Have a Little Class

Need a crash course in entrepreneurship? Check out the online classroom at the SBA Web site, where you can learn all about the ins and outs of starting and running your own business. According to James O'Connor, director of the Office of e-Small Business at the SBA, "The [class] is comprehensive and easy to use."

This free, interactive class offers specific sections ranging from basic start-up information-such as deciding what kind of business to launch-to detailed lessons on accounting and cash flow. More than just a series of articles, the class reads like an interesting textbook--complete with charts and quizzes at the end of each section.

O'Connor also notes that the class has already received rave reviews from organizations such as SCORE and small-business schools across the nation. Formed as a joint effort with My Own Business Inc., a nonprofit entrepreneurial education organization in Los Angeles, the 12-session class will soon feature chat auditoriums and interaction between students and business experts.

This online class is pioneering what O'Connor hopes will be a big step forward for entrepreneurial education at the SBA. "We hope to create an [entire] e-learning portal," he says. For more information, call (800) U-ASK-SBA.