Opportunity:

• Gain basic knowledge of business concepts.
• Develop business concepts.
• Improve critical and creative thinking skills.
• Develop decision-making skills.
• Increase confidence and self-awareness.
• Broaden professional networks.
• Get and provide live feedback from six to 10 diverse local entrepreneurs.

Challenge:

• Effect of COVID-19 on small business owners in San José as well as Santa Clara County.
• Connecting to small business owners.
• Attendees must be committed to attending all sessions.

Basic structure:

• Nine-week virtual training for entrepreneurs in the idea stage of their business and who want to create a business plan to help them launch their business.
• Two hours of one-on-one virtual coaching with one of our expert entrepreneurship trainers.
• 27 hours of in-class training on basic business competencies.
• Graduation celebration and entrepreneur panel discussion.
• Using Centro Business Planning Apps.
• Creating basic business plans.
• Workshop available in Spanish and English.

Key partners: Centro Community and SJPL Works

We are currently offering the second advanced entrepreneurship program due to the success of the first one. Centro provided an extensive study/report on the first advanced entrepreneurship program compiled from statistics and customer surveys. They have also provided success stories of customers embarking on successful business ownership as a result of participation in the basic entrepreneurship programs.