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Training Ground Whether you’re a new entrepreneur or a veteran business owner,
training can give you the competitive edge. Continuing education is a
way to polish old skills, gain new ones and stay ahead of the pack.
Chicago marketer Raynay Valles, president of Jawdrop Inc, attended a seminar with participants as far-flung as New Zealand and Australia, without ever leaving home. She took part in a teleseminar. “My first thought was that it would be confusing to listen to lectures and questions from people on the telephone, but I’ve found the seminars to be hugely valuable,” says Valles. “You can get useful information from experts without having to hop on a plane or even leave home.” Before you sign up for a teleseminar, be sure to check the qualifications of the person or company conducting the seminar. You want a qualified expert with knowledge of the topic and experience with presenting teleseminars. For instance, The Direct Marketing Association, www.the-dma.org, offers teleseminars. When you register for the seminar, you receive a PIN code. At the time of the seminar, simply dial the toll-free number, enter your PIN and you’re connected to the seminar. E-learning refers to any electronic educational experience that delivers content to your computer screen. It includes training delivered online and via CD-ROM. E-learning is hot because it saves time (no travel), is convenient and provides the specific information business owners need. The American Management Association (AMA) offers online programs that can be used as stand-alone reference tools or in conjunction with AMA seminars. To find out more, go to www.amanet.org/elearn/index.htm. Another source for e-learning business courses is www.worldwidelearn.com. At this site you’ll find hundreds of online courses, accredited degree programs, certificates, professional continuing education and learning resources in 249 subject areas. The programs are offered by educational institutions, companies and individuals from all over the world. Don’t overlook traditional one- and two-day seminars offered by training groups across the country. These classroom style workshops are usually held at hotels in various cities. You can generally find one close to your office, so there’s no need for travel. Costs vary, but the fees are generally under $500. And the topics range widely—from communication and negotiation skills to sales, marketing and finances. For a thorough list of offerings, check out www.seminarinformation.com. You can search for a workshop by topic, date or location. Distance-learning MBA programs let you boost your business savvy without attending on-campus classes. Visit www.geteducated.com for a list of accredited universities and colleges that offer online MBAs and other business programs. You can find out about costs, classes and other information. Here are a few educational institutions that offer online MBAs: Many colleges and universities now offer comprehensive entrepreneurship programs. These programs emphasize experiential learning that takes students out of the classroom and into the real world. Practical lessons, like writing business plans and consulting with small businesses, outweigh textbook lessons. In the May 2004 issue of Entrepreneur magazine you can find a listing of the top 50 entrepreneurship programs nationwide. The list took into account course offerings, faculty, special initiatives and other factors to determine the top schools. Top tier schools included the University of Arizona in Tucson, Babson College in Massachusetts, University of California, Berkeley, and DePaul University in Chicago. To access the full list online, go to www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges. |
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