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Train Yourself for Small Business Success

There are many things to know about building a successful small business—
from marketing and tax issues, to technology, finance, human resources
management and more. Most entrepreneurs don’t have expertise in all of
those areas. That’s why individuals interested in starting or expanding a
business have been tapping into training programs at a record pace.

For many business owners, learning opportunities and training programs are
becoming vital steps to planning, launching and growing a business. During
one recent 12-month period, a record 2.5 million people sought help from one
of many U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) training and assistance
programs.

Seeking help is simply smart. No business owner can be adept at every
aspect of operating successfully. Plus, conditions change, so keeping yourself
informed is vital to long-term success.

The single most popular program in America is probably the SBA Small
Business Training Network/E-Business Institute, which registers nearly a
million users at its Web site each year. The Small Business Training Network
is a Web-based conglomerate that can link you to online courses, workshops,
publications, learning tools, information resources and access to electronic
counseling and other types of technical help. For details on the Small
Business Training Network, go to the main SBA Web site at www.sba.gov
and click on “Training.”

Free online courses are offered on about 75 topics in areas such as business
startup, growing your business, home-based business and re-engineering
your skills. Sample titles include: Growth Strategies; Analyzing Profitability;
Building Your Brand; and, Understanding Business Insurance.

Local SBA-sponsored training events are offered nationwide. These range
from breakfast talks on local economic conditions, to brown-bag networking
lunches, loan seminars, startup workshops and free business assessments.
Click your state on the Web site map for a calendar listing dates and event
details in your area. In addition, dozens of top colleges and universities offer
business training courses you can take online. Most of these require a fee.

To learn more about training opportunities your small business, contact
SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit
organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide
free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small
business owners. Go to www.scoredm.org on the web or call (515) 284-4760
between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.