Dr. Eric Liguori of Rowan University, founding director of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Rohrer College of Commerce (RCB), is one of eight faculty members from across the United States selected to support the development of Amazon.com’s new Amazon Small Business Academy (ASBA), the retail giant announced online March 21.
Faculty members, including instructors from Indiana University, Sam Houston University in Texas, and California State University, are faculty leaders in the Collegial organization of entrepreneurs (CEO), Amazon’s ASBA partner. ASBA offers a suite of free, interactive resources and tools for small business owners and entrepreneurs to help them start, create, launch and grow online businesses.
In a statement, Amazon representatives said that “the new ASBA experience offers three self-serve educational paths – “Get Started,” “Build” and “Launch” – to help small business owners develop the self-reliance, confidence and perseverance they will need to succeed.
The ASBA program is open to any small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, and can be found at smallbusiness.amazon.
In addition to a popular and ever-expanding entrepreneurship program based at RCB, the college’s faculty work with various community startups, supporting businesses in a variety of ways, including through the new $25 million program. Rowan Innovation Venture Capital Fund and, since last fall, “Accelerate South Jersey: Focus Camden,” which trains aspiring businesspeople.
Like the Accelerate South Jersey program, the new ASBA is completely free, but its focus is entirely online.
“While our primary mission is and always will be focused on undergraduate education, we are also committed to growing the regional economy, which includes helping to educate and support future entrepreneurs who do not have a traditional relationship with Rowan,” Liguori said. “Supporting the development of free learning content for the Amazon Small Business Academy in a fantastic way to allow us to have a greater impact and help a much wider range of aspiring entrepreneurs grow their businesses.” »
In its statement, Amazon noted that nearly 60% of products sold on its website are sold through selling partners – most of which are small and medium-sized businesses – and the company said it would continue to Invest in resources to give entrepreneurs and small business owners access to information to help them succeed.
