Introducing FastTrac
The Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) is proud to announce the commencement of its long awaited entrepreneurial training program. FastTrac® is a nationally recognized entrepreneurial training program launched through the University of Southern California's Entrepreneurship Program in Los Angeles in 1986.
In 1993 FastTrac® caught the interest of the Erwing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which helped to further its development through a major funding contribution. Later in 1997, the Erwing Marion Kauffman Foundation went on to purchase the rights to the program in what the Kauffman foundation describes as “a practical way to pursue its mission to accelerate entrepreneurship in America”.
In January 2009, WCEDA joined the likes of over 300 organizations (nationally) to become a certified provider of FastTrac® courses. Later that year, WCEDA joined forces with Gateway Technical College, the University of Wisconsin Whitewater-Small Business Development Center (UWW-SBDC), the University of Wisconsin Parkside-Small Business Development Center (UWP-SBDC), and the Wisconsin Business Women’s Initiative (WWBIC) to provide entrepreneurial support to all businesses and individuals in a four county region, (Kenosha, Racine, Walworth and Rock counties). In September 2009, WCEDA and its partners received a $687,100 grant from the United States Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration to cover a large sum of the costs for the program over three years.
The programs total cost of three years is expected to top $1,126,387, of which 61% of the program costs are covered by the United States Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration through their grant, with the remaining 39% being provided from partner contributions and registration fees.
On December 12, 2009, WCEDA ran the first of its FastTrac® programs to rave reviews.
“I would highly recommend this course to any business owner that needs a good reality check of where they stand with their businesses.” - Randy Rogers, Lakes Area Rental
“’Listening to Your Business’ got me thinking about things that I took for granted and was under the impression that just ‘happened’ or took care of themselves automatically. My business partner and I met in the same company over 32 years ago, and now we own it. This will help us overcome the day-to-day complacency of ‘doing things like we always have’ and get us discussing these critical topics on a regular basis.” -Bill Henry, Kehoe-Henry & Associates, Inc.
“As a one man operation, I was not sure how much I would get out of this program. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it helped me to see area I needed to work on for greater success.” - Robert Clemen, Invest In Land
“Listening to Your Business is a great course for those who want to grow their business and become more in touch with their own management style and how it affects the business. This course will help you evaluate if you are staying on track with your business plan or if it is time to start making changes. This is a must do course.” -Tamara Brodnicki, Downtown Whitewater
WCEDA and its partners are offering several different programs designed for varying types and sizes of companies. In addition to the programs listed below, WCEDA and its partners offer courses in QuickBooks and Accounting, Corporate Structuring, and Human Resources Management .
FastTrac® NewVenture - Designed specifically for entrepreneurs in the early stages of business development, FastTrac® NewVenture not only helps you uncover the answers, it also helps you determine the questions to ask.
FastTrac® GrowthVenture - Targeted specifically to entrepreneurs who have experience running their businesses, FastTrac® GrowthVenture focuses on the issues you need to Make critical decisions about your business vision and strategy; Investigate next-stage growth and opportunity; Plan for strategic growth; Build and maintain a competitive advantage; Lead with clarity; Maximize cash flow for future profitability.
FastTrac® TechVenture - Just as you thrive on the frontier of technology and life sciences, we operate on the cutting edge of business and entrepreneurship. During FastTrac® TechVenture, this knowledge is shared with you. Learn how to determine the best way to apply it to your situation to produce a product, build your company, and fulfill your vision.
Listening to Your Business™ - The day-to-day responsibilities of running your own business leave little time to focus on long-term vision, goals, and strategies. Find time in your schedule to spend it with Listening to Your Business, a half-day workshop from FastTrac®.
Courses are set to commence in January 2010, and run through June 2010. A schedule of courses being offered in Walworth County by WCEDA is provided below. Please note that this schedule is subject to change, and currently does not include course offerings by other partners.
- 10-3 hour workshops offered weekly
- Registration fee of $250 per registrant
- Materials are supplied
- Scholarships are available for certain displaced workers
- 10-3 hour workshops offered weekly
- Registration fee of $250 per registrant
- Materials are supplied
- Registration fee of $75 per registrant
- Materials are supplied
Location:
All workshops currently being offered by WCEDA are being held at Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn Campus, Room 112.
Address:
400 County Highway H
Elkhorn, WI 53121
For more information please contact WCEDA at 262-741-8527, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it