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Links related to this story: | Business Gets a Boost from eSmart You can’t escape it; the technological lifestyle is here to stay. Whether you’re shopping, looking for directions, doing research, or planning a dream vacation, demands for on-line services are growing fast -- faster than service suppliers can meet them. Traditional institutions of every kind including education and training institutions, are now competing for customers with their cyberspace counterparts. So, say "Hello" to on-line learning: technical, college, and professional schools offering curricula that allow students anywhere to earn certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees with little or no classroom attendance or on-campus residency requirements. It’s a dream come true for would-be students who have the means, but lack the mobility and time flexibility to obtain a traditional education. But, what about the would-be student who doesn’t want a degree? What about the person seeking advice and training for immediate business applications? Fear not; the Small Business Administration (SBA) has on-line help for you, too. SBA On-Line Classrooms The new SBA Small Business Classroom is now offering user-friendly, on-line business courses to anyone with a standard Internet connection: 24-hours-a-day; 7 days a week; tuition free. The Small Business Classroom’s on-line courses are short (only 7 to 30 minutes each), self-paced learning modules. "Are You Y2K OK?" "The Business Plan," "How to Raise Capital for a Small Business," and a host of other valuable, straight-forward offerings are available, some in both English and Spanish. Course content is lively thanks to the liberal use of graphics and audio, and electronic links connect users to additional learning resources. SBA's coming attractions include courses on obtaining financial assistance, marketing, and "how-to" seminars on doing business with the Federal government. For owners and operators of small businesses, this is the support site for you: inside, on-line, solid know-how, gratis from your Federal government. For More Information visit the SBA Internet site and SBA Classroom Site, or contact Patricia L. Young, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration, at (202) 205-6740. 10/6/99 |