BUSINESS BUZZ
Small businesses Interise-ing up By Jay Pateakos
Businesses maintain their successes, whether on day ten or ten thousand, through hard work and sheer determination, but there’s more to it than that.
Business owners are constantly learning, finding new ways to operate, discovering unique ways to keep their services wanted, products in demand, and their cash flows flowing. Some owners don’t take the time to pursue education, and many pay a dear price – failing to put in a few hours a week can be the difference between life and death.
Interise rescue
The “Business Boot Camp” held in the South Coast by the Boston-based nonprofit Interise is available for those business owners who are willing to put in the work. Interise, formed in 2004, has blossomed into a nationally-driven circuit of business owners who have taken classes to better themselves and their businesses. The “Streetwise MBA” is a tax-deductible, discussion-based seven-month course that meets twice a month in the evening, for a total of thirteen sessions, each three hours long. The boot camp is limited to fifteen spots. The next South Coast program starts in New Bedford on October 4. Jackie Raposo, South Coast Interise Senior Manager of Programs, deals predominantly with businesses around the New Bedford and Fall
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River areas. She said these courses have attracted business owners from all over, including the Providence area and Cape Cod. Jeff Craddock, owner of Hyannis’ Sea Sports Cyclery & Outdoor, was the first first business owner from the Cape to graduate from the program. “The overall goal of the program is to create a three-year growth plan. The “Streetwise MBA” program helps to build up your business knowledge through things like business strategy, financial analysis, accessing capital, marketing, and sales strategies,” said Raposo. “These classes are more discussion-based, where these business owners focus on what they want to do with their businesses and work on some areas where they may be lacking skills that this program can teach them.” In a world where we’re constantly plugged in to our phones and laptops, Raposo said this program focuses on putting the electronics down for the entire three hours and get down to the basics that will help make you a better business owner. “It’s about where your business is, what you want to do with it now, and where you want to take it,” said Raposo, noting this fall’s South Coast class will be its fourth South Coast program. “Oftentimes there are other businesses in the room that are likely going through similar
situations as you are and this program helps to link the businesses and helps them learn from that experience.” Elizabeth Howe, Interise’s South Coast Program Manager said the “Streetwise MBA” program also works with owners on their leadership skills, how to read financial statements, how to access capital, and the ins-and-outs of government contracting.
Think tank
Each session, Interise brings in related experts to the topics they will address during that night’s class. There are five modules that will be covered in class: Module 1: Business and Strategy Assessment Module 2: Financials Module 3: Marketing and Sales Module 4: Resources- People, Accessing Capital and Government Contracting Module 5: Putting it all together- Strategic Growth Plan Presentations. “Businesses have to come up with realistic goals for the next three years and they get advice from the experts in the many fields,” said Howe. “There is also a CEO mentoring group where individuals meet at businesses and work on specific assignments.”