Entrepreneurs will be able to receive free advice through an online course run by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology later this month.

The US Consulate has teamed up with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation to provide access to the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled ‘Entrepreneurship 101: Who is your customer?’

MOOCs are online courses that offer large-scale interactive participation at no cost to students.

Announcing the initiative this morning, Minister for Home Affairs Michael Fahy said: “Today’s partnership initiative is aimed at strengthening the business acumen of Bermuda’s entrepreneurs while exposing them to international expertise at no cost to them except fro their time.

“Oftentimes, great entrepreneurial ideas don’t have the success they potentially could because the right customer hasn’t been identified. MIT has been asking its student entrepreneurs to answer this very question for many years — and with great success.

“I encourage Bermuda’s entrepreneurs to join MIT’s student entrepreneurs in their entrepreneurial journey as they discover their business’s most essential resource — the customer.”

Mr Fahy was joined at this morning’s press conference by US Consul General Robert Settje, who said: “MOOCs, most of which are developed in the United States, are gaining popularity around the world and the US Consulate is pleased to be able to introduce the concept to Bermuda.”

Entrepreneurs wishing to take the free course should enrol online at https://www.edx.org/course/mitx/mitx-15-390x-entrepreneurship-101-who-1312 and then register with the BEDC at info@bedc.bm

Course discussions will run from 5.30pm to 7pm on consecutive Tuesday from March 18 for six weeks until April 22. The discussions will be held in the BEDC training room at Sofia House on Church Street.

For further information contact Erica Smith at esmith@bedc.bm, with MOOC in the subject line.