Colorado association helping future entrepreneurs

T he Business Start-Up Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado,is meeting head-on the challenges of fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs. As the rate of entrepreneurship climbs during unsettling economic times, the Institute has put formulated a program that will offer online courses to aspiring small business owners.

The 21-course program will focus on planning, launching and expanding a business, hosted by Dr. David Duening, a professor who specializes in entrepreneurship and is the author of 12 small business guide books.

"I've been able to reach a lot of entrepreneurs through my books," Duening said, "but this online delivery system is the most exciting thing I've done in my career. Through this system I'm now able to communicate with aspiring entrepreneurs beyond my classroom, and potentially around the world.

The online courses do not have a strict schedule, allowing students to utilize videos when necessary and re-visit information. Additional online resources are provided to help students formulate planning templates for their business ideas.

Currently, Colorado's unemployment rate sits at 8.1 percent while the state is home to more than 500,000 small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.