Business Class

In search of a schedule that allows you to go back to school to hone your skills? Education's latest innovation is coming to the rescue. Available to anyone with Internet access--or, in some cases, just a phone--virtual learning programs are helping time-challenged business owners go to the head of the class.

Small Business University (SBU) is a teleconference-based school founded last year by Leslie Speidel, a Raleigh, North Carolina, marketing consultant and author. "We have telephone lines that hold up to 150 people," says Speidel. At SBU, you can pursue an Advanced Business Certificate or enroll in classes such as "Smart, Affordable Marketing." Costs range from about $40 to $75 per course.

A new front-runner in the pool of Internet-based programs, California Virtual University (CVU) offers online courses from 70 California schools. Among CVU's offerings: University of California, Los Angeles' "Business Computer Programming" and the University of California, Berkeley's "Introduction to Business Organization and Management." Courses cost about $400 to $500 each.

To learn more, visit SBU's Web site (http://www.SmallBusinessU.com) and CVU's Web site (http://www.california.edu).

This article was originally published in the May 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Business Class.