Fifty six percent of new businesses fail in the first four years. For a decade, I’ve been contacting new business and helping them avoid failure by implementing quality accounting systems and adopting a structure that will preserve cash flow for growth rather than taxes. However, this is clearly not enough to insure success. New businesses need assistance from many disciplines including law, marketing, web development, computer systems, software development, workflow efficiencies, etc. Small business owners should be aware of and interested in all the disciplines that will help them to become successful. Often, owners will not have established relationships with the professionals that deliver these services. Unless the need is urgent, owners hesitate to hire such professionals when the only information they have is an advertisement or recommendation. Sometimes owners can provide these services themselves with some basic guidance. Other times, business owners need a professional to do the entire job or large part of it. One place to obtain that guidance and to establish vital relationships is The Seattle Business Institute, http://seattlebusinessinstitute.com.
Through the Seattle Business Institute, professionals, who are leaders in their various fields, will provide continuing education to small business owners. Initially this education will take place through free webinars. This maximizes ease of access, to needed information, for the small business owner. Other classes will include in person workshops, maximizing the relationship between the small business owners and the instructor. The classes are not sales pitches. Classes will provide quality information for small business owners. Business owners will be able to implement the ideas presented in class, for their business, themselves. Some small business owners will decide their time is better spent doing what they already know well, and may want an instructors expertise beyond the classroom. Whether it is through the knowledge acquired or the relationship established, small business owners will get the multidiscipline assistance they need through http://seattlebusinessinstitute.com.
This site also provides small business owners with increased marketing exposure and networking opportunities. Anyone can establish a free profile for their business. Links back to the business owner’s website will improve the business owners Google search results. The site also includes capability for commenting, blogging, photo and video sharing.
The Seattle Business Institute implements the contribution networking philosophy. Instructors provide valuable information for free. Small business owners can return from time to time, to learn various topics needed for their businesses success. Often, business owner will implement this knowledge on their own. From time to time, business owners will need to hire course instructors to implement this knowledge. Either way, the small business owner will have more tools to insure their success. Instructors who are experts in their field will have an opportunity to give back to the small business community and to share their expertise. At the same time, it will present instructors with opportunities for a unique business to business marketing model.
Classes begin late Fall 2009. This is the beginning of a brand new community. More instructors will be added in the future. No doubt, additional features will be added in the future. Watch it grow at http://seattlebusinessinstitute.com.