A new approach to small business training: community based education

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that most small business owner‐managers are technically competent in their area of business activity however they do not always have equal managerial competence. For example, deficiency in human resource management competence may lead to difficulties in attracting, retaining or leading staff. These factors are critical to businesses that aspire to any kind of growth. Part of the problem relates to a lack of participation by small business owner‐mangers in formal management skills development due to the perceived time and financial costs required. Therefore a new approach to training and learning is needed, one which overcomes the barriers and takes education to the small business community.Design/methodology/approach – A community based education (CBE) approach is examined to determine whether this design is effective in addressing the reported barriers to training faced by small business owner‐managers.Findings – Evaluation of the CBE approach has shown that...