“Entrepreneurship 101” – the training you need BEFORE you start your business

It’s the American dream – having your own business, being your own boss, setting your own hours….But before you take the plunge (or before you get in too deep in a business that you just started), you need to do some serious self-reflection and homework.

That’s why UCEDC, a statewide economic development corporation, is offering an intensive six-week workshop for start-up businesses (those in the idea/planning phase or in operation less than a year).  The next session of Entrepreneurship 101  is scheduled for Wednesday evenings (6:00 – 9:00 pm),  September 16 – October 28, 2015 at UCEDC’s headquarters in Cranford.

“The small business failure rate is staggering,” warns Erich Peter, UCEDC’s Director of Training.  “But you’ll be more likely to succeed if you consider every challenge ahead of you and make sure you have what it takes to meet them.”

Participants will be guided through a real-world assessment of their business idea and market feasibility as well as their own ability to handle the demands of business ownership.  The steps to opening a business in New Jersey, choosing a legal structure, developing a business plan and establishing cost, revenue and cash flow projections will be addressed in a variety of interactive exercises.

“Being a business owner is hard work and this workshop is equally demanding,” says Peter. “But we’re going to work with you both in and outside of the classroom to make sure that the class material is relevant to your specific needs.  And, we stick with our graduates for 12 months, providing free mentoring and counseling services.”

Entrepreneurship 101 is a component of UCEDC’s Entrepreneurial Training Initiative, an ongoing small business training effort, offered in partnership with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.   This session was made possible in part by a grant from Valley National Bank.

UCEDC is dedicated to helping small business throughout New Jersey to start, grow and thrive by making loans, training and mentoring business owners, helping businesses obtain government contracts, and providing accurate and relevant business information.