You never stop learning - well, that's what they say.  They also say "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."  (Let's hope the former aphorism is correct.)  If you're a telecommuter, then you're probably accustomed to learning many new things - whether it be sales techniques or computer maintenance tricks – by trial and error, and on your own. However, there are always those times when time is short, certifications are required, or you just don't have the resources to learn all you need to know working independently.

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As you no doubt know, professional training can be costly.  A senior consultant's fees will normally run $100/hr and up; brand-name certification training courses will set you back thousands - not including the cost of the certification exam itself and your travel to the major city where classes are held.

But did you know that your local community college more than likely offers the very training courses and business information you're looking for?  For much more reasonable fees, and very close to home, you can almost certainly find a solution that provides the right training and access to information for your business and professional development needs.

Below is a brief sampling of community college courses, and approximate fees (way below private training costs) - pulled from the pages of representative school catalogues. Check with the local college in your town to review the available courses there.  These non-credit courses are usually offered several times throughout the year.   They may fall under the heading “Business Development” or “Professional/Career Development”.

Computer Courses

Microsoft Office for Small Business—$329, 6 sessions, includes text

 

Web Design for Small Business—$269, 4 sessions, includes text

QuickBooks-Basics —$329, 6 sessions, includes text

CRM and Sales Skills using CRM-software—$178, 2 sessions, includes text

Delivering Effect Presentations with PowerPoint—$267, 3 sessions, includes text

Microsoft Information Technology

* from $425-$495 a day, includes materials *

Developing Secure Web Applications—3 days

 

Developing ASP.NET 2.0 Web Applications —3 days

 

Introduction to Programming —2 days

SQL Server 2005 for Oracle DBAs—3 days

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator for Microsoft Windows 2003—$2095, 340 hours, materials included

Other Certifications and Courses

Certified Bookkeeper—$1595, 80 hours, materials included

Certified Global Business Professional—$2295, 400 hours, materials included

Project Management Evening Certificate Program—$3695, 13 weeks, materials included

Tax Filing Tips for Home-Based Business Owners & the Self-Employed—$59

Bringing Your Ideas and Inventions to Market—$99, 6 hours (2 days)

Effective Power Networking—$280, 32 hours (4 days)