Classes

We fell away from our weekly baking as we got busy with various other projects, school, etc, but with the new year, I felt a renewed passion for this project. In addition to resuming baking, the purchase of The Joy of Vegan Baking, and checking out various other vegan cookbooks from the local public library, I decided it was time to look into the business aspect of opening a cafe.

I know there are people who follow their passion and figure out the business side of things once they're both feet in the water, but personally I am more of a planner, a learner, and besides, I still need more time to work out the baking side, as well.

Some research turned up three different paths available to me via local learning channels. The University where I work offers a slew of MBA programs, ranging from the traditional classroom, 2-year program, to online programs and even a "weekend MBA." Currently the university also has among it's benefits to full-time employees, an Employee Education Program (EEP), which will pay for up to 6 credits a semester, and many of these programs fall under the program qualifications, which would leave me to pay some fees and books.

Our city's Chamber of Commerce offers online self-paced classes through SmallBizU(which look like large slide-show presentations) for about $25 a class, less if you are a member.

The last option was at the local community college, which offers a few different business certificate programs (instead of degree programs), including one in "Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management." In the end this seemed like the best option for me as the this program is also covered by the EEP, most of the classes are offered online, but with a teacher leading the courses, and other students to interact with, and all in all it was less confusing and overwhelming a choice over trying to figure out which MBA program was the best fit.

I applied and was accepted to the program and start the first of six classes May 10th. The certificate includes: Introduction to Business, Principles of Finance, Small Business Management, Principles of Accounting 1, Principles of Marketing and Human Resource Management.

I finish the courses April 2011 (I'm stretching it out over three semesters, instead of the traditional two (hey, I still have a full-time day-job to keep up with, and baking in the evenings). Hopefully, when I'm done, I'll have a better understanding of the scope of this project, and be able to make a better decision about moving forward with it.

And while I'd love for my girlfriends to join me in the endeavor, I realize that it might not be the right move for all of us. Right no, though, I am interested in pursuing it a little more seriously, and see what we (or I) can make of it.