James, a Boy Scout and environmentalist who took his love of nature and animals to "go green" by making and marketing bird feeders made from recycled materials.
Washington Township High School
Patricia Phillips, Entrepreneurship Teacher, School-to-Career Coordinator
Washington Township High School
529 Hurffville Cross-Keys Rd
Sewell, NJ 08080
856-589-8500 Ext 7036
Email: Pphillips@WTPS.org
Focus: Full-year elective course for 60+ senior students
Abstract: The entrepreneurship program is now in its fifth year.
The course is an elective open to any senior who is interested in starting
their own business. Students are primarily suburban, middle-class—in close
proximity to Philadelphia and Atlantic City. It started with one class
of 20 students and has now tripled to over 60. Some aspects of the course
are: operation and management of the school store; a mandatory mentoring
activity with small business owners from the Washington Township Chamber
of Commerce; and membership in the DECA organization.
The most unique feature is the involvement from the Washington Township
Chamber of Commerce. The organization has started its own School-to-Career
Committee chaired by the vice president, Dave Maxwell. The businesspeople
volunteer 12 hours of their time to work with students who are interested
in their career. The entrepreneurship students also attend a chamber
luncheon/meeting. The mentors pay for their students' lunches. It allows
the students to see firsthand the networking and social aspects of
the chamber. The chamber members also act as guest speakers.
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque Public Schools - Resource Center
Jigsaw . . . Putting the Pieces Together
Sheryl Williams, Occupational Education/School-to-Careers Representative
Albuquerque Public Schools—Resource Center
220 Monroe SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108-2811
505-256-4229
Fax: 505-256-4416
Focus: Senior high school and all School-to-Careers participants
Abstract: In the Albuquerque public schools there are several
truly exemplary entrepreneurial
programs associated with the DECA Vocational Student Organizations.
Additionally, the
School-to-Careers Department has greatly advanced the causes of work-based
experiences in a
school setting, and academic subjects taught in the context of work.
What has been noted is that
these entrepreneurial programs and academic studies are not integrated.
In fact, the integration of
these subjects is rare throughout the country.
Therefore, in 1998–1999 it was established that an entrepreneurship
program in Albuquerque
public schools will serve as both pilot and model for this implementation.
The Applied Academic
classes, which teach the skills needed to succeed in work, postsecondary
school, and life; the
school-based Occupational Education teaching in the area of Entrepreneurship;
and the
Entrepreneurial DECA VSO activities, which offer on-the-job training
experiences, will be planned
for implementation in 1999–2000. The combination of these three
areas would result in an
innovative program rarely available in the nation.
Such a program would effectively demonstrate the achievement of School-to-Work
goals through
a truly comprehensive system of education. It would support many of
the state and national goals,
especially the New Mexico State Board of Education's adoption of the
defined Career Readiness
skills. This integrated entrepreneurship program will meet established
competencies, discuss
delivery systems, share these within the district, and establish new
agreements with post-secondary
schools from around the state.
This program demonstrates the concepts and benefits of integrated
academic and
occupational education; what an integrated entrepreneurship program
might look like; and what
some of the problems/roadblocks that the initiative has encountered
are. It also demonstrates the
vision that this initiative will build on leadership skills of VSO participants
and re-defines academic
strategies, and achieves both without "re-inventing the wheel."
Animas High School
Jacque F Davenport, Social Studies Teacher
Animas High School
P O Box 85
Animas, NM 88020
505-548-2296
Fax: 505-548-2649
Email: Jacque@mailman.animas.k12.nm.us
Web site: www.mailman.animas.k12.nm.us
Focus: Integration of entrepreneurship in a high school social studies course
Abstract: Students in history, law, government and economics create a business plan for a business they dream up, checking out financing, location, etc. Some have even created business cards, brochures, and menus depending on the type of business they want to start. Area business people, sole proprietors and partnerships, come in to toak to studentas. Students do personal budgets as well as budget simulations for families.
Students like the hands on approach, limited only by their own creativity. It encourages them to take risks and to eventually weigh the advantages and disadvantages of owning your own business in the pursuit of the American Dream.
Bernalillo High School
Budding Entrepreneurs
Spankie Lou Bassett, Culinary Arts Teacher
Bernalillo High School
250 Isidro Sanchez Road
Bernalillo, NM 87004
505-867-2388, Ext. 306
Fax: 505-867-7826
Email: wsbassett@msn.com
Focus: Senior high school, with a concurrent enrollment to a
community college
Abstract: The Campus Café is a part of the Bernalillo
High School Career Academy. The
program began in 1994 with ten students enrolled in an advanced food
service course. The
program currently serves 110 students or more per year. The students
at Bernalillo have designed
a café that operates for breakfast and lunch and serves students
and faculty. Their primary source
of income is from the catering portion of their program. They cater
to the school and community
for a variety of events. Catered events have ranged from lunch for 20
adults to the district
back-to-school event for 500 people.
The business began as a "typical" Home Economics Foods classroom.
As the Bernalillo
School-to-Work program began to change the way it does business, so
did this program. Spankie
Lou Bassett and the students designed the business after completing
market research and working
with the school community. The philosophy statement: the Campus Café
is open to provide a
variety of foods to students and staff at Bernalillo High School. The
café will also provide the
following learning experiences for student personnel:
- Work experience in the food-service area
- Team-building skills
- Cooperation and responsibility
- Respect
- Money management
- Customer service
- Fun!
