BUTLER TWP - Always wanted to have your own business, but don't know where to start?

The new entrepreneurship program offered at Butler County Community College could be just the thing to help.

The program, which is set to start May 23, will teach students how to get their own business started and make that business a success.

The program is able to get under way with the help of two grants, both totaling $35,000.

Course instructor Melody Kamerer warns the program is not for the typical business department student.

"BC3 and Butler County don't need another business theory class, we need businesses," Kamerer said. "We're actually marketing this to non-business students for that reason."

With that thought in mind, Kamerer and BC3 business department dean Lucy Wright-Scozzaro created the entrepreneurship program.

"The (program) is designed to assist students who have sufficient content knowledge in a given area to be able to start a small business, but who may not have the business knowledge of just how to go about starting that business," Wright-Scozzaro said.

Two-thirds of the coursework will be taught online, with the remaining third on campus in the form of business presentation programs with small business owners.

Kamerer said the reason for the bulk of the work being done online is simple.

"Most small business owners don't have time to close up shop and come to class," she said.

The course will be split into several categories:

Introduction to Entrepreneurship - Students will be given the chance to determine if running a small business is for them and if so, what kind of small business they should run.

Venture Start-up - This course will teach people how to get started once they decide what kind of business to run.

Marketing for Small Business - This course will teach students how to get their product and company out there for people to see.

Financial Planning for Small Business - This course will teach business owners how to manage their finances to make sure they meet the bottom line.

Business Plan - This is the final stage of the coursework and is intended to help business owners draft a plan of what they intend to do. Such plans are valuable in getting financial aid and other loans to get a business started.

"New businesses have a really hard time getting funding, so this part of the course will be very helpful for our students," Kamerer said.

Wright-Scozzaro said the program is unique in a couple of ways, including that it is designed to run on a calendar year basis, from January to December. The program content is designed in one-credit-hour modules that easily can be joined together to form three-credit-hour courses.

Students who take the course will be able to meet with bankers to discuss financing their business, insurance agents, accountants, lawyers familiar with business law, real estate agents, human resource managers and other professionals with experience in running a small business, Wright-Scozzaro said.

As part of the program, Kamerer hopes to get small business owners in the community to talk to students about how they got started and what has made them a success.

In the future, Kamerer also wants to expand the program to offer a full degree instead of just a diploma program.

Registration for the class starts soon.

For information, call Kamerer at 724-283-2831 or send e-mail to melody.kamerer@bc3.edu or Wright-Scozzaro at 724-287-8711, Ext. 8247, or via e-mail at lucy-wrightscozzaro@bc3.edu.