Historically the development model used to upgrade the small business communities in Europe and Asia has been called the “Training Model” and the model in Canada and the United States the “Scar Tissue” model. It was the language used at international conferences.
It is a training model in Europe and Asia because training is so institutionalized, and so a part of their culture. In the 1980s the large advocacy organizations in Japan and Germany, to make a point, managed over 1000 bricks and mortar training centres.
But the learn by doing culture in Canada and the US, based on research, resulted in 80% failure rates for new ventures after five years, but 60% success rates for those who started a second venture. Thus, the term scar tissue.
Training became more associated with small business in Europe and Asia over time because there was no inhibition against small firms and government working in partnership. And a partnership was necessary to fund the many training facilities that small firms used. The training world changed with online learning, which did not require bricks and mortar.
The original Learning Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises (LISME) was an arm of CFIB with the Board of LISME made up of the Executive Committee of CFIB. LISME later became Vubiz Ltd. which stood for the Virtual University for Business.
The need for training had two dimensions. One was internal because so many of our legislative victories were too complex for a simple handout. Another internal need was for staff training with huge savings associated with the training and retraining of District Managers.
The other training market was associated with the upgrading of membership skills, especially related to management and supervisory training, and compliance training on issues like health and safety.
Reaching small firms and professionals through their associations with online learning has been a success, and is a source of huge savings compared to taking stand-up courses at community colleges. Online learning today has replaced about 75% of traditional classroom learning.
But it is of particular importance as a strategy at CFIB which has member development as part of the organization’s vision for the future. It is part of the evolution of CFIB from being just fighters to being fighters and builders.
New technologies do not move across the small business community quickly. This is a sector with limited management resources and massive pressures to continuously adapt and change. This was the experience with fax machines, computers, Internet connections and so on. But training will offer huge savings to small businesses and the CFIB over the years, as access to online learning becomes as common as searching the Net.