Sharing information about self-employment and innovation
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 takes place November 15–21. Across 100 countries around the globe, 10 million people will take part in 40,000 events. DCTC is joining the worldwide movement by sharing timely, relevant and valuable information about self-employment and innovation with campus and area communities.
Due to an uncertain economy, college graduates need expanded options for employment. Self-reliance through small business ownership is on the rise throughout the country. DCTC is on the leading edge of entrepreneurship education through its national award-winning Business Entrepreneur program taught by Bob Voss, the 2008 NACCE Faculty Member of the Year and 2006 DCTC Outstanding Instructor of the Year.
“According to the SBA’s ‘The Small Business Economy,’ a report delivered to the president in 2009, small businesses are responsible for most of the nation’s new jobs,” said Voss. “Small businesses employ about half the country’s private-sector workforce and account for half the non-farm, private real GDP while serving as a significant wellspring of innovation.”
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 | Nov. 15–21
“For one week, millions of young people around the world join a growing movement of entrepreneurial people, to generate new ideas and to seek better ways of doing things. Countries across six continents come together to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, an initiative to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity. To think big. To turn their ideas into reality. To make their mark.”
—from About Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010: A global movement unleashing new ideas
Christine Pigsley, the college’s dean of student affairs and general education, pointed out that entrepreneurs can follow two distinct business paths. DCTC offers the long-established Business Entrepreneur certificate, which works best for people looking to start a bricks-and-mortar business requiring commercial loans, investors and employees. Examples are retailers, manufacturers and food-service operations.
“We are now offering a new Small Business Operations certificate for people wishing to operate businesses online or from home with little or no financing required,” said Pigsley, who was recently honored with the 2010 Achievement Award by the Minnesota ACE Network. “The purpose of the certificate is to assist the entrepreneur in the development of a strong, income-generating enterprise through sales of products or services.”
“Direct sellers have a high rate of failure in the first year of operation that could be significantly reduced by increasing their basic entrepreneurship skills.”
Pigsley went on to say that the Small Business Operations certificate is designed with a special focus on independent sales representatives, online or home-based business enterprises, and consultants with an existing or developed product or service line. The certificate, delivered completely online, is perfect for entrepreneurs who need little or no outside capitalization to get off the ground.
“Direct sellers have a high rate of failure in the first year of operation that could be significantly reduced by increasing their basic entrepreneurship skills,” Pigsley said. “Working in collaboration with direct selling companies, DCTC is positioned to build key skills in a company’s workforce of independent sales representatives. That skill set will not only improve the ability of representatives to market themselves and the product/service line, it will also prepare them to lead a team of reps on a path to successful business growth.”
The Small Business Operations certificate requires the completion of 18 credits over a two-semester period. The first semester is geared to individuals who are in the early stages of business development; the second semester is related to growing the enterprise and partnering with others to build the business (Less than 12 months or up to 2 years depending on course load).
All courses in the Small Business Operations certificate curriculum can be taken online
For questions related to business entrepreneurship education at DCTC, including the new Small Business Operations certificate, please contact:
- Christine Pigsley | Dean of Student Affairs and General Education | 651-423-8231
- Lisa Bah | Director of Business and Management & Apple Valley Site Coordinator | 651-423-8602
- Bob Voss | Business Entrepreneur Instructor | 651-423-8356
Noelia Urzua Vasquez | DCTC Alumna & 7th Annual NACCE Entrepreneur of the Year
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To learn more about Noelia Urzua Vasquez’s journey to success, please read “Tradition Makes Perfect”
