Next class for entrepreneurship training through ASSETS of Elkhart County begins Sept. 13

GOSHEN, Ind. – You may have heard the saying, “People don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan.” Failure from inadequate planning presents a sobering reality for many new business enterprises. Whether someone wants to start a business and be self-employed as an artist, a computer consultant, a baker, a bed-and-breakfast owner or an electrician, a good business plan and advice from experienced business owners can mean the difference between success and failure.

By creating a partnership with Goshen College’s Business Department in the fall of 2006 to oversee implementation of the program and courses, ASSETS of Elkhart County continues to offer practical, experience-based training and support for entrepreneurs interested in starting or expanding a business. This continuing education course is not designed for college credit, nor is prior college experience required to register.

The next class begins Thursday, Sept. 13, and will take place in Elkhart’s Lexington Business Centre. The cost for ASSETS training is $350, with scholarship assistance available based on household income.

Since beginning in the fall of 2003, ASSETS of Elkhart County has trained more than100 entrepreneurs and many successful businesses have been developed, launched and strengthened. ASSETS was founded by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), as a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to working with entrepreneurs in communities around the world.

The program integrates training with individual coaching, assistance in arranging loans, networking opportunities and mentoring. Courses consist of a 12-week series of practical classes that walk the entrepreneur through the process of planning for a business launch or for strengthening an existing business. Two-hour classes are held two evenings a week and are taught by community business leaders, professionals and college faculty who help entrepreneurs apply business concepts to the specific needs of their own businesses.

According to Alan Weldy, chair of the Goshen College Business Department, “Instructors share the importance of a high standard of ethics and values of community responsibility in their business practice. Our desired results include independence and empowerment of entrepreneurs, through economic, community and personal development.”

ASSETS has built strong alliances with community development organizations, local chambers of commerce, financial institutions, donors and an emerging ASSETS alumni group.

“We have an excellent roster of experienced instructors, and a growing and active list of alumni from the program. We have a very strong, diverse and talented board that is willing to roll up our sleeves and help with the development and delivery of business training to entrepreneurs in Elkhart County,” said Steve Martin, ASSETS board member. “We invite the community to continue supporting ASSETS.”

The ASSETS board of directors includes Jim Alvarez, chair, Steve Martin, Greg Ota, Chad Horning, Merritt Lehman, Andy Rohrer and Shelley Moore. Significant contributions toward ASSETS of Elkhart County and its students have been made by members of the Michiana MEDA chapter, key community individuals and several financial institutions.

To request more information or a registration packet for ASSETS, call (574) 535-7451 or e-mail assets@goshen.edu.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.