Enrico Caruso, owner of Falco, Caruso, and Leonard Funeral Home, was among the 27 graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses-Greater Philadelphia program in January.
For over 60 years, Falco, Caruso, and Leonard Funeral Home has provided a wide variety of funeral services to Pennsauken and its surrounding communities.
“The 10,000 Small Businesses program was a special opportunity and a wonderful experience,” says Caruso. “It really has changed the way I look at my business. The program has helped me map out my involvement in the business for the next several years and how to work with my daughter, Ashley, and the rest of my staff to continue the great tradition we have here.”
“I’ve always felt that our work here is a ministry, but this experience through peer learning has helped to marry our commitment to serving our community with building upon and growing a thriving business.”
The business owners have spent 14 weeks – roughly 100 class hours – at the Main Campus of Community College of Philadelphia, actively engaged in an entrepreneurial business curriculum designed by Babson College and delivered by the community college faculty. The curriculum covered all elements of running one’s business, from money and metrics to marketing and sales. The program also included one-on-one business advising, accounting workshops and advice from top law firms and Goldman Sachs professionals.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses launched in 2009 as an investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education, capital and business support services. The program targets businesses owners who have been in operation for at least four years, have four or more employees, and have gross revenue of $100,000 to $3 million. While this group consists of just four percent of businesses in the United States, this specific group employs 50 percent of the country’s workforce.
Applications for 10,000 Small Businesses are accepted on a rolling basis at Community College of Philadelphia. The program is open to business owners from across the Greater Philadelphia region. Applications may be downloaded at www.ccp.edu/10KSD.
For more information on Falco, Caruso, and Leonard Funeral Home, visit CarusoCare.
