Welcome to the quarterly MOBI newsletter! Each quarter we reach out to our alumni and readers to share important highlights from Santa Clara University's MOBI program. We hope you will enjoy these updates and continue your relationship with MOBI on your path toward entrepreneurship!

We continue to send our best wishes for your health and safety. We send thoughts of strength and courage as many are facing extreme challenges due to the pandemic and its economic consequences. We look forward to 2021 as a source of hope and new beginnings.

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Thank you from MOBI!

As a quick reminder, MOBI resets its program each calendar year. If you are currently taking a 2020 course, be sure to finish before February 1, 2021. Any work-in-progress will not be transferred to 2021 courses. **Partner courses are not reset.**

Don’t have time to finish your course before February 1? No problem! Just use your same account login to enroll in a 2021 course. Registration for 2021 courses will open in late December. You will have to start at the beginning if you switch courses, but that's just more entrepreneurial training!

If you finished your 2020 course earlier this year and have not yet downloaded your Certificate of Completion from your account, now is the time! When the courses are reset for 2021 you will no longer be able to access your previous courses. Click the button below for instructions to download your Certificate.

This quarter we would like to highlight our students throughout India. We congratulate all who have earned certificates in India so far this year, with special recognition to the fall 2020 cohort of students at MOBI Partner St. Aloysius (AIMIT) in Mangalore, who finished their course in early November. 

While deciding on a business is the most important step in entrepreneurship, financing is a close second! This fall we were honored to feature two guest blog posts from Frederick Welk, Director of Business Education and Communications for Connecticut-based Community Economic Development Fund (CEDF). CEDF is a nonprofit community development financial institution and a MOBI partner.

In the first blog Frederick discussed ways for evaluating sources of capital from different types of lenders amid a crowded, competitive, and often confusing lending market. Visit “Financing Your Business: Evaluating Sources of Capital” for the full story. Frederick also provided “12 Smart Tips for Getting a Small Business Loan” in his second blog post. Read this full story to learn how you can improve the strength of your application and increase your chances of securing a loan.

We are so proud of the accomplishments of our MOBI students around the world. Each quarter we will share the story of one MOBI entrepreneur. This quarter we feature Bacary Diatta and Kassumay LLC.

Kassumay gift box now available.

MOBI partners are an important part of the MOBI program!  By forming partnerships with diverse communities of students around the world, MOBI can inspire entrepreneurship in ways that best meet the specific opportunities of each group, and always for free. 

This quarter MOBI features its first Canadian partner The Hub. The Hub was created by the Township of Huron-Kinloss to support the entrepreneurial spirit of its largely agricultural community. The Hub is “A space in Huron-Kinloss to co-work and grow your business.” The mission at The Hub is to provide a space where entrepreneurs can nourish their ideas through networking, learning, and collaboration, to grow and sustain economic development in Huron-Kinloss and throughout the region. The Township of Huron-Kinloss is located in the Canadian province of Ontario. MOBI spoke with Lauren Eby, Business Development Coordinator for The Hub, to learn more about their programs and how MOBI fits in.

Why you chose MOBI? The Hub chose MOBI because they deliver the exact courses we hoped to provide. The Starting a Business, Business Expansion, and Quick Start Entrepreneur programs fit perfectly within the vision of The Hub, which is to provide resources and support for entrepreneurs to start or expand their business. These programs are an excellent resource, and they are free, self-paced and online, which makes them a very accessible option. MOBI has been accommodating from the beginning and listened to The Hub’s vision and assisted every step of the way. Since The Hub is its first Canadian partner, MOBI adapted its materials to provide for a Canadian audience.

How is MOBI making a difference for your students? MOBI is making a difference to regional entrepreneurs The Hub supports by providing excellent course material to help them start or expand their entrepreneurial journey. The topics covered and the accessible, self-paced delivery of information allows for a flexible option for entrepreneurs, or those who wish to become entrepreneurs, and resources to help them succeed.

Anything else? MOBI has been excellent to work with and a great partner and supporter of The Hub!

Do you know an organization or school that might be interested in partnering with MOBI? 

Here are a few events from the past few months.

MOBI highlights one theme every week on our social media platforms. We post blogs, videos, lists, and articles on a variety of topics relevant for aspiring entrepreneurs. Based upon reader activity, here are some top stories from the past quarter. We've also started highlighting MOBI Partners each week on our social platforms, so be sure to check out MOBI Partner Friday (#MPF) to learn how MOBI Partners are bringing entrepreneurial education to their audiences!

We wish you a healthy and joyful holiday season, a Happy New Year, and all the best in business success!

The MOBI Team