IIB Workshop Series Helps Entrepreneurs Go Global
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January 18, 2008 - (ATLANTA, GA) - Cooking up a global business idea is just the beginning—instituting that idea is where an entrepreneur might fail, often for a lack of knowledge or resources. The Institute of International Business (IIB) at the Robinson College of Business is responding to this need to educate the business community by offering International Business Success, a group of four free workshops that will provide attendees with the tools to either jump-start an international company or to expand an existing company overseas.
Developed as part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the Business and International Education Program, the series will take place at the downtown Classroom South Building, located at the corner of Decatur Street and Central Avenue. Program sponsors include United Commercial Bank, the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, the National Association of Chinese Americans and Geo Strategy Partners. Occurring once a month, the workshops will cover:
- Sources of Business Ideas on January 26
- Sources of Support and Finding Customers on February 23
- Partners and Marketing on March 29
- Financing on April 26
Occurring from 9 a.m. until 12 noon, these seminars will be a useful way for local entrepreneurs to spend a few Saturday mornings.
Anyone is eligible to attend the workshops, although the series specifically is geared toward Latin American, Caribbean and Asian businesspeople in Georgia who are unsure of how to bring their nascent business ideas into fruition. "When applying for the Department of Education grant, one component was 'community outreach'," says the IIB's Dr. David Bruce, who, along with two other Robinson professors, serves as a workshop coordinator. "We decided that a valuable contribution to the growth of international business would be to reach out to 'under-served communities.'" After all, while the Internet can instantly connect salespeople with worldwide consumers, this technology is not accessible to everyone.
The IIB's Jim Beach, the primary series speaker, will discuss whether companies should consider importing or exporting, whether an entrepreneur should start a company with the international realm in mind and how to access the resources necessary to successfully enter the global marketplace. The workshops are designed to help attendees see past any fears of failure and focus on how their prospective company, or expansion, will fill a market need. Potential first-time business owners in particular would benefit from setting their apprehension aside and taking an entrepreneurial leap. "By encouraging the participation of people who may not already have a business, we have stressed a goal of getting businesses going, so they can then take better advantage of the trade support services of organizations such as the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; international chambers in Atlanta; the Georgia Department of Economic Development; and the U.S. Export Assistance Center, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Commerce," Bruce says.
This seminar series will mark International Business Success' fourth year, with audiences reaching up to 100 people per year. On average, as many as 40 people earn a certificate heralding the completion of all four workshops that comprise the program. "The evaluations [by past attendees] of the workshops have been very favorable," Bruce says. "A number of past attendees have stayed in touch with us as they have developed their international businesses."
To register to attend International Business Success, download this form or call Dr. Bruce at (404) 413-7279.
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The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the top-ranked business schools in the nation. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top 10 by U.S. News for the past 12 years, and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 50 in the nation. BusinessWeek ranks the College's part-time MBA program fifth in the nation among public universities. The College's Executive MBA program is on The Financial Times list of the world's top-ranked offerings. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment of more than 7,000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta. www.robinson.gsu.edu
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