When the students and Mrs. Bassett were given the opportunity to update
their "avocado green"
kitchens to a new Culinary Arts program, they traveled the state looking
at vocational schools and
restaurants. Their new facility is a change in the way high school career
and technical courses are
taught. They have a lab, café, computer lab, and professional
cooking equipment to help their
business succeed and give them the professional skills needed to compete
in the culinary world.
The curriculum has expanded to include Food Service I, Food Service
II, Catering, and
Professional Baking. In the spring of 1999, the students also opened
the Campus Bakery, offering
fresh-baked goods once a week to the community.
Center for Entrepreneurship, Albuquerque
Mary Henry, President/CEO
Center for Entrepreneurship and the
New Mexico Council for Economic Education
1009 Bradbury Dr. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106-4302
505-272-7677
Fax: 505-843-8223
Focus: Community-based entrepreneurship education
Geographic Area: New Mexico area
Age Level: Adults and university students
Key Partners: Coleman Foundation
Abstract: The Center for Entrepreneurship is a new nonprofit
organization in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. The program had its genesis in the School of Management at the
University of New
Mexico as an entrepreneurial-studies concentration; then in 1992, it expanded
its activities to include
community-based entrepreneurship education.
The center is now an independent organization and maintains a relationship
with university students
enrolled in the entrepreneurial studies program. It focuses educational
activities on students and
young entrepreneurs, teachers (both primary and secondary), and practitioners
or potential
entrepreneurs. Due to its location in a multicultural region, the center
serves a diverse population,
including Native American, Latino, and Anglo youths.
Grants High School
Pirate's Treasure
Mary Fugate, Teacher
Grants High School
Pirate's Treasure 2000: A Multimedia CD-ROM Yearbook
P.O. Box 8, 500 Mountain Road
Grants, NM 87020
505-285-2651
Fax: 505-287-3126
Focus: High school students
Abstract: Students served are Hispanic, Anglo, Native American,
economically and academically
handicapped, and/or those who really want to own their own businesses.
Implementation of a
school-based business in the entrepreneurship class provides practical
"real-world" experience for
students. The class will produce a CD-ROM Multimedia Yearbook for sale
to other students and
interested community members during the 1999–2000 school year.
Other classes (Computer Graphics, Computer Accounting, and Leadership) are aiding with
the project. An expansion of the
project to include community events, weddings, or other activities and the duplicatation and sale of the CDs is also being considered.
From researching companies on the internet, students have already begun
to learn the value of the
commercial information available for their business plans. Surveys prepared,
distributed, and
retrieved by the students are providing data for analysis in advertising,
pricing, and timeline
decision making.
Students are divided into departments, with a management team leading
each 9-week period.
Students are the production team as well as the sales force and the
accounting department. They
must take pictures and videos to integrate them into an organized multimedia
publication. They
write the copy for each page and choose the layouts. All forms, from
receipts to surveys, must be
designed by the student. Each student keeps his/her own separate business
plan along with the
class business plan.
The risk of business ownership, management of employee (other students),
and communication
skills are all presented to students through the CD Yearbook. Also,
legal and ethical
considerations must be set. The excitement has grown steadily since
the first day of school.
Problems have arisen and been faced with solutions generated by the
students.
The regular yearbook staff has been concerned about the effect the
CD Yearbook will have on
their sales. According to our surveys, most students will opt to purchase
both or just the regular
yearbook. A sense of sympathetic cooperation is developing toward the
regular yearbook staff.
CD-ROM yearbook staff are accepting a "soft-sell" approach
in order to not alienate any
potential customers.
Hoftacket Mid High, Deming Public Schools
Business Education
Dee Dee Baker, Business Teacher
Hoftacket Mid High
Deming Public Schools
1400 S Iron
Deming NM 88030
505-546-4863,
Fax 505-544-7217
Email: deedee.baker@dps.k12.nm.us
Focus: School Store for business education
Abstract: The business skills class has a school supply store that the students operate selling pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, locker items, T-shirts plus many more items. We began by receiving a grant of $1,000. Students get hands-on experience in operating a business.
This was the first school store within our district and now the most successful. Last year we were able to fund our field trips and donate an electronic sign to our school with our profits.
Las Cruces Public Schools
Candice McDonald
Career Education Coordinator,
Las Cruces Public Schools,
505 S. Main, Suite 249,
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001
505-527-6050
Email: cmcdonal@lcps.k12.nm.us
Web site: http://www.lcps.k12.nm.us
Focus: EYE program is to introduce youth to the concept of entrepreneurship in order to help them start their own businesses.
Geographic Area: New Mexico
Age Level: K-12
Abstract: The EYE program is the first steps we have taken in helping build a K - 12 entrepreneurship programs. High school students are trained to think like entrepreneurs; they write their own business plans and apply for small business loans from our 501c3 - Employers to Educators. Upon acceptance of the loan, students start up their small businesses. Students are matched with mentors from the business community and also meet with the after-school class to discuss and reflect on their experiences in the world of small business.
Upon completion of the loan cycle, students may either repay their loan with interest or repay the loan by helping teach middle-schoolers about entrepreneurship. The middle-schoolers will then replicate the program and also have the opportunity to repay their loans by working with elementary students to teach them about entrepreneurship. Participants are self-selected students who express an interest in owning their own businesses.
