Recognizing the importance of E commerce for small business owners especially in rural areas similar to Greater Trail Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) decided to expand on the approved training course create a pilot project and pursue other partners and sponsors. The plan is to devise a pilot project that would be transferable to other rural areas in the region to impress the importance of E commerce upon small business owners and educate them towards making smart choices when developing an Internet presence for their business. Together with the Greater Trail Community Skills Center as a partner a two day event was devised for early November 1999. CDCF of Greater Trail contacted several organizations and received additional sponsorship from Human Resources Development Canada and Kootenay Association of Science and Technology. Day one of the event was an informational seminar featuring knowledgeable speakers and local Internet service provider (ISP)displays. The keynote speaker was local entrepreneur Brian Fry. His talk outlined the threats of and opportunities associated with E commerce for small business owners. Bruce Hardy of KAST gave a brief presentation on the resources available for small businesses and individuals. Roy Hueckendorff of Kutenai Marketing Group presented implementation strategies for small businesses. During lunch small business owners were able to network amongst themselves as well as with the professionals present. ISP displays were available for small business owners to ask questions about special packages available through their local providers. Day two of the event consisted of a series of hands on computer workshops from a beginner to advanced level. By having a range of different levels available for the participants they were able to ensure that there were courses available for each participant whether they had just heard of E commerce or whether they were already maintaining a fully functional E commerce Site. Local instructors and speakers were used to keep the content of both days relevant and affordable.