ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Who Should Apply • Program Benefits • Locations & Schedule

In today's economy, small businesses matter more than ever – they are America's most powerful engine of opportunity and economic development. Small businesses create approximately 2 out of 3 new jobs in America each year, and drive American innovation and competitiveness.

10,000 Small Businessesat LaGuardia Community College is part of a national, five-year investment to unlock the growth and job creation potential of small businesses in the U.S. through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services. The initiative is also active in Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and New Orleans and over the next five years will reach 10,000 small business owners across the country.

The program at LaGuardia Community College has three main components:

1. Approximately 90-hours of business education
2. An additional 6-8 hours/week of business support services, including technical assistance, one-on-one business advising and business clinics, as well as assignments in advance of each class to help participants apply classroom learning to improve day-to-day operations
3. Expert advice to help participants create and refine business growth plans and effectively position their companies to access capital when the time is right

The ultimate goal of the program is for the participating business owners to increase their revenues and create jobs in the greater New York metropolitan area 

LaGuardia Community College is seeking approximately 30 small business owners to participate in its 10,000 Small Businesses program beginning on Wednesday, June 22, 2012. Each business owner who is selected will receive a scholarship to cover program costs and materials

Who Should Apply • Program Benefits • Locations & Schedule

Who Should Apply

The program is intended for business owners with limited financial resources and opportunity to access a business education designed to enhance small business success. Applicants should own a business that is poised for growth, has been in operation for at least two years, and has a minimum of four employees. They also should demonstrate that they have thought critically about opportunities to grow their businesses and create new jobs. While it is not a prerequisite to apply for the program, qualifying business owners who reside in, operate their business in or employ workers from underserved communities will be given priority consideration. Small business owners who meet these criteria will benefit the most from 10,000 Small Businesses' combination of classroom training, technical assistance, and networking, and the potential to access capital.

Who Should Apply • Program Benefits • Locations & Schedule

Program Benefits

Participants in the 10,000 Small Businesses program at LaGuardia Community College will benefit from a highly practical business entrepreneurship education that was created with Babson College, a 10,000 Small Businesses partner recognized internationally for its leadership in entrepreneurial business education. The curriculum focuses on developing skills that can be applied immediately by business owners to address the issues most critical to growing their businesses, including:

• Identifying and evaluating business opportunities
• Understanding and managing the competitive business environment
• Analyzing financial statements and using them to make management decisions
• Accessing financial capital
• Leading a growing business
• Hiring, developing and retaining your team
• Building a targeted sales effort
• Contracting with the government
• Understanding international trade opportunities
• Constructing and aligning business operations to position a company for growth

Peer learning is critical to the 10,000 Small Businesses classroom experience and, as a result, coursework is highly collaborative and draws upon the real-world experiences of participating small business owners. Participants will be placed into small Growth Groups and work with their teammates for the duration of the program to explore, practice and implement the knowledge and skills they develop to seize new business opportunities and overcome common challenges to business growth.

In addition to the classroom experience, the 10,000 Small Businesses program will:

• Provide one-on-one business advisory services to help business owners develop and implement their tailored Growth Plans
• Help participants drive growth by preparing their businesses to apply for financing
• Provide networks and technical assistance to help business owners focus on their most critical business issues and increase business capacity

Who Should Apply • Program Benefits • Locations & Schedule

Locations and Schedule

The 10,000 Small Businesses program at LaGuardia Community College will begin on May 24, 2012 and is being offered at 29-10 Thomson Ave Long Island City NY, 11101.

All participants will take part in networking events, legal and financial clinics, and other business assistance activities designed to help them translate newly acquired knowledge into management practice.

The anticipated class schedule is noted below:

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