KSBDC Classes: Fun and Informative

KSBDC Classes: Fun and Informative

Posted on 07/13/2010

By: Anne Dewvall
 
NetWork Kansas has worked hard to create a statewide network of nearly 500 resource partners offering services ranging from business plan assistance to help leasing a storefront. Our referral coordinators are powerful encyclopedias of resource knowledge and perform the almost magical task of uniting entrepreneurs with the right resources at the right time.
 
Still, it is not often we put ourselves in the shoes of entrepreneurs and experience the specialized assistance of our resource partners firsthand. I recently attended a KSBDC (Kansas Small Business Development Center) class titled "Small Business Marketing Strategies." The KSBDC has 19 different offices located across the state staffed by 35 team members eager to foster the entrepreneurial spirit. The KSBDC offers a diverse range of classes on including, "Meeting the 3 Ms: Learning the Basics of Marketing, Management and Money," "Federal Tax Workshops," "Introduction to Social Media for Businesses," and more.

This class was taught at the KSBDC Wichita State University - Butler College Outreach Center in Andover, Kansas by Dave Mace. Although the fee varies for KSBDC courses, this particular class costs $20 and is designed to last two hours. Classes are scheduled on a rotating basis, so you are guaranteed to have access to a variety of interesting educational opportunities.

My fellow classmates happened to be established entrepreneurs operating existing businesses but Dave told me that attendees vary and may be at any point in the entrepreneurial process, from the idea phase to expansion. The principles covered in the KSBDC courses are applicable to many different business scenarios.

The class began with a structured approach as Dave guided us through a power point presentation highlighting marketing fundamentals. We also received printed slides of his presentation to keep as our personal copies. As an experienced marketing professional, Dave enriched the seminar with a wealth of personal knowledge, underlining the KSBDC's reputation for hiring top-notch business gurus.

We may have started with an outline, but conversation eventually strayed into increasingly specific territory as the entrepreneurs asked questions and brainstormed ideas. Each participant had the opportunity to make the class of personal benefit and Dave was helpful and obliging. It was obvious the the KSBDC agenda was not to cruise through the curriculum, but that instead their focus is firmly on providing the most assistance possible to the individual entrepreneurs who had enrolled. We left with some basic marketing fundamentals, examples of marketing strategies employed by other small businesses, and the fodder for a brainstorming session about what we could do to market our own small businesses. The class was organized, informative, and energetic and I would highly recommend the KSBDC offerings to interested entrepreneurs.

Classes are ongoing. Contact your local KSBDC office for details.

About the KSBDC
The mission of the KSBDC is to increase economic prosperity in Kansas by helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses through professional consulting, training, and resources.
The KSBDC Network recognizes the support of its host institutions, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

http://www.kansas.gov/ksbdc