The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has helped Baltimore entrepreneurs bring their businesses to the next level with the SBA’s education program for entrepreneurs.
The SBA’s education program is known as the Emerging Leaders program.
The Emerging Leaders program is a 7th month course where entrepreneurs learn about business skills that help grow their company.
The Emerging Leaders program started in 2008 and Baltimore was one of the very first cities to launch the Emerging Leaders program.
The SBA’s Emerging Leaders program has helped over 1,300 entrepreneurs nationwide successfully with business development through experienced mentorship and small business CEO fellowships. The main objective of the Emerging Leaders program is to equip small business CEOs with skill sets that help them expand their companies as a whole and hire more highly skilled workers.
Here are some of the skills the SBA’s Emerging Leaders program hone on for entrepreneurs:
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How to develop a business plan
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How to find business financing resources
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How to perfect the elevator pitch
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And How to hire, train, and retain employees.
Tony Hill of Edwards & Hill Office Furniture graduated from the Emerging Leader program in 2011.
Since participating in the SBA’s Emerging Leaders Program, Edwards & Hill Office Furniture has experienced a large increase in the company’s revenue.
Two big projects Edwards & Hill Office Furniture has been involved with in the last year include providing Maryland Live casino and The University Of Maryland Medical System.
In 2012 Edwards & Hill Office Furniture doubled its revenue to $4.2 million dollars. In 2013, the company is now on track to make between $6 million to 7 million by years end.
Edwards & Hill Office Furniture is planning to expand the business into Connecticut and Florida.
What has Tony Hill learned from participating in the Emerging Leaders program?
Tony has learned how to effectively delegate work duties to his 10 employees. He has learned how to select the right people to be in the places because he understands that he and his business partner, Hans Edwards can’t do everything on their own.
Although there is no direct formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur, one of the best ways to become a successful entrepreneur is to learn about the triumphs and failures of successful entrepreneurs.
What decisions did they make that made them unique from their competitors?
To start on the road to success as an entrepreneur, you should be passionate about what you set out to do. When you’re passionate about your goals, you put your best efforts forward to succeed.
Find value in taking small steps toward your business goals. When you’re trying something new, you’re always taking a risk. You’ll make fewer mistakes pursuing your business goals when you don’t make important decisions on a whim.
Always take out time to reflect on what you have learned about your industry market to identify what you need to do to progress.
When you learn something valuable, there’s always an opportunity to take another step to reaching your entrepreneurial goals.
Find what you truly want to do with your business ventures and success will follow if you act, learn, and build from your failures and achievements.
Take a look at Edwards & Hill Office Furniture’s furniture products and furniture installation services today.
Edwards & Hill Office Furniture is a leading office planner and supplier for commercial companies, government agencies and individual consumers nationwide. We sell and install office furniture. We design and plan office layouts from start to finish. We even help you relocate and handle planning, marketing, public relations, and film and video production.
Contact Edwards & Hill by clicking here or call us at 410.884.8450 today! We are here to serve you!
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Source:
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/04/18/sba-chief-karen-mills-highlights.html?page=all
http://www.forbes.com/sites/actiontrumpseverything/2012/11/28/how-to-be-a-successful-entrepreneur/