Las Cruces High School
Lisa J Campbell, Teacher
Family & Consumer Science
Las Cruces High School
1755 El Paseo Rd.
Las Cruces NM 88005
505-527-9400
Fax 505-527-9767
Email: licamp2@cs.com
Focus: Family and Consumer Sciences offered to 60 students in grades 9 - 12.
Abstract: In a course called Exploring Careers, we teach students each semester about the workplace. They are required to start a business. They make products using simple items. The products must work and they must be able to determine costs. Students build the product or create a prototype. Students are then taught the process of developing a business plan, a budget, and a work-related manual.
Students are then required to present their product through a commercial using PowerPoint, videotape, and/or performing it. Students are required to post a job opening, interview others for the job opening, hold meetings, keep notes, create a logo, mission statement and demonstrate work ethics. Students must make a final presentation to the teacher and volunteers about what the experience has taught them.
Some of the unique features of the program are that it can all be done in class and students use their own creativity to come up with products. Students with disabilities can be included. The students have taken what they have done in class and started a small business. Students have also expressed through evaluation how they learned about teamwork, dealing with conflict and how hard it is to run a business. Students have also expressed the difficulty in finding good workers. Students also were able to see the interrelationship the core subjects have in the workplace, through activities on product development, marketing strategies, and cost analysis.
Las Cruces High School.
Ambrose's Cruces Cocina
Mary Ann Constantini
Kevin Marks
P.O. Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
505-527-9400
Focus: High school
Abstract: Come visit a student-operated business that trains
students in community-based
hospitality and tourism work situations. The Las Cruces program will
share curriculum/lesson plans
developed with a local gourmet restaurant and their hands-on accounting
training program
designed to help students learn all aspects of the industry.
Mary Ann Constantini is in charge of School-to-Work and accounting
programs at Las Cruces
High School.
Kevin Marks is an English teacher at Las Cruces High School and brings
practical restaurant
management experience and education to this integrated program.
LaJacarita Enterprise Community
Barbara Bustos, Co-Director, Youth Development
LaJacarita Enterprise Community
P O Box 777
Mora NM 87732
505-387-2293
Email: bbustos@nnmt.net
Focus: Minority students from economically disadvantaged high poverty areas
Abstract: Statistically, youth from the state of New Mexico are consistently ranked higher in relationship to children living in poverty, and other negative deficits. This then is obviously magnified in the tri-county area which we serve, which , because of these "deficits" has been federally designated as an enterprise community.
La Jicarita Enterprise Community, as a whole, is "set up" for socio-economic development and has 26 current, active "initiatives" of which youth development, encompasses three. One of the core areas in youth development is our entrepreneur program. We, as an organization, recognize that a formalized four year education is not for everyone, and that many of our students, upon high school graduation, will continue to reside in their respective communities. Geographically, two of three sites, are isolated in nature, with sole access by mountain pass.
For centuries, our community members have financially sustained themselves and their family members by being entrepreneurs. Conversely, then many of our youth will also continue to be entrepreneurs. During the summer we provide for those students from the enterprise community, an intensive week long, entrepreneur, leadership training camp. As an inkind contribution, each school district, in which we reside, provides a classroom for our staff, so that students have access to the LJEC counselor and vice-versa. During the regular school year, we provide via our entrepreneur counselors, ongoing support, training, and technical assistance for our young entrepreneurs. We use a medium of materials and curriculums, for example, BizWorld and KidsWay.
We have received national, state, and regional recognition for our work with student entrepreneurs. Our students have also received national, state, and regional recognition for their business endeavors. We are a community based organization, and we, as staff and management, have been able to see the fruits of our labor, in that our approach is intertwined in a full continuum with school, community, and business.
Magdalena High School
Magdalena Greenhouse Effect
Dana Barnett
Magdalena High School
P.O. Box 24
Magdalena, NM 87825
505-854-2241
Focus: Middle school/high schools
Abstract: One of New Mexico's newest, most exciting entrepreneurial
programs with teachers
who team up to present local cultural cuisine and hands-on training
to students studying in integrated programs that concurrently offer college credits.
You'll learn about the
successes of a small rural combined middle/high school.
Magdalena's greenhouse project is a true "community" effort
in which students participate in
growing plants/food; preserving and cooking their bounty; and keeping
accurate records and
implementing computerized accounting procedures to maintain a profit-making
business. The
Magdalena project especially addresses the unique training challenges
that small, rural school
programs face.
Mayfield High School
Professional Baking and Entrepreneurship
Deborah P. Mall, Teacher,
Professional Baking and Entrepreneurship
Mayfield High School
1955 N. Valley Dr.
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005
505-527-9415
Fax: 505- 527-9420
E-mail: dmall@lcps.k12.nm.us
Web Page: http://lcps.k12.nm.us
Focus: Professional Baking and Entrepreneurship
Types of Students Served: Mayfield High school is a comprehensive high school, 9th through 12th grade, offering academic and technical preparation for all students. Student enrollment on the 40th day of this year was 2,490, 59.2% Hispanic, 38.4% Anglo, 1.6% African American, 0.5% Asian, and 0.3% Native American. More than 85% of all grade levels passed to the next level, 31.2% of the students receive free/reduced meals, and approximately 20% receive special education services.
Abstract: The Program is for students in their Sophomore through senior years in high school, enrolled in Family and Consumer Science. Entitled "Professional Baking and Entrepreneurship", students must have a prerequisite course called Food Service. The class includes instructional hours of approximately 2.5 hrs. per week with 5 laboratory hours a week.
