WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has 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 Small Business Primer is available through the SBA’s Small Business Training Network, a virtual campus of business courses, training, education resources, learning tools, and information assistance at www.sba.gov/training. It 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 the Service Corps of Retired Executives (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 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 useful information for existing small business owners. The training network is designed to provide 24-hour access to business courses via the Internet.

Publication date: 05/14/2007