National Small Business Week is an annual celebration of the small businesses and entrepreneurs across America who've made essential contributions to our economy and culture. Few figures are more fundamentally American in spirit than the small business owner. From a child opening a lemonade stand to gold prospectors striking it out West to seek riches, the independent mover-and-shaker is as red, white, and blue as apple pie and the Delta blues.
At Rio Salado College, we’re proud to support small businesses by offering affordable education that allows employees and owners alike to upskill, recareer, and hone their professional prowess on course schedules flexible enough to accommodate their working life.
“At Rio Salado College, we believe in empowering student-entrepreneurs of all majors. Our curriculum design to help small business owners with strategies and tactics to grow within their industry competitive landscape,” said Dr. Lily Davidov, Faculty Chair of Accounting and Small Business. “Fostering ongoing entrepreneurship is key to economic growth."
Rio Salado partners with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) the Everyday Entrepreneur Program, and Wells Fargo to build opportunities for students to grow their small businesses and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.
Read on as we share some history about National Small Business, break down some of the special programs Rio offers to give small businesses an edge, and shine a spotlight on some profiles of our business students.
What is National Small Business Week?
For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has held this annual commemoration of small businesses. For SBA, this week is a time to honor and recognize the ingenuity, hard work, and unwavering dedication of our nation's small businesses. Small businesses add just as much specificity and character to a community as its flora and fauna; they are the physical manifestations of the dreams and ambitions of our neighbors.
SBA Virtual Summit
As part of National Small Business Week, the SBA is hosting a FREE two-day virtual summit. This online event is chance for business owners and entrepreneurs to attend panel discussions and workshops which range in topics from A.I. to E-Commerce, advice on securing loans, and the ins and outs of starting your own food truck business. There will also be networking rooms, giving small business owners a chance to mingle and get to know each other.
Register To Attend Summit Here
Take Your Business Skills to the Next Level at Rio Salado
Interested in learning more about business? Rio Salado offers business programs and majors that are designed to lead you to careers in accounting, sales, management, marketing, human resources, owning and operating a small business, and customer service.
We also offer several certificate programs for small business:
- Earn a Small Business Management Level I certificate designed to meet the needs of individuals who wish to own and/or manage a small business. Prepares students to acquire the skills, tools and knowledge necessary for successful start-up and operations of a business.
- Earn a Small Business Management Level II certificate designed to focus on aspects critical to a specific individual's small business. Prepares students to acquire additional skills, tools and knowledge necessary for successful start-up and operations of a business.
- Earn a Entrepreneurial Studies Level I certificate designed to provide students with an introduction to the entrepreneurial process. Courses include a history of entrepreneurship, current research into its impacts on society, types of business start-up opportunities, and creating a preliminary business plan, as well as securing a healthy financial future.
- Earn a Entrepreneurial Studies Level II certificate designed to prepare students to acquire additional skills, tools and knowledge necessary for successful venture opportunities..
Maricopa Small Business Develop Center
Did you know that the Maricopa Community Colleges District has Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) that can help you create a business plan, find funding, learn about government contracting and international trade, and offer classes, workshops, and counseling? There are several SBDC locations across several of our sister colleges.
Small Business, Big Winners
Want to hear from fellow students and alumni about their experiences taking business classes at Rio? Check out some of our student spotlight stories:
- Selling Phoenix: Grad Hopes to Conquer Valley’s Real Estate Market
- Student Uses Grant to Improve Access to Quality Food
- Erica Martinez Holds Rio Salado Accountable for her Love of Business Law
- 48-Year-Old Mom Graduates and Pursues Business Degree While Running Successful Pet Care Business
Article by Austin Brietta