GRAND RAPIDS – The Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center is now offering no-cost training to Veterans who have an interest in growing or launching a small business.

?Many Veterans are launching and growing businesses here in Michigan and they need assistance,? stated Carol Lopucki, state director of the MI-SBTDC. ?The training programs will assist Veterans to evaluate their business ideas, build implementation plans and effectively growing their businesses.?

The courses, which run 2-3 hours, are presented by experienced business professionals or current small business owners with pertinent expertise. The Entrepreneurial Series consists of five fundamental courses ranging from how to start a small business to how to market a small business. The Advanced Entrepreneurial Series offers nine courses including:

Essentials of Internet Business

Running a Restaurant

Succession Planning

The Retail Survival Guide

The Successful Contractor

?The training from the SBTDC has been excellent, timely and very appropriate for the business climate we are in,? stated Larry Bergman, Veteran and Business Owner of Bergman Power Equipment. ?The training has helped me look at how to grow a small business, and how do you reach my customers.?

The MI-SBTDC also offers a 10-week FastTrac NewVenture training program that aims to help entrepreneurs evaluate business opportunities and develop an action plan for owning their own business. During the course, entrepreneurs evaluate the feasibility of their business concept, make many contacts, including peers, resources and mentors, and learn how to start profitable businesses, attract new clients or customers, retain employees, and improve service and product offerings.

In 2010, the MI-SBTDC trained 10,097 small business owners and entrepreneurs in 810 training courses. The MI-SBTDC also offers follow-up individual counsel at no-cost to the participants as their businesses grows.

?The MI-SBTDC courses offer practical realistic approaches to business issues faced by both new and existing entrepreneurs,? said Cathy Kaiser, Training Manager for the MI-SBTDC. ?The no-cost training offered to Veterans will accelerate business growth and launches for Veteran owned businesses.?

The descriptions of the courses offered, dates and locations are listed on the MI-SBTDC Web site at MISBTDC.Org/Training

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