Course Objectives are:
- Students will utilize and manage resources effectively to produce quality services and products;
- Students will develop a working understanding of entrepreneurship principles;
- Students will develop effective leadership, interpersonal, and team skills.
- Students will demonstrate the technological knowledge and skills required for future careers.
Students will explore the business of professional baking and entrepreneurship. The class will focus on lab experiences in which industry-based baking principles and techniques are practiced and commercial
equipment is used. Production principles are learned through the Savory Fare, a student-managed catering and packaged goods business that performs community service and is part of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club.
Through a grant from the Dona Ana Workforce Action Council, The Savory Fare purchased an electronic cash register, professional baking equipment, and a convection oven. Through a Tech Prep grant, we have ordered more equipment including software and a triple sink. This class is part of the Pro-Start curriculum produced by the Hospitality Alliance and the National Restaurant Educational Foundation. Certification and articulation are also a part of the program's benefits to students. Paid internships with local employers and scholarships are also available.
The Trojan Starting Line, a coffee and baked goods business is run by the students and contributes to the community with both money and baked goods. Other businesses run by the students include popcorn, a spice company, gift baskets, vegetable and fruit trays, and biscochos (a local wedding cookie).
New Mexico State University,
Summer Pre-Business Introduction for
Navajo Students (SPINS)
Dr. Stu Devlin
New Mexico State University
P.O. Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
505-646-3243
Focus: Summer camp for Navajo youth
Abstract: SPINS was a summer camp program for Navajo youth that
ran continuously from
1987 to 1993, alternating between three universities in Arizona and
New Mexico as host sites.
The camp consisted of workshops in introductory accounting, management,
finance, marketing,
and business plan development, and visits to Native American–owned and
operated businesses
in the region.
SPINS was founded by the Navajo Nation and nearby business schools
in an effort to provide
entrepreneurial training to talented Navajo youth the summer before
they entered college. The
program was initiated by the Navajo Nation when they realized that students
who earned
professional degrees were rarely able to return to the reservation because
there were few
employment opportunities in their specialized fields. The objective
of the program was to
encourage students to bring their expertise back to their community
and to start new businesses to
benefit Navajo communities.
Reaching High
Linda Placencio,
Marie Thompson,
Clo Rael, teachers, partners
Reaching High
80 Springcreek Rd.
Silver City, New Mexico 88061
505-538-9768
Email: mrsp@gilanet.com
Email: thompsonmsjl@gilanet.com
Email: clorael@yahoo.com
Focus: Program for elementary students
Geographic Area: New Mexico
Age Level: Elementary students
Key Partners: Local school systems
Abstract: Reaching High is a company built with a hands-on approach that meets state standards across the curriculum. It incorporates entrepreneurship with your existing studies as it builds self esteem and inspires creativity and ambition. The program involves the students in decision making as they experience the facets of owning and managing a small business. The students learn responsibility as they develop good communication skills, make sound business decisions, and become involved in a team approach to the world of work.
The students learn the meaning of the vocabulary used in business in a concrete, hands-on experience. They obtain seed money, take a product and market it, and become risk takers as they strive for a profit. This program is focused on turning fundraisers into entrepreneurship endeavors, teaching money in the classroom using real business practices, and directing a school store involving students from interviewing to hiring to receiving a real pay check. Reaching High involves elementary students in the rewards of hard work. The basic components can very easily be modified and applied to any level of instruction.
The owners have directed a school-based business with their students known as Budding Entrepreneurs. This business incorporated manufacturing, wholesale, and retail sales. They invested in the stock market to initiate an interest in how you can earn money in the stock market. They owned and operated a school store, hiring workers from the school community and became involved in being an entrepreneur.
Linda, Marie, and Clo each taught for 33 years, and recently retired. During their tenure, they won a 1st place award in 1973 from the New Mexico Research and Study Council for Budding Entrepreneurs. They have taken their students to share their expertise with their local school board, School to Work in Silver City and Santa Fe, and various audiences in Albuquerque. They conducted a weeklong entrepreneurship camp. Their students have participated in the first New Mexico Annual Entrepreneurship Fair and have competed in the Annual New Mexico Mousetrap Awards, winning a 1st place award. One of their students will be featured in a upcoming issue of "Highlights".
In 2001, they founded Reaching High to train educators and students in entrepreneurship education. They provide training in workshops and presentations to schools seeking a model.
Valley High School—Albuquerque Public Schools
Entrepreneurship for Special Populations
Stacy Scott
Albuquerque Public Schools
Valley High School
1505 Candelana Rd., NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107
505-345-9021, Ext. 252
Focus: Art-based vocational training program that encourages
choice making and self-determination.
Geographic Area: Albuquerque Public Schools, the 27th-largest
school district in America, serving a student population of over 50,000.
Age Level: High school students age 14 to 22 years with cognitive
functioning in the 18-months-to-4-year-old range. Students are classified as multiply impaired
with an IQ range of under 40. In addition to having intellectual disabilities, the students
also have combinations of other disabilities, including microcephaly, seizure disorders, autism, cerebral palsy, and orthopedic and neurological impairments.
Key Partners: The program is funded by the public school system
and IDEA funds. Private,
for-profit businesses and service clubs are key partners that support
the program through
donations of gifts in-kind, equipment, money, and venues for displaying
and selling the products.
The local Civitan clubs lend great support and often organize donation
procedures. The Weems
Gallery and Framing Company donates booth space at its gallery and also
at its annual ArtFest, a
nationally juried art show.
