The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s eBusiness Program

The University of Nebraska’s eTeam of Extension educators provides education to rural communities and businesses to enhance their entrepreneurial skills for doing business better, faster and with greater profitability. Their mission is to provide technology education in locations where access to technology education, a computer lab and broadband Internet access is limited; to assist communities in the application of technology that can grow regional economies. Further this mission teaches entrepreneurs to explore global markets; and to develop and deploy their own eBusiness curriculum.

The eBusiness courses offered include a manual, access to an online curriculum, 12 hours of hands-on training and access to Extension educators to provide follow-up expertise and consultation. The basic eBusiness course, “eBusiness – Selling on the Internet,” is a 12-hour, four-session hands-on course designed for current and new business startups whose owners want to sell products and services through retail Web sites. Topics include: what e-customers want, building the e-store, Web site design, and Web marketing. Their advanced course, “More e-Business – Selling on the Internet,” is a four-session course designed for businesses that have been online for three to five years and who desire additional education to move their e-store to the next level. Topics include: creating a customer communications center, advanced Web marketing, finding vendors and suppliers, and advanced Web applications and design. Participants of both programs receive a high quality reference book and access to the password protected Web site.

Additional courses can be offered if identified by a community as a priority. These courses include “e-Business the eBay Way” whose purpose is to help entrepreneurs start a part-time business selling online, or to help them expand an existing business into the Internet market channel through an online auction. Another offering is “eKnowledge for Businesses” where participants learn the basics of getting the most out of their computers, learn the most effective ways to search for business information, and learn how to be more effective at using e-mail. Two additional courses that are being created now are first, a three-session course on Internet security, computer maintenance, and Firewalls; and second, a Spanish version of the eBusiness course.