also walks participants through the key
steps of business start- up.
The business topics reviewed
include business planning, legal aspects, financing and marketing. In addition,
the course provides links to more than 40 targeted resources and small business
tools, such as a business plan template, and an automated balance sheet guide.
The course also offers direct access to online counseling through SCORE, as well
as to other SBA resources partners including the Small Business Development Centers,
Women's Business Centers, and SBA district offices.
Participants
that complete the online training have an opportunity to receive a Course Completion
Certificate from the SBA. To evaluate your business readiness, go to http://www.sba.gov
and click on "New Free Online Course."
The SBA's
Small Business Training Network offers a range of online business training and
counseling tools to assist entrepreneurs with business start-up, from developing
marketing strategies to effective employee management. It also provides valuable
information for existing small business owners. The training network is an easy-to-use
tool that provides 24-hour access to business courses via the Internet.
NBA
Strategic Partner - U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA)
NBA
Resource Article - National Celebration of
Small Business Week:
NBA
Resource Article - Small Business Week, 2007
Reprint
of this article does not constitute an endorsement by the National Business Association;
the article is for informational purposes for our members and viewers of our Web
site.
