If you own your own business, you know how hectic your day can get.

Much of your time is spent putting out the hottest fire, solving the biggest crisis, or oiling the squeakiest wheel.

Often, small business owners feel their business runs them rather than the other way around.

While most entrepreneurs love what they do and are very proud of what they have built, most will readily admit it is hard to find time in the day to step back from the daily chaos and think about how to grow their business strategically.

The Town Council in the Town of Lexington, in conjunction with Midlands Technical College Corporate and Continuing Education want to help.

They are sponsoring Fast-Trac™, a 10-week educational program empowering entrepreneurs with skills to increase revenue and grow their businesses.

Classes will be held Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning September 11 through November 13 in the Eli Mack Room at the Lexington Town Hall.

Classes will be limited in size. The cost to participate is $150 per entry.

FastTrac™ will be facilitated by Tom Ledbetter, Associate Vice President for the Center for Entrepreneurial Success at MTC, a nationally-recognized FastTrac™ facilitator.

“The speed of change in our businesses, industries, and markets requires that we spend more time working on our business, versus working in our business,” explains Ledbetter.

“Responding to a competitive threat, optimizing a growth opportunity, launching a new product, or transitioning ownership/leadership all require a dedication of time and effort.”

FastTrac™ allows you, as the business owner, to address these changes in a structured manner.”

FastTrac™ was developed in 1993 by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, a national philanthropic organization whose mission is to promote entrepreneurship as a means to strengthen the US economy. More than 300,000 entrepreneurs have graduated from FastTrac across the US.

Small businesses are the backbone of the US economy and their success is essential to national economic growth and prosperity.

Small businesses have huge potential to create jobs and put money back into their communities.

They create more than three-fourths of the country’s new jobs and pay out more than 44% of the country’s private payroll.

A recent study found that for every dollar spent at a small business, 68% funnels back into the community, compared with just 46% at major retailers.

That’s because small businesses are more likely to buy products and supplies from other local businesses, helping to enrich the town rather than buy goods elsewhere.

To apply for this class, contact Tom Ledbetter at ledbettert@midlandstech.edu, or at (803) 466-6992 or (803) 822-3448.