Small Business Management Curriculum

“The SBM program has made a big difference in how I look at my business. It has helped me understand more about profit and loss, branding, a willingness to change some of my outlooks. I would recommend this small business class to anyone who has a small business

Chris Phillip, Hair Legends

A core concept of the Small Business Management (SBM) course is learning how to most effectively work “on” your business, not just “in” your business. Through a combination of classroom content, one-to-one counseling, and networking with a cohort of other business owners, course participants learn to be in greater control of their businesses rather than their businesses being in control of them!

The SBM curriculum has had proven results in helping many businesses become more profitable as they grow, analyze and manage their finances better, become more effective marketers and salespeople, and learn to manage people better.

SBM Curriculum

Nine 3-hour evening classes are held throughout the year from October through June at RCC’s downtown Medford campus.  The class uses principles from the E-Myth, Guerrilla Marketing, as well as advice from local guest speakers.  Curriculum topics may vary and typically cover the following:

• Effective Management Practices: Business planning, personal and business goal setting, mission statement, and time management. 

• Financial Management:  The language of accounting, creating and analyzing basic financial statements, record keeping/bookkeeping, break even analysis, and developing a budget.

• Marketing Principles: Target audience, unique value proposition, and effectively utilizing the 4 P’s of marketing:  Product, Price, Place, Promotion.

• Promotion (The 4th “P” of Marketing): Cost effective promotion and advertising, reach and frequency, Guerilla Marketing.

• Managing Cash Flow: Cash is “king”:  making cash flow projections, and the relationship between cash and profits, accounts receivable, inventory.

• Personal Selling:   Effective sales techniques and the importance of customer service.

• Employee Relations: Preventing employment litigation, and effective employee systems for hiring, managing performance/motivation, evaluating, and terminating employees.

• Banking and Borrowing Money:  How, when, and the cost of borrowing money, and working effectively with your bank.

• Management Strategies and Leadership:  Creating operational efficiency and strengthening leadership.

Many business owners continue in the SBM program for a second year, helping them take their learning to the next level of business success.  SBM II offers a continued structure of classroom learning, in-person business advising, and business networking.