Q: Are there any online classes that I can take to help me write my business plan?
A: This is a great question! Each year, over 10 million people consider starting a business. Out of this group, more than 3 million new small businesses are started annually. The U.S. Small Business Administration has created the Small Business Training Network (SBTN) which, as they describe it, is a customer-focused SBA strategy designed to enrich, educate and empower small businesses. It is an Internet-based learning environment – operating like a virtual campus – offering FREE online courses, workshops, publications, information resources, learning tools and direct access to electronic counseling, and other forms of technical assistance.
The Training Network operates like an electronic umbrella under which many SBA and agency resource training programs are captured, aggregated, sorted by content and made available in multiple formats. It serves small business clients, agency resource partners, other federal agencies and global students of enterprise. Many of the learning opportunities offered by the Network are developed by co-sponsors (academic institutions and corporations), some are developed by SBA’s resource partners and some are developed internally through agency contracts. All of the offerings are free, most are self-paced and the majority are considered “topical primers.”
These FREE, self-paced small business courses are easy to use and understand. They will take about 30 minutes to complete and you can exit a course at any time. Because most of the courses offer audio explanations, it is recommended that you use headphones or turn on your computer speakers. Before entering a course, you will be prompted to complete an online registration form. The registration process is simple, asks only a couple of questions and will take less than a minute to complete. Visit the U.S. Small Business Administration website (www.sba.gov) for an extensive listing of classes. The courses are even available in Spanish.
Below is a list of major class topics. There are anywhere from 1 to 7 courses available within each topic. Both the “Starting a Business” and “Business Planning” topics contain information on how to write a business plan.
o Starting a Business
o Business Planning
o Business Management
o Finance & Accounting
o Marketing & Advertising
o Government Contracting
o Risk Management & Cyber Security
o E-Commerce
o International Trade
o Federal Tax Planning
o Small Business Retirement
After you complete a course, you will be able to print a certificate stating that you completed the online course on the date which you took the class. For those that want to see what starting a business is all about, this is a great way to get the details without spending lots of money.
Elizabeth Kudwa is the Business Reference Librarian at the Capital Area District Library located at 401 S. Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI. Contact her at 517-589-9400 or by e-mail at kudwae@cadl.org.
This was printed in the May 11, 2008 – May 24, 2008 Edition