Abstract: The premise of the program is that everyone can be
productive when given the
opportunity and support. It is vitally important that individuals be
allowed to self-determine and
choose their vocation. Art-based activities lead to self-determination
by providing opportunities for
participants to (1) express creativity, (2) communicate, (3) choose
activities and degree of
participation, and (4) succeed at their given task. Many individuals
with multiple impairments often
do not have opportunities for expression and communication. These persons
may stop trying to
communicate because non-disabled staff, peers, and caregivers lack time
or desire to listen or
interact. An art-based program is rich in avenues for exploring creativity,
self-discovery, and
communication.
The students in this program are non-traditional in the scope of a
vocational education program
because of their level of cognitive functioning and their need for support.
With environmental
modifications and other such support, these students can be highly successful
after graduation by
being placed in a sheltered setting or an enclave situation (a group
of two or more workers
performing a particular job).
Even the most severely impaired students can achieve success in this
program. A student who has
been blind from birth can successfully complete a project. First, she
chooses which art activity she
wants to do by using a tactile symbol board; i.e., the symbol for collage
is a piece of burlap and
fibers. Then she can make a color choice using tactile symbols; i.e.,
a lid to a jar represents
blue-it is a smooth, cool color. Fibers, beads, paper scraps, and other
pieces are already
color-sorted into boxes, so that each project will have a "flow."
The student then selects pieces
from the box. The work surface is raised about three inches off the
work table, and the base of the
collage is placed on this work surface. The student applies glue to
the entire base of the collage,
and then, with the assistance of a sighted staff person, places the
items on the collage base. When
the piece is finished, it is matted and framed.
Group projects stimulate communication and interaction. Students participate
in making homemade
recycled paper that a local nonprofit group uses for stationery. The
project is broken into several
tasks: shredding paper, measuring shredded paper and water, turning
on the blender, sifting pulp,
and so on until the project is completed. The group process allows each
student to be successful at
whatever task has been chosen. Team building, learning to take turns,
cooperation, and
communication are skills learned in the context of the art project.
Resulting Product: Matted and framed paintings, collages, pottery,
jewelry, candles, and
stationery are ready for sale through art shows, galleries, and a student-run
craft bazaar on
campus. Students in the program gain career-readiness skills for post-high
school job placements
by learning task analysis, choice making, team building, job completion,
attention to task, and pride
in achievements.
NEW YORK
Biz Kid$ - A Program of the Rochester, NY Department of Recreation and Youth Services
Melanie Killian - Program Director
Biz Kid$
400 Dewey Avenue.
Rochester, NY 14613
(585) 428-7371
Email: killianm@cityofrochester.gov
Web Page: www.ci.rochester.ny.us/index.cfm?id=308
Abstract: Biz Kid$ works to develop life skills and entrepreneurial characteristics in youth in the City of Rochester, NY to make positive community connections and improve their economic well being. The Biz Kid$ program focuses on helping City of Rochester, NY youth ages 10 to 18 develop, start, and operate their very own real businesses. Each year, the program offers four different weeklong business camps that teach students basic business principals using a customized, activity-based curriculum. Graduates of these camps then become eligible to participate in subsequent levels of Biz Kid$ known as "Biz Kid$ and Beyond" and "Biz Kid$ Buddies".
Biz Kid$ Buddies - Growing Young Entrepreneurs Through Mentoring Relationships is a program that was piloted in February 2008, which aims to develop young entrepreneurs by connecting them with local business professionals who will offer their wisdom, insight, and knowledge. Students meet with their "Buddies" once a month for a six-month period learn how to further their business goals. Discover how the Biz Kid$ Buddies Program coordinates its efforts to connect students with business mentors.
Broome Community College
Excellence Center for Entrepreneurial
Leadership (ExCEL)
Sandra W. Balzhiser, ExCEL Grant Program Director
Broome Community College
907 Upper Front Street
Binghamton, New York 13901
607-778-5341
Fax: 607-778-5535
Email: balzhiser_s@sunybroome.edu
Web site: www.sunybroome.edu/~commed/excel/
Focus: Small business start-up entrepreneurs and existing business
owners.
Geographic Area: Southern Tier of New York State
Products and Services: Classroom training, business consultations,
resource library, publications
Age Level: Adults and teenagers
Key Partners: Broome Community College, Department of Labor,
Minority Women Business Enterprise, Small Business Development Center,
the Broome Chamber.
Abstract: The Excellence Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
(ExCEL) was established in 1993 through collaborative efforts of Broome
Community College Center for Community Education and an initiative with
Senator Thomas W. Libous. The goals of ExCEL are to provide resources,
referral, and education to facilitate the establishment, growth, and
success of small business in the Southern Tier. ExCEL assists both start-up
and established small businesses in being competitive: it develops and
provides relevant training, education, and networking opportunities and
is a clearinghouse for resources and services offered by other agencies.
Major Features of the ExCEL Program:
- Provides business training courses
- Publishes quarterly newsletter and small resource guide
- Maintains a resource library
- Offers business consultations and Web site consultations
- Develops standardized business-related curriculum in customer service,
sales/sales management, business start-up, and operating a business
- Facilitates monthly Entrepreneurial Society networking meeting
- Operates a summer entrepreneurial training program for teenagers.
ExCEL has been recognized for excellence in programming at the regional,
state, national, and international levels.
