Six Module Online Training Course Provides Business Owners with the Tools They Need to Compete in the Internet Economy
WASHINGTON and SAN JOSE, Calif., July 19, 2000 - Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced that it has collaborated with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop and deliver the Internet Essentials for Growing Business Online Training Series, a six-module on-line learning program. The program helps small companies transform the way they do business by teaching them how to incorporate the Internet into their day-to-day business practices and accelerate their success.
The SBA estimates that there are approximately 25.5 million small businesses in the United States. Cahners In-Stat, a market research firm, reports that as the Internet becomes a necessity to conduct business, small businesses in the U.S. will make the move toward e-business generating as much as 30 percent of their annual income online. In a separate report, New York-based AMI Partners stated that the growth of online spending by U.S. small businesses is growing exponentially - reporting that in 1998, small businesses spent U.S. $2 billion on products and services via the Internet, in 1999 that figure rose to U.S. $25 billion. The consultancy predicts that by 2001, that figure will reach U.S. $118 billion, nearly five times the 1999 total.
The challenge for most small businesses is not understanding "if" they need to incorporate the Internet into their business, but "how" to gain a competitive edge by making the Internet part of their business model. For that reason, Cisco and the SBA have joined forces to deliver a training program that not only helps small businesses understand the value of the Internet but also shows them how to run their businesses more efficiently and increase productivity using the Internet.
Participants completing the course will learn to use different Internet business solutions to automate business processes to free up personnel and concentrate on the core competencies of the organization; to market and sell to new customers; to improve communication with employees, suppliers and customers and to personalize their relationship with customers by predicting their needs.
The self-paced six-module program is available via the Internet allowing businesses to obtain the training at any time, from any place including the office, home or even while traveling. By eliminating the requirement to attend classes in person, Cisco and the SBA have removed the constraints of time and distance to allow business owners to get training when it is most convenient.
"The Internet Economy is enabling small businesses to have a global reach," said Charlie Giancarlo, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco Systems Small/Medium Line of Business. "As these businesses continue to develop, they are conducting more and more of their business on the Web. We've spent a lot of time working with small businesses to understand their challenges and to learn how to help them succeed. We decided to work with the SBA to deliver a program that shares this knowledge with small businesses that are looking to the Internet as the next phase of their business growth."
"The SBA's co-sponsorship with Cisco Systems is part of our ongoing effort to provide the best information and resources to small business owners through our online Small Business Classroom," said Aida Alvarez, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). "These new courses, rich in content, will be an excellent tool to help SBA clients learn about ways to improve their business."
Upon completion of each course, students are directed to the Cisco Resource Network, a Web-based resource center that includes on-line tools developed by Cisco Systems to help small and growing businesses take the next steps. The tool-set includes an Internet Case Maker which helps business owners understand the value proposition of investing in technology; a benchmarking tool that helps businesses understand how their use of technology compares to those of their peers; and an Internet Solution Finder that helps businesses determine the types of applications their companies would most benefit from. The tools can be found at http://www.cisco.com/go/resource.
The six-module program Internet Essentials for Growing Business Online will be made available on July 19, 2000 at 6:00 a.m. EST. It can be viewed at http://www.ciscowebseminars.com/sba. Students may also go to the SBA Classroom at http://www.sba.gov/classroom. The Classroom offers numerous learning programs and resource tools for small businesses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than 1 million small business owners.
The SBA also plays a major role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.
For more information on all of SBA's programs for small businesses, call the SBA Answer Desk at 1 800 U ASK SBA, or visit the SBA's extensive Web site atwww.sba.gov.
