The U.S. Small Business Administration and Trump University have teamed together to develop a new free online training course on How to Start a Business on a Shoestring Budget, designed to help entrepreneurs understand how to take their small business ideas to market despite limited outside resources.
The SBA and Trump University have combined the best that each organization offers, bringing together a vast array of resources, information and experts to guide students through the essentials of planning and executing a business idea by bootstrapping, a common method used to minimize the amount of outside debt and equity financing needed from banks and investors.
How to Start a Business on a Shoestring Budget is a self-paced course available through the SBA's Small Business Training Network, a virtual campus of business courses, trainings, education resources, learning tools and information assistance at www.sba.gov under the "Training" icon. It is a creative training experience and interactive assessment tool that features fictional entrepreneurs who are engaged in raising money for their small businesses, while the student entrepreneur provides advice on how to help evaluate readiness for starting a business. An added highlight is the availability of "Ask the experts" video clips, which are strategically featured throughout the course.
"We are pleased to work with an experienced leader in online education," said SBA Administrator Steven Preston. "The cosponsorship with Trump University is an inventive partnership that provides the best in small business resources to students of entrepreneurship, while offering a unique opportunity to learn about one of the most challenging areas of starting a small business— business financing."
The course helps to evaluate eight key areas of business start-up on a shoestring, including what it takes to make something out of nothing, market research for the budget minded, budget branding and what to do when you outgrow your bootstraps.
The SBA's Small Business Training Network at www.sba.gov/training 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 valuable information for existing small business owners. The training network is an easy-to-use tool that provides 24-hour access to business courses via the Internet.
About the SBA:
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the nation's largest financial backer of small businesses.
The SBA's programs and services help business owners start, run, and grow their businesses, and
provide a range of financial, technical, and management assistance. The SBA also plays a major
role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both
homeowners and businesses. America's 25 million small businesses employ more than 50 percent
of the private work force, generate more than half the nation's gross domestic product, and are the
principal source of new jobs in the U.S. economy.
About Trump University:
Trump University, an online educational institution, has been teaching its thriving community of
members everything from real estate investing, marketing, entrepreneurship skills and business
planning, to management, wealth creation, and many other subject matters that appeal to aspiring
entrepreneurs and business professionals.
Washington - July 9, 2007
Release Number: 07-41
Contact: Cecelia Taylor, (202) 401-3059
Information courtesy of the Small Business Administration.