Canisius College Urban Entrepreneurship
Training Program:
Linking Entrepreneurship
to Community Economic Development
Craig Rogers, Assistant Director and Adjunct Faculty (Economics)
The Center for Entrepreneurship
Canisius College
2001 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14208
716-888-2615
Fax: 716-888-2895
Email: crogers@acsu.buffalo.edu
Focus: The primary audience for the entrepreneurial training
program administered by the Urban Community Service Program is inner
city businesses located in Buffalo, New York, that have been in operation
a minimum of one (1) year and have a minimum of two (2) paid employees.
Abstract: The Urban Entrepreneurial Training Program is a component
of the Canisius College's Urban Community Service Program (UCSP) funded
by the United States Department of Education. UCSP is an applied research
initiative that involves conducting an empirical study of economic and
entrepreneurial activity of small urban businesses in the Ellicott,
Masten, and University districts of the city of Buffalo, New York. UCSP
is a three-year initiative with overarching goals: (1) develop a comprehensive
database of business and economic activity in the target area, (2) provide
entrepreneurial training to select urban businesses/entrepreneurs, and
(3) provide a framework for policy makers and economic development organizations
to strengthen their assistance and support of small urban businesses
and urban entrepreneurs.
The Urban Entrepreneurial Training Program (UETP), a 12-week program,
is designed to work with a select group of small businesses, providing
them with in-depth information to increase their productivity. The program
is developed around four key components: (1) program modules, (2) business
roundtables, (3) access to professional business consultants and (4)
a mentor initiative.
The aim of the training program is to increase
the productivity, profitability, and employment potential of small urban
businesses participating in UETP by providing entrepreneurs with tools
and techniques to help them (1) identify, locate, and evaluate business
information; (2) develop creative problem-solving skills; (3) develop
methods to deal with fear and ambiguity in a business environment; (4)
develop communication and interpersonal skills; and (5) assess their
skill level and ability to pursue entrepreneurial initiatives.
Center for Regional Excellence
Ceramics Corridor Cluster Project
Donald R. Rychnowski, Executive Director
Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board
4039 Route 219, Suite 200
Salamanca, NY 14779
716-945-5301
Fax: 716-945-5550
Email: rychnow@netsync.net
Web site: www.southerntierwest.org
Abstract: The overall project objective is to further develop
and galvanize the Southern Tier West region’s Ceramics Corridor so that
it has an atmosphere that nurtures entrepreneurship, innovation, and
the attraction/retention/expansion of ceramics, glass, and advanced
materials cluster firms, analogous to the Silicon Valley and the Golden
Triangle. The Ceramics Corridor is built on the presence in the Southern
Tier of the State University of New York College of Ceramics at Alfred
University, Corning Inc., Alfred Technology Resources, Inc. (ATRI),
and a cluster of firms operating in the geographic region.
This ARC entrepreneurship project has the following components:
- Development of an industry-driven, participatory industry trade
association for the Southern Tier West region
Through support to existing and new cluster businesses, the trade
association will promote the development of the cluster, and the development
of entrepreneurial opportunities therein. The trade association will
function to provide networking, support, and communication between
member firms.
- Assistance to specific components of the ATRI marketing initiative
The ATRI marketing initiative will improve the success of the Ceramics
Corridor Innovation Center (cluster-specific small business incubator)
program, ultimately leading to additional entrepreneurship in the
Southern Tier West region in the ceramics cluster. Project assistance
includes support for Web page design ( http://www.infoblvd.net/corridor/),
marketing video production, editorial content for print advertising,
and brochure development.
- Start-up of a Venture Development Corporation
The objectives of this component are the development of an umbrella
nonprofit Venture Development Corporation that owns and operates a
number of subsidiary venture corporations. The Venture Development
Corporation obtains advanced technologies through licenses, commercializes
these technologies through the development of actual subsidiary venture
companies, and then spins these venture companies off to the private
sector. The ownership structure of the young venture corporations varies
with each technology and the individual "deal." For example, the individual
young venture corporations can be wholly owned by the umbrella Venture
Development Corporation, joint ventures between the Venture Development
Corporation and firms in the ceramics industry, joint ventures between
the Venture Development Corporation and venture capitalists or venture
capital funds, joint ventures between the Venture Development Corporation
and individual entrepreneurs, etc. Thus, the program can be seen as
offering additional opportunities for entrepreneurs to become involved
in this cluster.
- Assistance to the Alfred University internship program
This component is an internship program at the College of Ceramics
and the College of Business at Alfred University targeting the Southern
Tier West region ceramics cluster firms. The project is intended to
lead to local employment opportunities for participating interns,
but perhaps more importantly, to show interns that there are in fact
entrepreneurial opportunities in the cluster in the Southern Tier
West region.
- Assistance to cluster businesses with respect to productivity
enhancement
This component subsidizes the participating cluster firm’s share
of accessing productivity consultants for the purpose of enhancing
productivity. Higher productivity means competitiveness, and as such
this component is an economic development program. Consulting services
are provided through the Western New York Technology Development Corporation.
This component also will reinforce the region’s cluster entrepreneurs
by providing access to skill sets that they otherwise might not have
in-house.
Note: The Southern Tier West region is part of the rural Appalachian
Region, located in the southwestern corner of New York State. Thus,
the project can be seen as a project to promote high-technology entrepreneurship
in a rural environment. The project involves partnerships between the
public-sector economic development community, the private-sector business
community, and the university community.
Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Linda Dwyer
Business Teacher/FBLA Co-Advisor
Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Route 31
Cicero, NY 13039
Phone / Fax: (315) 699-2611
E-mail: ldwyer@nscsd.k12.ny.us
Focus: Business Ownership/Entrepreneurship
Geographic Area: New York
Age Level: 10th-12th grade.
Abstract: Over the past six years, this program has been continually
developing curriculum for a Business Ownership course. This program has
received several mini-grants to enhance the curriculum and start a student-run-business.
Students operate "The Star Shop" by conducting market research, purchasing
inventory, creating advertising/marketing campaigns, maintaining financial
records, including a checking account, and preparing financial statements.
(All Star Shop profits are awarded to students in the form of college textbook
scholarships.) Students are also required to conduct research on starting
a new business and write a business plan.
This program has cultivated relationships with several local entrepreneurs
and business leaders. This program has integrated an in-house guest lecture
series, featuring local entrepreneurs and business leaders, into the course.
This year's lectures featured an owner of McDonalds and Ben and Jerry franchises,
the Vice President of the Syracuse Metropolitan Development Association,
and a Small Business Development Center counselor.
Through this department, students are offered membership in FBLA and
DECA clubs. As co-advisor of FBLA, this program worked with students to
prepare for the 2002 district, state, and national competition in Entrepreneurship.
The students took first place in the New York State Entrepreneurship event
in Rochester in April.
Corning Community College
Small Business Development Center
Bonnie Gestwicki, SBDC Director
Corning Community College
24 Denison Parkway West
Corning, NY 14830
607-962-9461
Fax: 607-936-6642
Email: gestwicki@corning-cc.edu
Focus: Emerging and existing businesses
Geographic Area: Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties
Products and Services: Small-business management and entrepreneurial
training
Age Level: Adults
Key Partners: Local economic development agencies and U.S. Small
Business Administration, New York State, and the State University of
New York and Corning Community College
Abstract: Corning Community College’s Small Business Development
Center (SBDC) provides confidential one-on-one management counseling
at no charge to start-up and existing businesses. The SBDC is a partnership
with the U.S. Small Business Administration, New York State, and the
State University of New York and Corning Community College. Services
include start-up information, business plan development, cash-flow projections,
sources of capital, record keeping, financial analysis, government procurement,
minority/women-owned business certification assistance, marketing, and
NYS Department of Transportation bid information.
The SBDC is an SBA Intermediary for the Pre-Qualification Loan Program
and also uses a research network with information on industry trends,
statistics, demographics, trade associations, and business planning
guides for specific ventures. As a convenience to clients, outreach
services are available in Bath, Elmira, Hornell, and Montour Falls.
Entrepreneurial training is offered throughout the year, with
topics such as how to start a business, developing a business plan,
marketing, tax requirements, cash flow, hiring and firing, marketing
on the Internet, and small business innovation research.
The SBDC's Small Business Management Certificate Program offers
15 hours of instruction. This consists of four core courses and one
elective. Each three-hour core course and elective is a stand-alone
workshop that can also be taken for its own merit. Core courses are:
How to Start a Business, Organizing Your Business Plan, Marketing, and
Making Sense of Tax Requirements. Other courses available as electives
include Introduction to Computer Skills or Windows, Word Processing
(MS Word), Spreadsheets (MS Excel), Recordkeeping (Quicken/Quickbooks
Online course), Sales 101, and Strategic Planning.
The Women Business Owners' Roundtable was created in 1988 to
provide training, resources, and a networking opportunity for women.
The roundtable meets on the second Wednesday of the month (September
through June) and specific business management topics such as marketing,
planning, sales techniques, public relations, and pricing are presented.
Participants promote business within the group, share expertise, and
receive training to strengthen management skills. There is no charge
to participate in the sessions. The goal of the roundtable is to provide
training and direction so that women business owners can realize their
full economic potential, achieve success, and minimize the risk of failure.
This is done in a spirit of sharing to address the issue of isolation
in solving problems of both day-to-day operations and long-term planning.
Empower Youth Entrepreneurs
Kathy Gielow, Founder and Director,
Empower Youth Entrepreneurs
300 Hamilton Blvd.
Kenmore, New York 14217
(716) 574-0293
Email: klg7851@aol.com
Abstract: Empower Youth Entrepreneurs provides youth with a 150 hour summer program that is exciting, experiential and applied in nature and involves local partners to enhance the business literacy opportunity. Program materials include a Business Idol competition simulation, business scavenger hunt, simulations, new marketing projects and business plan competition materials and other new project samples. Experiences are utilized with youth to develop teambuilding and leadership skills as they travel the path to business ownership while experiencing a wild, wonderful time! Kathy Gielow has been a teacher for 34 years with the Buffalo Public Schools and has a passion for entrepreneurship education. She also coordinates a youth entrepreneurship program for the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Development Consortium.
EntreSkills - New York State Small Business Development Center
Office of Entrepreneurial Education
New York State Small Business Development Center
Rebecca Coyle
22 Corporate Woods Blvd., 3rd Floor
Albany, NY 12246
Phone: 518-443-5398
Email: contact@entreskills.org
Website: www.entreskills.org
Focus: Educating young adults to become successful entrepreneurs.
