Microsoft’s Global Classroom initiative supports small business owners

For most small business owners, two questions are nearly always top of mind, “How can I grow my business and how can I better compete in today’s market?”

Both questions may have a single answer that’s simpler than you think: technology. Research from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) indicates small-and-midsized businesses (SMBs) that leverage new technology had significantly higher job and revenue grow
th than low-tech SMBs.  The data essentially proves that SMBs that understand and use modern technology outperform those that do not.

Microsoft has aligned with the American Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) to help local SMBs learn how to increase revenue and job growth through technology. The result is sponsorship of the cloud-based eLearning program Global Classroom across the United States, which gives SMBs access to free online technology and business training resources.

Global Classroom’s eLearning centers offer hundreds of online courses and thousands of video tutorials from technology and business leaders including Microsoft, Franklin Covey, Emily Post and WIN Learning. The eLearning Centers also provide social media for collaboration and courses from the top training and tech companies in the nation. The platform was built to support small businesses from their start-up and developmental stages through to maturity. Course topics include information technology, Internet security, mobile applications and entrepreneurship.

The Global Classroom program gives rise to a new generation of small-business leaders whose enhanced skills will allow them to reach their potential. Training in technologies like cloud computing allows small businesses to move faster, present themselves more professionally and compete on a level playing field with their larger, global counterparts.

For more information on Global Classroom, click here.