Entrepreneur Program Grooms Jobless for Self-Employment

George Dixon of Thousand Oaks hurt his lower back in late 1995 while working for a landscaping company. The injury not only put him out of commission for a time, it made him a hiring risk in his field.

With no job and no prospects, Dixon finally opted last year to go into business for himself. It was something he had attempted 16 years earlier, but his lack of business experience proved his downfall.

This time around, Dixon enlisted the help of the Ventura County Entrepreneur Academy, enrolling in the group’s “Start-Up Business Training Program.” Dixon graduated from the 100-hour course last month and has already more than doubled sales projections for his fledgling Dixon’s Landscape Maintenance operation.

Dixon, who specializes in residential landscaping and maintenance and is awaiting his contractor’s license for commercial work, was one of 33 graduates from the class, which has been offered twice since it was established in October. The academy now is taking applications for the third seven-week workshop to begin May 8.

“I had a small gardening service years ago and the reason I folded was I knew the industry, but I didn’t know how to run a business,” Dixon said. “But this program is very involved. They start you from the ground up.”

The start-up business program, led by self-employed businessman Ray Cobel, guides students through the essentials of starting a business, including the creation of business plans and cash flow and the acquisition of operating licenses.

The program is offered through the Entrepreneur Academy in conjunction with the Ventura County Workforce Development Division and is federally funded through the Job Training Partnership Act Title III provisions.

Title III allows for funding of entrepreneurial training, leading to self-employment, for those who are unemployed long term or who were laid off or terminated as a result of corporate downsizing or closure.

“The program helps them to try to understand what the entrepreneurial mind-set is and whether they have it,” said academy administrator Hui Ling Tanouye. “They take a hard look at their business concept, who their customers are, what their product is and is there a market for them.”

Tanouye said the 40 students who have enrolled in the program since its debut have come from a variety of employment backgrounds.

“Many of them have been unsuccessful in trying to get a job. The thought is, it’s easier for them to get a customer than to get a job,” Tanouye said. “It’s really a matter of finding out what the market needs are, where the niche is, what are some of the things you can do better than others. And then you go from there and emphasize your competitive edge.”

To graduate from the Start-Up Business Training Program, participants must attend at least 80% of the 100 class hours and attain various benchmarks, such as completing a business plan and getting a business license.

“The more work they put into the class,” Tanouye said, “the closer they are to earning money.”