These pages are the result of thousands of interactions with highly successful and inspirational business owners from around the world, from Hattie Bryant's experiences training within small businesses since 1979, and from Bruce Camber's experiences with his own start-ups since 1970, his work with hundreds of small business customers over the years, and his ongoing research of the foundations of creative insight and thinking.

Are you considering starting a business? There is Hattie's little quiz and training materials that challenge people to examine their self-understanding and the know the mind of an entrepreneur.

There is also What is Your Personal Magic?, the first chapter of Hattie's book, Beating the Odds. In this chapter you will walk through stories about Hattie's friends and family and learn how they discovered and cultivated their special gifts for particular kinds of work. If you do not know what you should do for work, please work through both sections carefully.

If you would like free information about technology and Internet access, you can call IBM Small Business specialists at 888-IBM-5800. IBM is working with us to enhance this website. See how.

All of us -- the producers and the sponsors of Small Business School -- want you to succeed.

If you have any resources or any information that you believe would be helpful to any of our viewers, please come backstage, and let us know. Share your knowledge. We are all trying to build a better world. Let's do it together. All insights that can help people create order (continuity), build relations (symmetries) and create ever-growing dynamics (harmony) are most welcome. We will post that information on these pages. If the information seems too good to be true, we will come and visit with you, and you can become the Master Class teacher for a show.

What is Your
Personal Magic?
The first chapter
of Hattie's book,
Beating the Odds

Starting a business:
The first four steps

Step 1. The Initial Idea

Step 2. Startup

Step 3. Incubate

Step 4. On your own.

Growing a business:
The next four steps

Step 5. Emplower

Step 6. Growth

Step 7. Fast Growth

Step 8. IPO, DPO or ???

Links to:
The current shows
Small Business School

USA Broadcast Schedules

Schools using the show

PBS Adult Learning
Satellite Service.

Viewers respond

If you would like to be part of these Small Business School educational and inspirational programs, please sign in (above), then let's get to work!

1. Form a Small Business School focus group. Invite a few fsmall business owners to watch Small Business School with you; talk about the business insights of the entrepreneur(s) profiled, then help each other.
2. Work with your public television station. Volunteer as a group for a fund drive. Get to know your membership director, development director, and programming director! Become members and help preserve public television. You might suggest a small business fund-raiser. Consider using our special videotape called Beating the Odds. Here you meet entrepreneurs who broke through into a fast-growth cycle.
3. Work with the local Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Centers of the Small Business Administration (US SBA). Host an occasional Small Business School viewing and discussion group. You can be sure that we will consult with you before doing any new stories in your area.

Also, would you advise us about the time when the program is aired in your community. First, is it correctly listed? Is it a good time for you? We are constantly working to keep our USA broadcast schedule current. If you think the time slot could be better, please call the local station and make a suggestion. We hear that weekends between 4 PM and 6:30 PM are good and late night on Thursday. According to the marketing agencies of our national sponsors, these are the two best time slots to catch the 24 million small business owners!

If you form a group, let us know and we will help you publicize it by posting information about it right here on the website. Here are some links you may find helpful:

1. US SBA's organizations.
   The SCORE office will often send someone to help you.
   Small Business Development Centers of the SBA. There are over 1500 in the USA and each is a unique resource. Get to know these people. It is a great place for another Small Business School work group.
2. US Chamber of Commerce and your local Chamber. These two groups really need to be working a little more closely together. Maybe you can help your local chamber become more active within the US Chamber. In 1997 Hattie was the facilitator-host of a nationwide closed-circuit broadcast, Technology for your Small and Growing Company.
3. IBM's PC Institute: Get a jump on this fast-changing technology.
4. Business Resource Center of the US Post Office. There is a place for a small-business study group within each local community to consult with your postmaster to see how your Post Office can help small businesses grow.
5. Work with your local college or university. There are many schools currently using the series in the classroom.

Once you are Signed In (above), you become part of our growing family of people who want to encourage the growth of small businesses. Although changing fast, the majority of small businesses are still struggling to understand how to use the Internet to expand and grow their business. One of the goals of Business Backstage is to develop a discussion that generates ideas to help every person within a small business to use Internet purposefully and more effectively.