From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Here in Hamilton it’s Lifelong Learning Week, a time to celebrate the many learning opportunities in our community for individuals of all ages.

As small business owners, we owe it to ourselves to make a commitment to continuing education, whether it’s to acquire new skills, refresh the ones we have, learn about new developments in our industry, or to gain new marketing ideas. Fortunately, we don’t have to try and fit night school classes into our already busy lives – with today’s technology we can participate in teleseminars, webinars, or online classes, at a time that suits our own schedules. Check out the Events Calendar on our website to find out about upcoming learning opportunities. (By the way, there’s still time for you to sign up for the teleclass I’m giving with Marcia Francois on September 23rd, Everything you EVER wanted to know about organizing your computer.)

According to Statistics Canada, nearly 28% of adult Canadians participated in adult education and training in 1997, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the number has grown due to the steady increase in distance education options. A perfect example of this is VAClassroom’s recently launched Internet Marketing VA Training program. The course is delivered completely online, with the student reviewing the learning materials and completing the assignments and tests according to his or her own schedule. Scott, my very own “Organized Assistant,” has been working through the program in between his work assignments over the past few weeks, and will be certified as an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant shortly.

Whether you prefer classroom training, teleclasses, online learning, or self-study through reading good books, make a point of learning something new this week!