SRDC releases timely update to curriculum for small business owners, educators
August 12, 2010
Launching a business is no small feat. The licensing, zoning, loans, inventory controls, employees relations, accounting – becoming a successful entrepreneur requires nearly equal parts ambition, dedication, and know-how. That's where the Cashing in on Business Opportunities curriculum comes in.
"Today's economic times make this type of curriculum more relevant than ever," Alan Barefield, Extension Professor for the Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University said. "Current unemployment statistics make it clear that large employers are not rebounding quickly enough to return the national economy to the robustness found before its current state. Most new, fast-growing companies have had their start as a home-based or micro business."
According to Barefield, tough economies naturally lead to a significant increase in interest in starting small businesses, even in those individuals who have never considered or been exposed to the complicated workings of these types of businesses before.
With unemployment rates in June at 11.1 percent for the state of Mississippi and 9.6 percent for both the southern region and nation, the conditions may be ripe for future entrepreneurs.*
"On-going research continues to identify this economic segment as the birthplace for most new job growth," said Barefield, who coordinated the revision curriculum that is being re-leased by the Southern Rural Development Center hosted at Mississippi State University.
Cashing – for short – is a comprehensive educational curriculum designed to help aspiring and existing home-based and micro-businesses owners to address actual concerns they face.
Originally developed by a national team of Extension professionals in 1997, Cashing has been offering entrepreneurs and the educators who serve them the technical knowledge and skills needed to manage a home-based or micro business. Now after two years of rewrites and additions, Cashing has a new look and is available for free online for the first time to reach as many people as possible.
The updates were necessary, Barefield explained. Many of the financial, management and especially marketing methods relevant to this type of business have been refined and, in some cases, dramatically changed since the original 1998 release. In addition to content changes, the curriculum now features a more attractive and user-friendly design.
The original document featured overhead projector transparencies and references to now outdated regulations and requirements. The new curriculum's references are updated and PowerPoint presentation files have been provided. The whole document can be downloaded in PDF and Powerpoint formats at http://srdc.msstate.edu/trainings/educurricula/cashing/.
Other updates include up-to-date Internet-based marketing methods that did not exist previously, more simplified explanations of complex financial and management procedures, and a more in-depth explanation of developing a comprehensive and usable business plan.
Cashing has also become more dynamic with additional topics and Webinars addressing e-commerce and technology currently in development. Moreover, as additional resources become available, they will be added to the already 1,500-plus-page curriculum.
Despite the breadth of the project, Cashing reviser Jim McConnon, Extension Business & Economics Specialist and Professor of Economics at the University of Maine, said, "The Cashing in on Business Curriculum is very user friendly and will help Extension educators across the country support and strengthen home-based and micro businesses and promote economic development in their communities."
The complete revision team included Alan Barefield, Mississippi State University; Mike Best, Tennessee Tech University; Karen Biers, Utah State University; Rachael Carter, Mississippi State University, Hank Cothran, University of Florida; Jim McConnon, University of Maine; Glenn Muske, North Dakota State University; Katy Williams, Southern Rural Development Center; Kent Wolfe, University of Georgia; and Al Wysocki, University of Florida.
*Unemployment data from the Department of Labor for June 2010 (non seasonally adjusted county level data).
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