September 8, 2009
For Immediate Release

RCCC Offers FastTrac® New Venture™ Program
Course Helps Entrepreneurs Move from Concept to Launch

              CONCORD, N.C. — The Small Business Center (SBC) at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) will offer the award-winning FastTrac® New Venture™ entrepreneurship program at no cost to help displaced workers plan and start their own small businesses.

              The SBC will offer the three-week program 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays, Sept. 22 through Oct. 8, at the South Rowan Regional Library, in China Grove, N.C. The program is offered at no cost to displaced workers in Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

              FastTrac New Venture is designed for individuals who are serious about starting a small business. The 36-hour course provides real-world tools and instruction to help participants develop a business concept and move quickly to a successful business launch.

              Course topics include identifying and reaching a target market, setting financial goals, planning a product or service, building an effective team and more. The program is known for its hands-on activities that help participants focus on their particular business idea.

              FastTrac New Venture applications are available at www.fasttrac.org, or by contacting Barbara Hall, director of the RCCC Small Business Center, at hallb@rowancabarrus.edu, or 704-216-3534.

              FastTrac New Venture is a program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Mo. The Kauffman Foundation and the Deluxe Corporation Foundation are donating the program for job seekers in 12 North Carolina counties as part of Gov. Beverly Perdue’s economic and workforce recovery initiatives.

              The Small Business Center at RCCC is a community-based provider of education, training, counseling, information and referral, assisting entrepreneurs with business ideas and existing small business ventures.

              SBC seminars cover a broad range of small business topics, including business start ups, business financing, marketing, internet business, business growth and development, taxes, recordkeeping and customer service. For more information about these about other SBC courses, call 704-216-3512, or visit www.rowancabarrus.edu/sbc.

               RCCC is a comprehensive, community-based institution of higher learning, serving the citizens of Rowan and Cabarrus counties in North Carolina. RCCC is one of 58 colleges in the state-supported North Carolina Community College System.

                RCCC offers fully-accredited associate-degree programs in more than 40 areas of study, including arts and sciences, business, information technology, health and public services, and engineering technologies. RCCC also offers accredited diploma and certificate programs focused on career training, continuing education and basic skills education. RCCC provides a strong foundation and transferable credits for students moving on to four-year colleges and universities and helps adults get the additional training they need to start new careers.

               RCCC annually provides more than 2,000 course offerings, serving an overall enrollment of approximately 20,000 students. In addition, RCCC provides the education and job-training programs needed to meet many of the workforce demands of the North Carolina Research Campus being developed in Kannapolis. For complete details, see the RCCC website at www.rowancabarrus.edu.