There is good news for small business owners and those who are looking to start a small business. With a grant from the University of Puerto Rico and funds from the V.I. Veterans Affairs Office, the UVI CELL EDA University Center is relaunching an Introduction to Entrepreneurship course led by the Global Center for Social Entrepreneur Network.
GCSEN is a nonprofit education foundation whose mission is to enable people to create meaningful change in their lives and their careers. CEO and Founder Mike Caslin stated, “I believe that social entrepreneurship that seeks to transform society with intentional 4P Impact — people, profit, planet and place is one of the fastest growing and transformative non-coercive forces for good that exists on our planet today.”
The basis of the course is the foundation of what is taught in the most prestigious business school in the country, according to the press release announcing the endeavor.
With so much potential in the territory for small business owners, those who are looking to get started or grow can now take advantage of this opportunity, which would normally cost upward in the thousands, Caslin said. “Given the state of our very needy world, it is only through education that we can help support more flames of knowledge that will light up the darkness,” he said.
Last year, the UVI CELL EDA University Center graduated 10 students who took part in this three-month course, which consisted of online instruction and coaching sessions. The curriculum helped participants with many aspects of business, from applying for a license to budgeting and marketing and even creating pitch decks. The veterans course, launched in September, has a special track and focuses on the opportunities for veteran business owners.
The EDA-supported University Center program is specifically designed to leverage the resources located in colleges and universities to support regional economic development strategies in regions of chronic and acute economic distress.
For more information and to apply for the EDA University Center Entrepreneurship course, visit the UVI CELL EDA University Center website or call 340-693-1100.
