Weekly Resource #34 GROW Entrepreneure Training

Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women was established in 1989 and has  grown into a promising resource for people of all ages, ethnicity, genders, and incomes to utilize in order to pursue a goal of financial independence through entrepreneurship. This non Profit offers many resources ranging from entrepreneur training to financial support and networking. I’ll be focusing on the entrepreneur training resources that GROW offers in this weeks weekly Resource.

Firstly, if you are planning on attending any GROW classes, it is encouraged that you first attend an “Intro to GROW” event. This is a free orientation to familiarize you with  GROW and it’s programs. Some of GROW’s courses require this as a prerequisite so it is a good idea to attend this hour long introduction.

Start Smart is the most basic business workshop GROW offers. It is held monthly and will help participants understand the many costs and benefits of running their own business. This is another great resource for those of you who are not well versed in the life of an entrepreneur. Into to GROW is a prerequisite for this course.

The largest and most in depth entrepreneurial training that GROW offers is through it’s Small Business Growth and Planning Series (GPS). This Small Business growth and planning series is comprised of three separate “clusters” that address specific and varying topics related to the modern entrepreneur. These three clusters are the Business Basics cluster, the Marketing strategies cluster, and the Financial Awareness Cluster. In the Business BasicsCluster, you will learn how to create a blue print for your business and how to differentiate the different types of organizations. You will also receive a basic understanding of the legal and tax issues that may arise in day to day business. The Marketing Strategies Cluster will cover basic marketing concepts such as market analysis and targeted marketing as well as outlining the process of internet marketing and how to brand and sell your product or service. Lastly, the financial awareness cluster will cover basic bookkeeping, how to calculate the most widely used business formulas, identifying financial resources and learning the process of how to apply for them. Upon completion of one or more clusters, a participant has the opportunity to create a customized implementation plan with the assistance of a GROW Business Counselor.