Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart. About the time you get things up and running smoothly, it’s time to grow. By then, you may be too busy operating your business to work on a development plan for that growth.
Have you got a vision for growth, but aren’t sure how to get there? The Georgia SBDC (Small Business Development Center) Network has the program for you.
This year, the network has rolled out GrowSmart, a program to meet the needs of owners whose businesses are at least two years old.
“We have been teaching a standard curriculum from the Small Business Administration for many years now, but over the past six months we’ve developed our own,” said Drew Tonsmeire, area director for the Kennesaw State University SBDC.
“Knowing that the political, technology and economic climate of this marketplace changes quickly, we wanted to offer Georgia owners the latest and greatest information and technologies,” Tonsmeire said.
GrowSmart will be offered at centers throughout the state, including the DeKalb, Atlanta and Kennesaw locations in metro Atlanta. A team of facilitators will teach five modules, one class a week for five weeks. The Kennesaw State SBDC will hold a program at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce starting on Aug. 3. Tuition is $895; some scholarships are available.
“The first day will be an overview of how to plan for growth. All businesses are different, but they face many of the same issues,” Tonsmeire said.
The second class will cover marketing research, planning and implementation. “Marketing has changed dramatically with the evolution of the Web and social media,” he said.
During the third session, owners will learn about management and leadership issues.
“They’ll explore their own leadership style and others; learn about salary and compensation structures; and how to conduct performance reviews,” Tonsmeire said.
Learning about the financial side of business will be the topic for the fourth meeting. “There’s a lot of useful information to be gathered from reading a profit/loss balance sheet,” he said.
On the last day, participants will present their own plans and implementation strategies for the next two years to the class of 15 to 30 people.
Business owners used to plan five years out, but change happens too quickly now to do that, Tonsmeire said. “In three years, your plan could be obsolete. Who knew five years ago that we’d be in a major housing crisis or that gas would go to almost $4 a gallon?”
Making a presentation may sound intimidating, but by that time course participants have gotten to know each other well and have shared challenges and ideas.
“If the curriculum is the mortar that holds this program together, the participants are the bricks that build it. Our owners spend hours together interacting [about] questions and common issues. The peer-to-peer learning is extremely valuable,” Tonsmeire said. “Someone can raise a problem and hear five different solutions.”
For program dates, locations and applications, call 404-413-7839 or go to www.georgiasbdc.org.
“We encourage people to apply early so that we can match companies with available scholarships,” Tonsmeire said.
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