Program Description
According to several sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, small
business is defined as a firm with fewer than 500 employees in all of the industries
or business locations in which the firm operates (all of the firm’s establishments
combined). Incidentally, the nation's 9 million self-employed - sole proprietors with
few or no employees, contract workers, and freelancers constitute about 8% of the
total U.S. labor force.
Entrepreneurship offers many rewards, but it demands preparation, long-term commitment,
vision, and diligence. As a self-employed business owner, the proprietor becomes his
most important employee. He should expect to wear many hats, such as a store manager,
a personnel manager, a salesperson, a purchaser and buyer, a shipper and receiver,
a marketer, a bookkeeper, a janitor, a manual laborer, and a public relations worker.
There are numerous factors that a prospective business owner must consider before
committing to the small business ownership. Traditionally, the best business to be
in is the one in which an entrepreneur is most skilled and feels passionate about.
A future business owner has to develop a business plan, which will precisely define
the parameters of the business, identify the objectives, and serve as a blueprint
for the course of action. The individual must decide on the format of the business
enterprise (corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship), tax status (e.g., Subchapter
S status) and educate himself about licensing requirements and related regulations.
Other issues that one would need to address include how to obtain financing, chart
a marketing strategy, engineer an advertising campaign, hire qualified personnel,
contact suppliers, make manufacturing arrangements, develop and grow a customer base,
and earn and maintain solid reputation. Before taking the plunge into small business
ownership, it would be crucial to candidly assess your own experience and skills and
recognize your deficiencies. A coursework in Business Administration related to Entrepreneurship/Small
Business ownership might be just the right solution in remedying those deficiencies.
The GCC Certificate and Associate in Science Degree in Business Administration - Entrepreneurship/Small
Business program are aimed directly at individuals who expect to own or manage a small
business or improve the profitability of their existing business enterprise. A combination
of the Business Administration core curriculum and a cluster of specialty courses
provides detailed instruction in such topics as starting and managing a small business,
marketing methods, consumer psychology, advertising, budgeting, pricing, staffing,
accounting principles and payroll accounting, capital acquisition, management styles,
workplace morale, interpersonal communications, and decision making. Students will
learn how to develop business plans and operating strategies that take advantage of
government and market-based resources available to entrepreneurs. The program offers
an overview of the retail, wholesale, service, and manufacturing industries, the real-world
process of establishing an import/export business and teaches comprehensive computer
skills.
Students interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or other related
fields should consult with an academic and/or transfer counselor to discuss their
specific university transfer requirements.
Key Skills and Characteristics
- Self-starter, with strong organizational, leadership skills, and initiative.
- Managerial ability and decisiveness.
- A desire to be autonomous and independent.
- A developed sense of creativity, innovation and drive.
- Willingness to take calculated risks.
- Ability to visualize a business and all its parts as a whole.
- A motivation to think primarily in terms of business growth and expansion rather than
profit.
- Ambition to have financial security.
Please visit the GCC Career Center to research specific occupational information and
learn more about your selected career path.
