BANGOR – Small-business owners and entrepreneurs have an opportunity to improve their skills with a business education program this fall.

Eastern Maine Community College will offer the noncredit entrepreneurial and small-business education program to businesspeople who would like to receive practical instruction in skills like business communication or writing a detailed business plan.

There are lots of seminars for small-business owners on business practices, “but it is very difficult to explain documents like business plans in a seminar setting,” said Michael Ballesteros, director of business support services in the Katahdin region for EMCC.

Ballesteros wanted to create the program after hearing the frustration of small-business owners in business counseling sessions.

In the sessions, business counselors like Ballesteros may only have one hour a week to help people learn a skill, and that is usually not enough time, Ballesteros said in a recent interview.

“A lot of people give up. They say it’s not worth it and move forward in their business without developing the skills,” he said.

Ballesteros emphasized that the courses taught in the small-business program will focus on the practical application of business principles.

“This is hands-on specialized training for these small-business people,” he said.

Many businesspeople have mentioned to him that once they got to the job, they did learn how to practically apply what they learned in college.

But many small-business owners and entrepreneurs have not had a traditional college education to use as a foundation to establishing their businesses.

“We come from a state where not many go on to get a four-year degree,” Ballesteros said. “They are self-starters.”

Ballesteros stressed, however, that a college background is crucial to succeed in today’s global market. The small-business program, he said, will better serve local communities and businesses in such a market.

The program also will help small businesses deal with crises. For instance, very often these businesses will use credit cards to get out of trouble, but instead are only creating long-term problems.

All instructors of the courses offered are local business specialists.

Deb Newman, director of the Target Technology Center in Orono, will teach the course “Business Plan Development and Composition.” Students will have the opportunity to learn the different components of a business plan, then will have help writing their own business plans by the end of the semester. A group of professionals will then critique the plans after they are finished.

Leslie Stewart, who is certified in strategic policy human resources, is the instructor for the course “Small Business Human Resource Management,” which will focus on topics such as human resource practices, state and federal employee regulations and crisis intervention.

Rod Black, a controller at Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. and certified public accountant, will teach the course “Small Business Financials.” This course will provide comprehensive instruction in small-business financials, including basic accounting principles, income statement, balance sheet and cash-flow statement preparation.

The “Business Communications” course will be taught by LuAnn Williams, communications officer at Bangor Hydro. Small businesses will be provided with templates to employ for different modes of business communication within and outside their companies.

Ron Cote, business consultant and small-business owner, will teach “Principles of Marketing and Sales.” The course will provide information on how to conduct market research and apply that information to the product being marketed.

Depending on the success of the program, EMCC would like to offer it at a later date at its four outreach centers, in East Millinocket, Dover-Foxcroft, Ellsworth and Belfast. Ballesteros also hopes the program will develop into a partnership with the business department at EMCC.

The cost for each of the courses is $595. Classes are limited to 15 students and will run concurrently with the fall semester at EMCC. The first class in the program will be held Sept 2. Each class will be held evenings once a week, except for the “Business Communications” course, which will be held Saturday mornings.

Credit can be awarded to students if their work is completed successfully and reviewed by the business department at EMCC. Students already enrolled in a program such as carpentry or electricity at EMCC and who would like to add business classes to their schedule can take the course, as well as area businesspeople.

For information, contact EMCC at 974-4621 or visit its Web site at www.emcc.edu.