Judy Moses passed along this opportunity for Businesses:
The SBA’s E200 program provides nine months of intensive growth strategy development to established businesses. It was offered for the first time in our area last year. Nineteen businesses participated in 2011, and the reviews were glowing.
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E-200 is considered a mini-MBA type of training with the case study being the owner’s business, but it does require a major time commitment of the CEO. The eight-month program offers approximately 100 hours of combined classroom training, homework and peer-to-peer mentoring. It will provide the opportunity for small business owners to work with experienced mentors and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial communities. Classes will begin mid-April and will be held every other week through early November. There is no charge to participants; the only costs are the CEO’s time and commitment to complete the curriculum.
To be eligible to participate, the small businesses must:
· be located in the cities of Minneapolis or Saint Paul, (While the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are the focus of this program, if your business is located in a suburb, please submit a form to express your interest so that, if we find that the parameters can be more flexible, we will know to contact you.)
· generate revenues between $400,000 and $10 million,
· have been in business for at least three years,
· and have at least one employee
Interested small business owners are invited to learn more about the initiative and request to have the one page application emailed by contacting the SBA office at 612-370-2312 (Cindy Collett orcynthia.collett@sba.gov).
SBA and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have partnered with leading Minnesota business organizations to help launch this major initiative: The SCORE Association; Minnesota Small Business Development Centers; Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA); North Hennepin Community College; Federal Executive Board of Minnesota and the FEB’s Small and Disadvantaged Business Opportunity Council (SADBOC); Saint Paul Port Authority; Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce; Greater Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce; Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and the Women’s Business Center at WomenVenture.
Should you have questions, or wish to receive more information about the program, please contact Cindy Collett at Cynthia.Collett@sba.gov or 612-370-2312.
