Small Business Center Continuing Education - Fall Semester

Now that schools have returned to sessions, I want to encourage all adults that are considering starting a business to also return to school. Many small business centers work in conjunction with local community colleges to offer small business courses to assist area entrepreneurs with realizing their dreams of owning a successful business. Here in Wilkes County, NC at the Wilkes Community College these courses are offered at no cost. What a bargain in these difficult economic times!

These courses are taught by adults who are entrepreneurs themselves. Theses instructors gave valuable insight from their own personal experiences in starting up a new business. They had started by obtaining their dba (Do Business As) from their local governments to educating themselves on legal matters and then opening up their shops.

The courses offered at the Wilkes Community College vary each semester. There are also two nearby counties, Ashe and Allegheny, that are offering similar courses. So, if a day and time is not convenient due to scheduling conflicts, then the option of attending another class is possible.

I have taken classes this past winter and spring semesters at Wilkes Community College. I am still a fairly new entrepreneur myself, just obtaining my freelance writing service dba this past March. The course that I attended proved to be extremely helpful to a brand new entrepreneur in areas of obtaining licenses, accounting, inventory, marketing, taxes and many more. All instructors were knowledgeable regarding their curriculum and invited questions. Several gave out their business cards and said they were available in the future for additional questions.

I learned where to obtain free marketing tools such as business cards and post cards. In one 3 hour session, one instructor taught the class how to set up a free web page. One of the most valuable 3 hours I have spent in a long time! I set up this very website within a couple of days later. Of course, as with making fine wine, this site is continually updated. That class was like a window to the world of internet marketing. Again, a great value for simply arriving to class and occupying a seat with one focused on the instructor and taking good notes.

So, check with your local small business center and/or local community college to see what is being offered for the fall semester. Usually, the option exists to take just one class or all of the course schedule. I am looking forward to my first class on September 2nd.