BY STACEY BENGTSON

The area’s thousands of small businesses are a driving force for the San Diego economy, and now because of a local partnership, these business owners have an opportunity to participate in training programs to help increase their ability to plan, manage and grow their companies.

The University of San Diego and the president of Human Systems Consulting, Richard Sims, have joined together to create a program through USD’s Office of Corporate and Professional Education called the Small and Emerging Business Institute.

The institute was formed after Sims approached USD, a private school with more than 7,200 students, with an interest in creating a program where small-business owners could turn to an educational facility for help in making their companies larger and stronger.

“I felt like there was a need in San Diego for a solid, professional assistance training program to give small businesses the competitive edge to get ahead,” said Sims, whose one-man, 20-year-old firm provides management consulting services such as executive leadership development, organizational performance, emerging business development and research.

During the time Sims and Jodi Waterhouse, manager of Corporate and Professional Programs at USD’s Office of Corporate and Professional Education, were collaborating to create a program, the California Employment Training Panel also approached USD for a partnership to develop a similar program for small businesses.

Unemployment Insurance Funding

Diana Torres, manager of the ETP in San Diego, said the unemployment insurance, or UI, that private businesses pay to ETP ($7 per employee, per year, generating about $100 million annually for the state) is used for training the existing private employer work force.

The ETP is a state agency designed to fund training for employers and new workers and to help retain employees. It is used to improve the economy through training.

“The UI makes California businesses stable and strong,” Sims said. “Most small businesses can’t afford to do training on their own.”

Funding for the institute’s programs will come from the ETP, participants’ tuition and sponsorships.

The Small and Emerging Business Institute has three separate programs, two of which will be new course offerings for business owners beginning this fall.

The first program to launch is the High Performance Management Training on Oct. 17, followed by the Micro-Business Management Program beginning Nov. 10. The Family Business Forum has been an ongoing program for the past 14 years at USD but has now become part of the institute.