SANTA BARBARA — Now, more than ever, entrepreneurs and small business owners must be tuned in to the global market if they hope to grow and thrive. With 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside the United States, exporting is a top opportunity for growth. Thanks to the SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, local entrepreneurs and professionals can quickly gain skills in the four key domains of knowledge in international business*: global management, marketing, finance and logistics.
Santa Barbara City College’s 8-week online course, Trade Skills for Global Business Professionals, offers a convenient and rapid way to gain the vital international trade and export skills needed to enter the global market. This popular online course, part of SBCC’s award-winning International Business program, starts March 19 and prepares students for the Certified Global Business Professionals (CGBP) exam in just eight weeks.
“The Scheinfeld Center is committed to helping local business owners gain the entrepreneurial skills and global competence needed for resiliency in our global economy,” said Julie Samson, Executive Director of the Scheinfeld Center. “After taking our Trade Skills for Global Business Professionals course, participants are equipped with the knowledge and understanding needed to complete the CGBP exam, which puts them on track to make an immediate impact in a global commerce role.”
According to A Basic Guide to Exporting, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s respected introduction to exporting, one of the best ways to grow a business is through exporting, and some of the benefits include:
- Growing your bottom line (companies that export are 17 percent more profitable than those that don’t).
- Smoothing your business cycle, including seasonal differences.
- Adding management and intercultural expertise.
- Defending your domestic market.
- Increasing the value of your business should you choose to sell it.
- Course participants will gain critical technical knowledge, in areas such as export documentation, as well as the skill sets needed to identify opportunities and risks associated with entry into a specific foreign market.
Trade Skills for Global Business Professionals is taught by SBCC faculty member Ray Bowman, who also serves as Executive Director of the Small Business Development Center of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. During the course, Bowman covers the biggest skill gaps in the global workforce today that can be addressed by the CGBP credential and related training. These skills include export documentation, technical barriers, standards, labeling, currency issues, eCommerce, basic export education, and export compliance including OFAC and ITAR (U.S. trade sanctions and military and defense-related regulations).
Additionally, upon completing SBCC’s Trade Skills for Global Business Professionals course (IBUS 210, CRN #6233), participants are eligible for a stipend to cover the CGBP exam registration fee ($395 per person) to obtain the CGBP credential. A limited number of stipends are available.
“The CGBP credential demonstrates proficiency and understanding of global commerce,” said Samson. “Having CGBP-certified members on your team is a great investment for businesses interested in growth through exports.”
All students also have access to no-cost business consulting and coaching from the Scheinfeld Center’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for continued support during and after the semester.
Class registration is underway and the course begins March 19. To apply to SBCC or to register for classes, visit www.sbcc.edu. If you are interested in the stipend, email jasamson@sbcc.edu with “CGBP Stipend Request” in the subject line and state your professional role and motivation for attaining the CGBP credential.
*as defined by the North American Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE).
About the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: The SBCC Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a hub for entrepreneurial development within the South Central Coast community and is a resource for model programs for other California community college districts. The Scheinfeld Center trains global entrepreneurs using a comprehensive approach to academics, hands-on experience, and support. Participants can build their business in the classroom and shore up gaps in their entrepreneurial skill set through the Scheinfeld Center’s distinctive combination of coursework, business plan and pitch competitions, industry internships, no-cost business consulting, mentoring, networking, and post-start-up support through the Small Business Development Center. To learn more, visit www.scheinfeld.sbcc.edu or call 805.965.0581 ext. 3643.
About Santa Barbara City College: Founded in 1909, Santa Barbara City College currently serves approximately 15,000 students each semester who enroll in courses for transfer preparation, career education, and foundational skills. SBCC was the 2013-2015 national co-winner of the prestigious Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence. The college was recognized for its quality and focus in four areas: facilitating underrepresented and minority student success, student learning outcomes, degree completion and transfer rates, and labor market success in securing good jobs after college.
Our Mission: As a public community college dedicated to the success of each student…
Santa Barbara City College provides students a diverse learning environment that inspires curiosity and discovery, promotes global responsibility and fosters opportunity for all.