The key to marketing a town is determining and promoting the town's "differential advantage" or uniqueness that would make people want to visit or live there. Exercises to help communities gain important insights into the town's competitive edge include a brainstorming session with knowledgeable community members, a visitor…

Since 1986 the Federal Employment Service in Germany has used the so-called "bridging allowance" to assist previously unemployed people in setting up their own businesses. This allowance is intended to guarantee the social security and subsistence of the person setting up the business during the start-up phase, until the young enterprise…

In 1988, Joliet Junior College (JJC) initiated a Set-Aside Loan Pool, designed to provide entrepreneurs, who traditionally would not be able to obtain a small business loan because of a lack of equity, with an alternate source of funding. Ten financial institutions were contacted and asked for contributions to the Loan Pool. Over the next five…

This student workbook on starting a small business is part of the entrepreneur training program at Ocean County (New Jersey) Vocational-Technical Schools. The workbook consists of 16 units containing goals and objectives, study questions, exercises, sample materials, and information sheets. Unit topics are as follows: being a small business owner;…

These materials provide information on conducting small business training seminars for veterans. First, a discussion is presented of the development of the guide based on 1983 field testing of the seminar and evaluations conducted by Small Business Administration (SBA) officials, the seminar contracts, and trainers. The next sections deal with the…

This monograph is part of OPTIONS, a packaged set of materials developed to provide postsecondary administrators, program planners, curriculum developers, counselors, and instructors with up-to-date, reliable information. This volume and two other monographs are intended to enable counselors and instructors to establish and conduct special…

Designed for firms who are seriously interested in expanding their business into international trade and who want to evaluate their prospects and potential for success, this workbook guides the reader through the steps in preparing an international business plan. Introductory sections explain how to use the workbook, offer a summary outline of an…

A classroom business venture (CBV), one component of the Human Resources School's career development program for physically disabled fifth, sixth, and seventh graders, is described. A CBV is defined as a simulated business situation where students, with teacher guidance, plan and organize the operation toward the eventual goal of distribution of…

Outlines programs in the United Kingdom (UK) designed to encourage the starting of small businesses. Successful programs help entrepreneurs obtain financial support, get business training, and develop a business plan. Recommends emphasis on personal competency and motivation training as well as shorter courses. (CH)

Describes the Onarga Project, in which a group of business students worked with the people of Onarga, Illinois, to revitalize a dying community, and how business teachers can incorporate some of the ideas to improve students' understanding of small business. Discusses preliminary planning, project activities, and specific learning activities to…

This paper is divided into three parts. The first part considers a range of options from which self-employment can be created; the second part considers the personal, social, and economic changes involved in going out on your own; the third part reviews the key steps involved in starting up. (SSH)

Differences in the structure and operations of small businesses necessitate management training tailored to their needs. One method involves different techniques for each management level: chief executives, managers, supervisors. Another approach is holistic group training involving action learning for the entire management team. (SK)

An exploratory investigation into training and learning in small businesses in Australia was conducted to identify issues surrounding training and learning and issues relating to the research methodology. Data were collected from a review of the literature, case studies of six small enterprises, and a review of two case studies conducted…

A survey of 78 small/medium-sized enterprises in Istanbul showed the majority were founded by their present owners (most are college graduates); 45% are not aware of national research and development; most lacked research capital; technological innovations are driven by consumer demand; and government and large enterprises are not supporting…

This research attempts to identify how social capital is manifest within the contexts of small firm networks that rely on rapid turnover of projects. Presents work to date that converts tacit knowledge into sets of explicit and manageable local data, and provides examples of information visualizations for profiling and retrieval that support the…