IDRS Inc.
Helping Create Sustainable Native Communities
Business Idea Generation
Workshop Length: 1/2 - 1 Day
Our BIG workshop is the ultimate workshop for those who are interested in starting a small business but aren't sure what kind of business they want to start. Participants are lead through the process of generating business ideas that align with personal interest, skills, experience, culture and geographical location.
Indianpreneurship: A Native American Journey Into Business
Workshop Length: 2-3 Days
Over the course of 2 - 3 days, participants are taken through the process of developing a business plan while also learning about small business topics such as marketing, legal issues, bookkeeping, and financing. After the on-site course, IDRS’ instructors provide ongoing remote technical assistance to participants by reviewing “Chapter Pull-Outs,” which are provided in the curriculum and serve as individual components of a larger business plan.
Indianpreneurship: Growing Your Small Business in Indian Country
Workshop Length: Meets Monthly for 3 Hours over the course of 1-Year
The Growing curriculum takes what the small business owner learned in Journey (the first course) or their own experiences and expands their knowledge and understanding of their businesses. Classes are are held once a month. Tribal entrepreneurs are encouraged to write down issues they had in their business over the past month and bring them to the workshop to discuss among other business owners. The owner feels the ongoing support and encouragement from a community of fellow business owners experiencing similar business problems. A short lesson provides owners “best practices” they can build into their daily routines to ensure greater profitability and more effective management.
Building Native Communities
Workshop Length: 2 - 3 Days
Building Native Communities (BNC) is a financial literacy program designed to be used in Indian Country. The course enables community members to realize their traditional values by learning financial skills that will help each person make informed financial decisions for themselves, their family, and their community. The course is especially important for tribal members that want to start their own businesses. An entrepreneur must balance not only their finances at home but must also manage the finances of their small business. There is twice the opportunity to get in trouble. And trouble in one often leads to trouble in the other. The workshop includes information on building a healthy economy, developing a spending plan, working with checking and savings accounts, understanding credit and your credit report, and accessing credit. The curriculum is also culturally relevant. It uses traditional Native practices from various tribes as its foundation. IDRS also tries to use the community or tribe’s history and stories as illustrations.
Marketing Your Small Business
Workshop Length: 1/2 - 1 Day
In Indianpreneurship, because of the breadth of information that must be taught, marketing is only discussed on the surface. But rural entrepreneurs experience unique challenges to get the word out about their products and services and don’t often have the marketing budget to easily overcome these challenges. Can they turn their ruralness and their unique locations to their advantage? This IDRS developed course allows the instructor to dig deeper into marketing in general but, more importantly, into specific areas (i.e. social media, internet, direct advertising, etc.) that are relevant to students in the course. While these entrepreneurs are often located in remote rural areas and far from potential markets, with modern communication technology, access to the internet, and creativity, the entrepreneur can overcome these obstacles.
Computer Basics for Small Business Owners
Length of Workshop: 1 - 3 Days (Dependant on the number of programs covered)
So much of what we do in business, especially in an administrative role, is done on the computer. This course will address the needs of business owners to be functionally literate on a computer by providing hands-on instruction on using computers and business software like Microsoft Word and Excel. In addition, online competitors to Microsoft (i.e. Google Docs) will also be explored. Suggestions and tips will be made regarding browsers, plugins and cloud storage.
Introductory QuickBooks
Workshop Length: 1 Day
There is extreme value in recordkeeping, tracking sales and revenue, and being able to maintain an inventory. This allows a business owner to provide reporting to government agencies, control costs, and plan for the future. Fortunately, this can all be done in one system through the use of QuickBooks. The accounting software produced by Intuit, has been around for many years and is time tested. The software is relatively inexpensive, has older versions if hardware is a constraint, and is recognized by professionals at other microenterprise development organizations, tax professionals, CPAs, and other entrepreneurs. It is also fairly easy to get started using the software within the business. Although some portions of QuickBooks (reconciliations, general journal entries) require more advanced accounting knowledge, the average user will be able to quickly learn how to enter bills, generate invoices, and run reports. The training is four sessions in length and covers the installation and setup of the QuickBooks company file, overview of the program, entering transactions, running reports, an overview of the more advanced features, and suggestions for getting additional help.