Peer Review

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Counseling & Assistance

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jan 3, 2019 by Business

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

The SBA provides small business counseling and training through a variety of programs and resource partners, located strategically around the country. Links to: The SCORE Association (Service Corps of Retired Executives), The Office of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), Women Business Centres, and SBA District Offices.

Type of Material:

Workshop and Training Material

Recommended Uses:

Great research tool for student work
Can use as lecture resource

Technical Requirements:

Worked on the following Operating Systems: Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 Mac OSX 10.6+ Linux Ubuntu 12+ iOS 8+ (in browser) Chrome 31+ Firefox 35+ Internet Explorer 11+ Microsoft Edge iOS Safari 8.3+

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Learn to locate regional/local offices and events for the SBA
Learn about and the varying degrees of information and research on the SBA organization

Target Student Population:

High school students through graduate business courses work best for this material.
Especially relevant for Entrepreneurship classes.
Anyone interested in learning about the SBA would find this valuable.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

A basic understanding of the concepts and vocabulary of business.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

A large amount of information on the expectations and requirements for starting a business.
The buffet of online courses is wonderful
Content is presented in learning modules.
Can be useful for updating lectures

Concerns:

The course order does not follow the logical steps to begin a business.
Site itself might be confusing to students
Instructors may have to develop lesson plan for how to use

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

As a teaching tool, there are massive amounts of resources for teaching, and research by way of online learning modules.
Contains up-to-date information
Business Guide provides lots of information for those considering a small business

Concerns:

Students may be confused by the wealth of information
Instructor will have to design specific assignments in order to use the site
With all of the links provided, students may get lost in the content

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

Very easy to use
All information is clearly outlined
Because it comes from SBA, information can be considered valid
Follows pedagogy best practices.
Easy to click through the various tabs and pages to get to information quickly.

Concerns:

Students may become confused between the Guide and the Learning Resources
Students will need clear understanding on what they have have been assigned.

Other Issues and Comments:: The material appears useful, up to date, and something that all parties interested in small business could benefit from.
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