FastTrac for Female Entrepreneurs offered by the McNair Center for Entrepreneurism at Columbia College - Fall 2017 Columbia Columbia Cohort

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FastTrac for Female Entrepreneurs | Fall 2017 Columbia Cohort
offered by the McNair Center for Entrepreneurism at Columbia College
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The data is clear – female entrepreneurs have great opportunity to start businesses within their communities. If you are ready to apply your skills, experience, and perspective to founding a woman-owned business, the McNair Center for Entrepreneurism at Columbia College and Kauffman FastTrac are here to help with specially tailored curriculum that equips women entrepreneurs to tap their unique strengths and build business strategies to succeed.

FastTrac offers group-oriented courses tailored to help women launch or grow businesses by providing essential framework, strategies, and insights along with a reliable support network of leaders and peers.

FastTrac for Female Entrepreneurs will help you:

• Leverage your business skills to increase productivity.
• Network with other professionals as you define and build your business.
• Enhance your negotiation, marketing, and financial skills.

FastTrac is for aspiring women entrepreneurs who have an idea for a business but need a plan and framework for successfully starting a company:

• Discover how your business concept matches your personal vision.
• Align your business concept with a real market opportunity.
• Learn how to set realistic financial goals for your business.
• Determine the unique features and benefits of your product/service.
• Find your target market and discover your competitive advantage.
• Learn how to manage business functions and develop an organizational culture.
• Determine the steps to profitability.
• Identify potential sources of funding for your business.

Specialized topics for women entrepreneurs include:

• Networking
• Effective negotiation
• Strategic decision making
• Building a board
• Social media
• Financing your business

About the Columbia College Program
Columbia College, an affiliate partner of Kauffman FastTrac, will be offering FastTrac for Female Entrepreneurs in Columbia, in addition to The Intentional Entrepreneur Workshop for Women in locations around the state, with sponsorship provided by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Since 2014, Columbia College has served hundreds of women entrepreneurs across the state through its SC Women's Entrepreneurship Network.

The FastTrac course will meet for five Saturday sessions over four months for a total of 25 class contact hours. The registration fee of $400 includes all program materials, access to a mentor, 1:1 business coaching sessions upon request, lunch and snacks for class sessions, and a graduation ceremony for which guests may be invited. The $100 seat deposit is applied to the tuition, payable in four $100 installments over three months. Financial need-based scholarships are available upon request through the registration process.

Course dates are on Saturdays from 9am - 2:30pm. Course dates revised as of 10/4/2017.

• Saturday, November 11, 2017, Session 1: Exploring Entrepreneurship; Identifying and Meeting Market Needs
• Saturday, December 2, 2017, Session 2: Setting Financial Goals; Planning the Product/Service
• Saturday, January 13, 2018, Session 3: Researching and Analyzing the Market; Reaching the Market
• Saturday, February 3, 2018: Session 4: Building the Organization and Team; Planning for a Profitable Business; Monitoring Cash Flow and Seeking Funds
• Saturday, February 24, 2018: Session 5: Implementing Next Steps; Pitch Practice
• Graduation: Date TBD: Graduation and Pitch Showcase with Family & Friends Audience

Questions? Please contact Katherine Swartz Hilton at kswartz@columbiasc.edu or 803.786.3822.

About Kauffman FastTrac
The world-renowned Kauffman FastTrac® program equips aspiring and established entrepreneurs with business skills, insights, tools, resources and networks to start and grow successful businesses. The FastTrac program is a signature program of the Kauffman Foundation, whose mission is to foster economic independence through education and entrepreneurship. In its 20-year run, more than 350,000 entrepreneurs worldwide have started and grown companies, propelled by FastTrac® education.