Rural Resources

You and Your Electric Cooperative Can Help Entrepreneurs

NREDA members can contact their local electric cooperatives to take advantage of a free, Internet-based, self-tutorial on money, management and marketing. SmallBizU® is tailor made for entrepreneurs and small business owners or wannabees.

Through an agreement with the originators, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, NRECA, is making SmallBizU® available to its members. Members work with their IT departments to post the free hyperlink version on their Web sites – as opposed to the pay on-line version. Electric cooperatives then market SBU to local businesses, chambers of commerce, libraries, economic development groups, banks, schools and member-owners in their service territories.

Fun, helpful and easily adaptable to a syllabus for middle and secondary schools as well as community colleges or universities, SBU has 24 courses. Each takes about three hours. Subjects include Creating a Loan Package, Attracting Investors, Promotions and Marketing 101 and Buying a Business.

SBU highlights are:

• Free access
• More than 4,000 animated slides with voice-over narration
• PowerPoint presentations
• Worksheets and toolsets
• Comprehensive resources

If your cooperative's business development, marketing or member services area hasn't taken advantage of this exceptional tool, please encourage your contact at the cooperative to get in touch with NRECA's Community and Economic Development unit and speak with Jessie Georgieva (jessie.georgieva@nreca.org; 703.907.5894) who can make it happen!