California State University, Chico Announces Rural Commerce Learning Exchange
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2002
Joe Picard, Regional and Continuing Education
530-898-6105
Joe Wills
530-898-4143
California State University, Chico Announces Rural Commerce Learning Exchange
California State University, Chico’s Center for Economic Development, College of Business, and Center for Regional and Continuing Education have initiated the Rural Commerce Learning Exchange. The Web portal provides free e-commerce education, online information resources, and a conduit for direct economic development services for small business owners and managers in rural northern California counties.
Funded in August 2002 through a rural e-commerce grant sponsored by the State of California’s Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, the program is dedicated to help reverse “the digital divide,” a nationwide trend which indicates that rural areas lag behind metropolitan areas in their adaptation of Internet technologies and Web-based business applications. Through the provision of educational resources and direct access to business development services the Rural Commerce Learning Exchange is focused to bridging this divide.
Rural Commerce Learning Exchange participants can now receive direct business development assistance through CSU, Chico’s Center for Economic Development’s program called Economic Gardening. Economic Gardening services include general business support in the form of market analysis, feasibility studies, competitor analysis and customer acquisition strategies.
Established in 1999, the Center for Economic Development’s Economic Gardening program has successfully assisted hundreds of individuals in their quest to grow their businesses.
During the first quarter of the project, the team has initiated a systematic program to survey and determine what skills small businesses need to successfully sell and market their goods and services on the Internet. The next phase of the program will develop appropriate educational resources and developmental support strategies that address these regional needs.
Small business owners and managers interested in learning more about how the Rural Commerce Learning Exchange can help their businesses are encouraged to visit the Web site at http://rclx.csuchico.edu and take the survey or call the exchange at 530-898-4598. Individuals who take the survey will be eligible to win a year’s membership to one of the area’s chambers of commerce.
###