{"id":49271,"date":"2015-10-22T13:36:53","date_gmt":"2015-10-22T18:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=49271"},"modified":"2015-10-22T13:36:53","modified_gmt":"2015-10-22T18:36:53","slug":"time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

The economic downturn of 2008 affected almost everyone. The stress, the uncertainty, and for many, the loss of their livelihood, all remain as vivid memories. But for some, there was also a chance to follow a new direction, to move to a new field, even to build something new from the ground up.<\/p>\n

Take Rabbi Mordechai Kruger, 59, of Far Rockaway; a lifelong Jewish educator, a father and grandfather, a committed member of the Orthodox community and someone who believes in the phrase Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh. <\/em>That year led him towards a new career: He saw unmet needs in the community and started an organization that continues to grow today.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ordained at Ner Israel Rabbinical College and with a Master\u2019s degree from the University of Memphis in Educational Psychology, Kruger had spent decades as an educator in Jewish schools and even did a stint as a math teacher in a New York City middle school. He was looking for a new opportunity when the downturn hit. Calling on his years of volunteer work in the Jewish community, he became a caseworker in the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty\u2019s Connect to Care program, an effort to reach out to people struck by the downturn.<\/p>\n

It was there that Kruger found that the most pressing problem facing middle class workers was how to find a new job in a changing economy. He also found that the resources available to help these people often didn\u2019t work, and many high-quality, experienced workers were left frustrated and hopeless. When Connect to Care wound down and it was time for him to find his next job, the problems those workers faced remained in his mind. But what could he do about it?<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always been someone connected to and committed to my community,\u201d said Kruger. \u201cWhatever path was next, I knew I wanted to benefit the Jewish world.\u201d So he set out to learn all he could about career change and job search, and reached the conclusion that if he wanted to really make a difference, he would have to start something new.<\/p>\n

But as someone who had never run his own business, Kruger wasn\u2019t sure where to start. Through the OU Job Board<\/a>, he learned about a course for career-changing entrepreneurs offered by the Hebrew Free Loan Society (HFLS). No business experience needed and almost no cost. Bashert?<\/em> Perhaps. He immediately enrolled.<\/p>\n

HFLS\u2019s course, \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs<\/a>,\u201d uses the\u00a0Kauffman FastTrac\u00ae NewVenturetm<\/sup>\u00a0Entrepreneurship Program,\u00a0which positions\u00a0people for success by teaching the skills needed to create, manage, and grow successful businesses.<\/p>\n

The comprehensive and highly interactive course provides guidance and support in a group-oriented environment for career changers over age 50. This year\u2019s course, sponsored by UJA-Federation, begins December 2 and runs for 12 weeks, ending March 2 (with a two week break at the end of December).<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople over age 50 are the strongest demographic for entrepreneurship, and for them, this course is invaluable,\u201d said Kruger. \u201cIt is an excellent resource for anyone who feels they have reached a point of expertise in their career and want to stretch themselves to start their own business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a>Program participants work with expert instructors and with each other to align their business concept with real market opportunities; learn how to set realistic financial goals for their business; find their target market and clarify their competitive advantage; identify potential sources of funding for their business; and learn the ins and outs of social media and e-commerce marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you don\u2019t know what you might do, having the opportunity to explore the mechanics of a new business is of value,\u201d said Kruger. \u201cThe course really stimulates your thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since taking the course in 2012, Rabbi Kruger has started his own non-profit organization, \u201cPathways to Parnassa<\/a>,\u201d offering career choice and job search coaching, resume writing, interview preparation, and career development guidance to people at all stages of their career arc, from high school students through senior executives. He also coaches aspiring entrepreneurs, using the skills he learned in the course.<\/p>\n

Encore Entrepreneurs is taught by two skilled facilitators who are each experienced entrepreneurs and sought-after consultants. Each session includes presentations and break-out groups with exercises, assignments and business plans. Guest speakers come in throughout the course, offering insights on many aspects of starting and managing a business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe course leaders are fabulous,\u201d said Kruger. \u201cMost are professional consultants who work for some of the biggest name companies in the world and they are open to acting as your personal resource for as long as you need them.\u201d<\/p>\n

