ST. GEORGE —An executive-level training series designed to accelerate the growth of high-potential small businesses across the United States has made its way to Southern Utah.
According to a press release provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration in April, Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. SBA, announced the launch of THRIVE, a reimagined training program for small business leaders, formerly known as Emerging Leaders. The acronym THRIVE stands for Train. Hope. Rise. Innovate. Venture. Elevate.
“Thrive, emerging leaders reimagined initiative, will provide up-and-coming small business leaders with tools, knowledge, and access to the best and the brightest minds in economic development to help them accelerate their growth and help them become competitive in an increasingly global economy,” Guzman said in the news release. “The Biden-Harris administration continues to do everything possible to empower small business owners to continue powering our nation’s historic economic growth.”
Marla Trollan, district director for the U.S. SBA in Utah, said the district office was thrilled to announce that this free program will now be available to Southern Utah business owners, something they have not been able to offer in the past.
Trollan said there will be multiple industry experts to teach core business concepts tailored to small businesses, adding that this is an exciting change from the previous program, Emerging Leaders, and that businesses will have the opportunity to customize each program to better fit their individual needs.
Jackie Hobson, marketing and outreach specialist with the U.S. SBA Utah office, told St. George News she works closely with partners to collaborate and provide the best services for Utah small businesses.
Hobson said the best part of her position is working directly with business owners during initiatives like National Small Business Week or the Thrive program. Hobson recently came from the Wasatch Front, where there are many organizations competing with programs and initiatives to help small businesses. And while most of these available programs are fantastic, she said many cost business owners $1000 or more to attend.
“This program is free, the quality is top-notch and it is local, so businesses don’t have to find something virtual, drive up north every week or every other week to get this type of training,” added Hobson.
The executive-level training series, THRIVE, intends to give ambitious small business leaders a challenging opportunity to accelerate their growth through targeted training led by motivating leaders in small business development. This initiative revolutionizes the rich history of executive-level training for small businesses poised for growth, according to their website.
Hobson said that the program will run from July to December and during that time, small businesses will work on building a growth strategy for their company.
Each module in the training will be taught virtually by subject matter experts. They also will have a face-to-face component with guest speakers, and CEO discussions for peer-to-peer learning, along with a personal coach who will provide face-to-face group instruction and individual consulting to help businesses develop their growth plans.
Hobson said the Emerging Leaders program has trained over 5,000 small business owners in the past and created over 11,000 jobs, generating nearly $1 billion in new financing and securing over $4 billion in government contracts.
“The desired outcome for THRIVE is that businesses will have a solid plan to take their businesses to the next level, whether that is expanding by adding a new product or service, adding different sales channels to reach more of their target audience, or completely adding a new market segment to sell to,” Hobson said.
According to the press release, the training series will span a period of six months and include in-person coaching, self-paced instruction, mentoring and classroom time.
The program will allow participants to work with a network of experienced subject matter experts in core business topics like accounting, business strategy, marketing and human resources. This program will be customized for the unique needs of each small business owner.
Hobson clarified that this new training is not for start-ups or those considering starting a new business. Rather, this training series is open to small business owners and executives that have annual revenues of at least $250,000, have been in business for at least three years and have at least one employee, other than themselves.
Applications are now open for the 2022 training cycle and will close on May 31. In-person classes will be held at the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce. Small business owners can learn more regarding eligibility, how to apply, program format and locations by visiting this website or by contacting their local SBA District Office.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
According to the press release, the U.S. Small Business Administration assists in making the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster.
It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit their website.
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