Starting a Small Business in Lake Saint Louis: Finding Business Training Opportunities

If you’ve been following our series on , you know that we’ve discussed ideas for choosing a business concept, including the and .

This week, we’re spotlighting free business training opportunities for Lake Saint Louis small business owners.

To get some guidance on where to find the best free training for small business owners, we talked with .

Shoaf owns several businesses, including Safety Training and Consultations International (STCI), a leading global consulting firm, and , a business dedicated to helping small businesses navigate the way to success.

Before you even consider opening a business, Shoaf said, you need to be prepared for long hours with little to no profit, at least in the beginning.

“Don't even think about counting the hours you work,” he said. “The first few years, it may seem you are working for pennies an hour as you build your company. It does pay off in the end.”

The same applies for business training. It might seem unnecessary or too time-consuming at first, but it’s worth the investment of your time in the long run.

Business Training Tips

Shoaf suggests engaging others who are in your industry. He said it’s the “iron sharpens iron” concept, and that you’ll be better for it in the end.

For example, if you’re opening a salon, it’s a good idea to talk with other salon owners to learn how they run their businesses and what you might watch for. That’s where your local chamber of commerce will come in handy, Shoaf said.

“Talk to and join your local chamber of commerce,” he said. “Others have walked in your shoes before you. Engage them and don't make the same mistakes some of us have.”

You could also join a referral networking organization such as Business Network International, he said.

“BNI (Business Network International) Go Givers Chapter is a great local example,” Shoaf said. “This will help you communicate your brand and even help train you to become more effective in communicating your brand.”

He said the city’s economic development department can also be useful when it comes to localized training.

“And our firm, Compass Consultant Services, if you’re looking for customized coaching on growing your business,” Shoaf added.

Online Business and Training Tips

Shoaf’s number one tip for online training is to use the US Small Business Association’s free portal.

“Take the SBA’s online business training,” he said. “Starting, managing, financing, contracting and much more is covered here and worth your time and energy—and it’s online!”

The SBA also offers several free and low-cost local events for business training. Check the online events calendar for details.

He also suggests that new small business owners invest in a couple of key pieces of software, including Quickbooks and Microsoft Word or Mac Pages.

“These will help you communicate professionally,” he said.

Finally, Shoaf said, when you’re ready to launch your business, invest in a dedicated domain name for your business website.

“Nothing says ‘I just started a business and can't afford a website’ more than your AOL, Hotmail, Gmail or God forbid a Yahoo account for an email address,” he said.

Other Free Training Resources for Lake Saint Louis Small Business Owners

• Lake Saint Louis Economic Development Department—“The City is always striving to be more business friendly and strengthen ties between the City and its businesses,” reads the department’s page on the city’s website. “City staff work to promote the City of Lake Saint Louis as a destination for businesses, jobs, and economic development.”
• Lake Saint Louis-Dardenne Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce—If you join the Chamber of Commerce, you’ll receive a variety of benefits, including online member-to-member support and a private social network for members, so you can get advice from a local business owner who has been where you are now.
• —The library district offers a number of resources for business owners (and prospective business owners)..
• St. Charles County Economic Development Center—The EDC offers a special program called the “small business incubator” which helps home-based businesses and new start-up companies to benefit from a dynamic and professional environment that has shared offices, staff resources, access to conference rooms, specialized training programs and more. There are also several other business training opportunities available.
• Missouri Business Portal—This website acts as a portal for business registration, filings, licenses and permits in the state of Missouri. It also offers a wide variety of resources.
• University of Missouri Extension—The University of Missouri offers a number of free and low-cost training options for local small business owners. Check out the Business Start-Up page for details and ongoing courses.
• MissouriBusiness.net—Billing itself as “the hub for all resources related to business success in Missouri,” this site offers access to free and low-cost training, both online and in-person.
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)—OSHA provides a number of free resources for small businesses, including safety and health tools and publications, guides for specific OSHA standards and a number of other benefits. Plus, OSHA offers free on-site consultation for small employers for protecting their workers from occupational hazards.
• SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)—A St. Louis-based nonprofit association supported by the SBA and a network of more than 13,000 volunteers dedicated to helping small businesses get started and grow to achieve longer-term goals. SCORE offers mentoring, free, confidential business consulting in person or via email, free online business tools, tips and templates and inexpensive or free business workshops and webinars.
• Dale Carnegie Training—Offers both paid and free training for businesses. Many free options are available online.

Have you always dreamed of starting your own business? Subscribe to our daily newsletter so you won’t miss a single part of this ongoing series! Next week, we’ll discuss the different types of ownership options and how to determine the legal structure of your business.

Do you own your own business in Lake Saint Louis? We want to share your story with the community! Contact Patch reporter Angela Atkinson at angela.atkinson@patch.com to arrange for an interview.