I am looking for a practical course that will teach me everything that I need to know about running a small business or a department of a medium sized business. I want to learn practical accounting, marketing, how to write business plans etc. I am not after an academic course but I am after a respected and reputable school. I am wary of the zillions of business websites that claim to be able to teach this. Does anyone know of such schools. I need to study on-line because I live in Australia. Thanks, Sean.
I do not know where you are located, but check with your local Small Business Association, Service Corp of Retired Executives and the like. You want applied stuff, that is where you find it. If you are looking for a degree, that is another matter entirely. Most schools of business are very long on theory and short on the day-to-day reality. Community Colleges do a slightly better job at that. Then there are the "business colleges," which abound. I know companies which like hiring from these student pools because those students know how to fill out the forms. jim
Sean, The best way to learn practical accounting for a small and/or a medium sized business is by taking a computer accounting class at a local community college. The school usually gets a computer software such as Quick Books, MYOB, or Peach Tree, and train you in the use of it. You will learn the accounting terminology, as well as how to keep your books and, more importantly for a small business manager, how to prepare and review financial statements. As far as marketing, you could take the 8 hour seminar(s) related to marketing your company or on marketing a specific product. Also, about business plans, you could get guidelines from SBA or assitance from the SCORE program. Lastly, there are at least three software packages out there which will help you prepare a decent business plan. With your future training in accounting and marketing, you could prepare a pretty good business plan or a loan proposal within few hours. By all means, YOU DON'T NEED AN MBA to do any of the above!
