Knowledge is Power in Business

Anthony Jones, Teacher and Course Manager, OTEN (TAFE NSW)

OTEN, the Open Training and Education Network, is the distance and online learning division of TAFE NSW. Anthony Jones is manager of the Small Business Management program; a role that sees him developing and teaching the Certificate IV in Small Business Management and ensuring his courses remain relevant to the many hundreds of participants.

	Career Questions: How did you first get involved with teaching small business? Is industry relevance an ongoing consideration? Why should someone thinking of starting a business study a small business course? What's the breakdown of theory versus practical study? Are there ever bad ideas that just won't work as a business? What's the most overlooked area of small business management?

How did you first get involved with teaching small business?

I first came to OTEN in 2001 as a business development contractor, revising their existing small business course. My role was essentially to update the course to ensure the materials and teaching were the best on the market.

Is industry relevance an ongoing consideration?

Absolutely. I still run a small marketing consultancy where I do work for big clients, like Esso and Virgin Blue as well as sole operators. Other members of the teaching team also run their own businesses; this gives students industry-relevant insights.

We also keep working to ensure the course itself is well-regarded. We're about to roll out a new training package that comes with national competency, meaning it's recognised across all TAFEs in Australia. As part of this, we've taken into account the results of a national review of small businesses.

Why should someone thinking of starting a business study a small business course? It's a smart move. Once people start and get into their own micro-business they get totally focused and don't have time to learn. A course like ours lets them pick up a range of knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Most people who fail do so because they only work in the business; they don't know how to work on the business. So the course empowers them, gives them a base skill level. It also gives them an idea of the breadth of things they'll need to deal with. Knowledge investment is a really critical part of the game Most people are very optimistic - which can be a failing. What's the breakdown of theory versus practical study? Participants can base their study on their business idea. Most participants are business aspirants, with a minority actually already running a business. So they can tailor modules that deal with legal requirements, financial planning, business planning, etcetera, with their idea in mind. The theory can then be used to test against your idea. Are there ever bad ideas that just won't work as a business? Oh, yes. We've had really great students who have ideas that are a bit off-track. So while the course isn't a consultancy, project feedback allows us to value-add to their idea. You can pass a module if the work is there, but we might make a comment that if they did that in real life, their business would probably fail.

Most Popular Courses Diploma of Management Certificate IV in Frontline Management Certificate IV in Small Business Management Bachelor of Business (Logistics and Supply Chain Management) Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Career Facts Full-time managers earn over A$1700 per week on average, compared with about A$1100 for non-managers. (Employee Earnings and Hours, ABS, 2008) Australia has over 1.6 million small businesses. 67% of all small business operators work full-time hours. (Characteristics of Small Business Surveys, 2005-06, ABS) Major Causes of Bankruptcy in Australia 35%  -  Economic/seasonal conditions 17%  -  Personal reasons 13%  -  Lack of capital 10%  -  Lack of business ability 05%  -  Excessive interest 20%  -  Other Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

What's the most overlooked area of small business management?

The really important side is the financial side; being able to make realistic projections is vital. An entrepreneur needs to totally believe their idea will be a success, but they also need a backing of reality, or they'll end up the guy who puts his house on the line and loses it. Most people are very optimistic, which can be a failing.

People need to identify their skills gap. Money and cashflow is going to be an enormous challenge; you need the financial skills to get access to money and then to manage it properly. That's hard without learning and good advice.

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