A new year is a great time to take stock of our business progress and make some goals for improvements. If learning a new business skill or furthering your education is one of your resolutions for 2018, the online Small Business Academy is a new resource you’ll definitely want to bookmark and return to frequently.
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Continuing Education Center at Jamestown Community College partnered to develop a platform to host online courses, workshops and seminars for small business owners & managers. The Small Business Academy launched last year and currently offers six social media marketing courses: Introduction to Marketing with Social Media, Marketing with Twitter, Facebook for Business, Marketing with YouTube, Marketing with LinkedIn, and Marketing Your Business on Instagram and Pinterest. Students can connect with their instructors and each other in a private online discussion group to share best practices, updates and tips for implementing social media tactics to drive revenue growth. Students who take all six classes earn a non-credit Certificate in Social Media Marketing from Jamestown Community College.
This week, we are pleased to be adding an incredibly informative video series on Intellectual Property rights. This animated video series was created by the Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property and provides excellent information on patents, copyrights and trademarks, how each is relevant to today’s entrepreneurs, and how one goes about obtaining these important protections. The courses are free of charge thanks to the generosity of The Michelson Institute.
In the next few weeks, we will be adding a three-part series on succession planning - Exit Right: Planning for a Profitable Transition. The first video in the series features Kameron Brooks, an attorney with decades of experience guiding clients through the legal complexities of selling a business or passing a business along to a family member before retirement. The second video features Christopher Smith, CPA who discusses several different strategies for business owners to transition into retirement and the tax implications of each. Both speakers give a solid overview of their topics and the courses include printable handouts for your future reference. The series also includes a third video – a Succession Planning Panel Discussion featuring three entrepreneurs who share their stories about the sale or family transition of their businesses; what went well, what difficulties they encountered and best tips from their perspectives for business owners considering retirement options.
For busy entrepreneurs and small business managers, it can be a real challenge finding time to take classes in topics that will help a business grow and thrive. The advantage of the Small Business Academy is that all of the courses are self-paced and available 24/7 so students can log in and take the class from the convenience of their own computers, at times that fit their busy schedules. Since it’s launch in early 2017, the Small Business Academy has seen over 760 individual enrollments and the reviews have been excellent.
For more information on the Small Business Academy and other excellent resources for small business owners, please contact us at 716-338-1024.
Here is what our students have to say about their experiences with the online Small Business Academy:
“This online course has been very well prepared and is a great overview to assist owners of small businesses become aware of the most effective social media marketing platforms as well as their potential in marketing a business. I highly recommend it to those wanting to be more successful and profitable in growing their business.” L.B. Blakeney
“Excellent material! The presenter and the material are very easy to follow. Steps and directions are simple & self explanatory”. C. Garza
“One of the best courses I have ever taken.” M. Bernard
“Well done. Very informative and easy to comprehend.” D. Stauffacher
