The Grace College School of Business and the Gordon Institute for Enterprise Development are collaborating with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to host a FastTrac New Venture class, a 10-week seminar offering key knowledge and resources to small business owners in the community. The FastTrac course will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Monday, Jan. 20, through March 24, in the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center room 201.

FastTrac New Venture classes are designed specifically for entrepreneurs in the early stages of business development. The classes aim to help potential or established business leaders begin building an infrastructure for business operations; explore the risk and success factors in the market place; understand how to access the human, financial, and business resources; network with entrepreneurs and professionals; respond to changes that can impact business; and build an actionable business plan.

“The Grace College School of Business is excited to be able to partner with local businesses to help them meet the challenges of today’s marketplace,” said Dr. Jeffrey Fawcett, dean of the School of Business and professor of marketing at Grace.

Alan Grossnickle, director of the William P. Gordon Institute for Enterprise Development, explains, “We want to reach out into the community to help adults who want to learn how to start a new business venture – even if they’re already involved in a business we want to help them further develop the skill sets necessary to be successful.”

FastTrac programs are delivered by a variety of affiliate organizations, non-profit and for-profit alike, including chambers of commerce, business development centers, local and regional economic development councils, colleges, universities, consulting firms and many others. The Kauffman Foundation is devoted to advancing entrepreneurship as one of the fundamental aspects of life in the United States.

For further questions or to register, call Al Grossnickle at 574-532-9112 or email [email protected]. For more information on FastTrac, visit the Kauffman FastTrac website at http://fasttract.org .

Grace College and Seminary is an evangelical Christian community of higher education that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and applies biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service. Grace College also offers flexible online graduate degrees, on-campus and online degree completion programs, and highly affordable, easily accessible degree programs in Detroit, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.  The 180-acre main campus is located in the historic resort town of Winona Lake, near Warsaw, Indiana.