Business Program to Hold Open House

With classes set to start later this month, the Ventura County Entrepreneur Academy will hold an open house in Thousand Oaks on Monday to give interested business owners information about the program.

The county Board of Supervisors founded the academy in 1994 to help small, local businesses expand. Students receive an intense, 100-hour training course in such topics as managing cash flow and analyzing their markets.

For students who complete the training and remain in business for 91 days after graduation, the course is essentially free, with students paying a $200 refundable deposit.

This year, the academy will offer four courses, all designed to prepare business owners to compete in the global economy.

As examples, one course will cover exporting products while another will show business owners how to expand their markets through the use of new technology.

The open house will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, 625 Hillcrest Drive. Academy graduates and instructors will be on hand to discuss the program.

For more information, call 654-2562 or 662-6556.