20 Complete JCC’s First Entrepreneur Academy

Published: November 14, 2014

Academy focuses on small-business related topics.

Twenty individuals recently completed Johnston Community College's first Entrepreneur Academy.

Offered through JCC's Small Business Center, the academy was held in partnership with The Town of Benson. The program included nine courses on a variety of small business-related topics including labor issues, financing, taxes, business plans, and business counseling from the Small Business Center. The Academy concluded with an investor's roundtable and business idea presentation by the students.

Classes were held from September through November at the Johnston County Workforce Development Center in Clayton and at the Benson Conference Center in Benson. Participants earned a certificate of participation from the college for completion.

Pat Killette, director of JCC's Small Business Center, coordinated and gave the business counseling for the academy. She said the program aims to help local entrepreneurs and current small business owners hone their skills on how to start a small business or improve their existing business. She said she was thrilled with the results.

"I was ecstatic with the program," Killette said. "I had so many positive comments from the participants. Some actually slowed down their plans because they learned proper procedure, cost, and other necessary skills and some said they learned how to grow their existing business."

"The quality of the participants was awesome," she added. "These people were very educated and really skilled in what they do whether they already own a business or not."

Killette plans to offer a second academy beginning in January. For more information, please contact Shelley Gardner at (919) 209-2572.