With three years under his belt, Kruger\u2019s clients have been hired by prestigious firms, small businesses, and organizations, while others have started their own successful businesses.<\/p>\n

According to Rabbi Kruger, \u201cWhen starting a business, you need to focus obsessively on the needs of your customer. Through what I learned in the course, I developed tools to meet the needs of Jewish job searchers. My original intent was to focus on older job seekers, but the same tools can be used by anyone looking for a job at any point in their career.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about or sign up for Encore Entrepreneurs, visit www.hfls.org\/encoreentrepreneurs<\/a> or call Tiffany Goldberg at 212-687-0188 ext. 212.<\/p>\n

To read one of Rabbi Kruger’s articles click here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The economic downturn of 2008 affected almost everyone. The stress, the uncertainty, and for many, the loss of their livelihood, all remain as vivid memories. But for some, there was also a chance to follow a new direction, to move to a new field, even to build something new from the ground up. Take Rabbi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133131,"featured_media":49272,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85,82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","category-money"],"yoast_head":"\nTime to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Time to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The economic downturn of 2008 affected almost everyone. The stress, the uncertainty, and for many, the loss of their livelihood, all remain as vivid memories. But for some, there was also a chance to follow a new direction, to move to a new field, even to build something new from the ground up. Take Rabbi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-22T18:36:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"433\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"364\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Barry Mase\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Barry Mase\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/\",\"name\":\"Time to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help - OU Life\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-10-22T18:36:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/a7cfdcdf7350a531ce39b36d1317ca2f\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png\",\"width\":433,\"height\":364},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/\",\"name\":\"OU Life\",\"description\":\"Everyday Jewish Living\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/a7cfdcdf7350a531ce39b36d1317ca2f\",\"name\":\"Barry Mase\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Barry Mase\"},\"description\":\"Many people strive to \\\"think out of the box.\\\" Barry Mase doesn't even know what the box looks like. A master of alternative paradigm and grass roots marketing, Barry has successfully focused his keen sense for reaching the market\u2014any market\u2014in a variety of settings. In addition to a wide range of experience in the Jewish market, he has done ground-breaking work in the music industry, guided a small independent music label to \\\"Top 10\\\" Billboard sales, and marketed leadership seminars to Fortune 500 companies.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/barry-mase\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Time to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help - OU Life","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Time to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help - OU Life","og_description":"The economic downturn of 2008 affected almost everyone. The stress, the uncertainty, and for many, the loss of their livelihood, all remain as vivid memories. But for some, there was also a chance to follow a new direction, to move to a new field, even to build something new from the ground up. Take Rabbi","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/","og_site_name":"OU Life","article_published_time":"2015-10-22T18:36:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":433,"height":364,"url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Barry Mase","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Barry Mase","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/","name":"Time to professionally reboot? A Basic Business Class for \u201cEncore Entrepreneurs\u201d May Help - OU Life","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png","datePublished":"2015-10-22T18:36:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/a7cfdcdf7350a531ce39b36d1317ca2f"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/money\/time-to-professionally-reboot-a-basic-business-class-for-encore-entrepreneurs-may-help\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-2.32.17-PM.png","width":433,"height":364},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/","name":"OU Life","description":"Everyday Jewish Living","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/a7cfdcdf7350a531ce39b36d1317ca2f","name":"Barry Mase","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Barry Mase"},"description":"Many people strive to \"think out of the box.\" Barry Mase doesn't even know what the box looks like. A master of alternative paradigm and grass roots marketing, Barry has successfully focused his keen sense for reaching the market\u2014any market\u2014in a variety of settings. In addition to a wide range of experience in the Jewish market, he has done ground-breaking work in the music industry, guided a small independent music label to \"Top 10\" Billboard sales, and marketed leadership seminars to Fortune 500 companies.","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/barry-mase\/"}]}},"acf":[],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49273,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49271\/revisions\/49273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}