The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers free online trainings to assist small businesses start, grow and succeed. 

The Small Business Training Network (SBTN) is a customer-focused SBA strategy designed to enrich, educate and empower small businesses. It is an Internet-based learning environment – operating like a virtual campus – offering online courses, workshops, publications, information resources, learning tools and direct access to electronic counseling, and other forms of technical assistance.

The Training Network operates like an electronic umbrella under which many SBA and agency resource training programs are captured, aggregated, sorted by content and made available in multiple formats. It serves small business clients, agency resource partners, other federal agencies and global students of enterprise.

Many of the learning opportunities offered by the Network are developed by cosponsors (academic institutions and corporations), some are developed by SBA's resource partners and some are developed internally through agency contracts. All of the offerings are free, most are self-paced and the majority are considered "topical primers."

The Training Network is a vehicle for knowledge, an expansion of electronic government and an initiative designed to help small businesses successfully compete. It is most importantly, however, a balanced approach to training. Not all training can be effectively achieved or is best suited for an online environment. Therefore, in addition to a robust selection of online offerings, the Training Network serves as a window to all of the traditional, face-to-face technical assistance programs offered by the agency. Traditional training opportunities offered by SBA and its resource partners around the country can be easily identified by clicking on National Training Events. 

Each day, some three to six hundred small business owners and entrepreneurs register for free online courses offered by the SBA through SBTN. Check out what so many others are taking advantage of! 

SBA Online Training: http://www.sba.gov/services/training/onlinecourses/index.html
 

Financing Roundtables presented by Team SBA

Are you ready to take the next step and seek financing for your business? Before you apply for a business loan, we recommend that you first attend a Financing Roundtable by TEAM SBA. The roundtable is a free loan orientation conducted by a local business banker, a business consultant from the SBA's network of Small Business and Technology Development Centers, and an SBA representative.

During the roundtable, we'll debunk the myths and demystify the process of small business financing. You'll learn how the lending process works and what is expected of you and you'll understand how SBA can assist you with our SBA Loan Guaranty Program. The roundtables are best suited to those who have good credit, a solid business idea, and some money to invest in their business. Because SBA does not provide loan guarantees to real estate investment firms, including purchasing and rehabbing houses for sale, this type of financing is not discussed at the roundtables. For upcoming locations and registration information, please click the link below.

SBA Financing Roundtables: http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/mi_detroit/mi_teamsba020209.pdf