Geographic Area: New York State
Age level: High School grades 9-12
Key Partners:
- SBA - Small Business Administration
- NYS - New York State
- SUNY - The State University of New York
- CUNY - The City University of New York
- The Research Foundation of State University of New York
Abstract: EntreSkills is an interactive, web-based program that is available to NYS high schools, BOCES and home-school educators at no cost. It provides students with an introduction to entrepreneurship and the skills needed to start and operate a business. EntreSkills is a flexible educational program that empowers educators to customize their teaching methods. It may be used as a stand-alone course or educators may select specific chapters to supplement and create lesson plans.
EntreSkills Development - the New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) used extensive practical knowledge and skills developed over the past 20 years to create a valuable business education program to serve the New York State School System. The oe2 team worked with development professionals in the field of education to produce the exercises, case studies, vocabulary tests, quizzes and crosswalks that comprise EntreSkills.
The Goldman Sachs Institute for Entrepreneurship
A Better Chance
Jayson Jarul Green, Project Coordinator
825 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
212-456-1819
Fax: 212-456-1929
Email: jgreen@abetterchance.org
Web site: abetterchance.org
Abstract: The Goldman Sachs Institute for Entrepreneurship works
with A Better Chance students who are the top ten percentile of minority
students in the country.
The program is the result of the instructor's experience with the National
Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The program is a four-tier
approach:
- Tier 1: an exploration into business, economics, and finance
via a 1–2 week workshop
- Tier 2: students log onto our entrepreneurship Web site to further
their knowledge in the world of business
- Tier 3: students choose from the following:stay within the Career Services Program and be just an active
member; further career goals by putting together a career plan; work to create a business plan for their individual business
concept
- Tier 4: After completing their business plans and
presenting them in front of a venture capital board, they choose
to continue in one of the following:furthering individual business idea while working with
an entrepreneurial consultant; working on a group business idea with fellow participants; completing a career plan to further career goals.
The four-tier approach is a unique program design. It has the benefits
of linking students with entrepreneurs, business school professionals,
and project staff on an individual basis to assist with their business
and career plans. They have access to an entrepreneurial Web site for
further instruction. Goldman Sachs is proud of their first Institute
for Entrepreneurship as a nationally recognized program.
Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship
Executive Director
Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship
Columbia University
702 Uris Hall
3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027-6945
212-369-3900
Fax: 212-369-5361
Web Site: http://www.harlemlive.org/community/orgs/iye
Focus: After-school program for youths
Abstract: The Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship runs an after-school
and summer program that
teaches life skills through the operation of New York Colors, a greeting
card and specialty-logo
business. The students participate in classes on entrepreneurship and
work in one of four
departments of the business: design, production, marketing and sales,
or finance.
The young people, age 12 to 18, take on progressively more responsibility.
They are paid for their
work but also receive shares in a scholarship fund for further education
and training, which is
awarded to them after completion of high school. The students work in
teams and combine
classroom training with the experience of operating an ongoing business.
Mentors for the students are provided by corporations and the Stern
College of Business at New
York University. Most of the students live in the Harlem area and are
African American or Latino.
Integrating Computer Technology with Entrepreneurship
Troy Burgher, CEO
STC Computer Training
319 Beach 98th Street, #14 H
Rockaway Park, NY 11694
718-318-4737
Fax: 718-318-4739
Focus: Areas include high school, for-profit programs, with a strong concentration on community-based organizations.
Abstract: This program, entitled "Integrating Computer Technology
with Entrepreneurship," is designed to demonstrate and reinforce the
importance of computers to youth entrepreneurs in developing and enhancing
their business.
We examine the steps that Andre Edwards, a self-proclaimed freelance
artist, took to turn what was just a hobby into a profit-making business.
His steps to entrepreneurial success almost always included the use
of a computer and various types of software, and the software he used
and what he used it for.
We demonstrate how a word processor was used to create the business
plan;
- how a spreadsheet was used to assist with the tracking of money
earned and spent;
- how a database application was used to organize customer information;
- how a presentation was created to visually display products and
services to potential clients;
- how the Internet/online services were used to keep informed about
the industry; and
- how graphic-design and desktop-publishing software was used to create,
enhance, and print graphic material.
Andre is a high school graduate who has begun his journey to entrepreneurial
success as an artist who is looking to explore the area of graphic design.
He has been a consultant for STC Computer Training and previously owned
businesses of Troy Burgher's, providing such services as logo design,
general artwork, and computer assistance. He is currently working as
a data-entry operator, which allows him to improve his computer skills
while gaining income to finance his entrepreneurial endeavors.
Jamestown Community College
Business for Beginners,
Small Business Development Center
William S. Everts, Senior Consultant
Small Business Development Center
Jamestown Community College
P.O. Box 20
Jamestown, NY 14702-0020
716-665-5754
Focus: Adult entrepreneur training
Abstract: This program was designed for people with little or
no business education or experience. However, even the astute business
person walks away satisfied. In addition, the program has been useful
to clients enrolled in the Department of Labor Self-Employment Assistance
Program (SEAP).
This is a 21-hour program, which we have presented each semester during
the past two years. Attendance at the first four programs totaled 71
potential small-business owners. It is a highly interactive course,
which introduces the basic concepts of business ownership in a group
setting. The course is designed to increase the chances of success for
participants. It introduces the elements of small-business ownership,
provides how-to information, helps development of essential skills, and
gives a realistic understanding of all that is involved in small-business
ownership. Several of the participants in the course were existing small-business
owners who found the program very useful in upgrading and refining their
business skills.
Included in the program are interactive discussion and small-group
activities relating to such topics as setting goals, developing mission
statements, and what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Other topics include
business start-up; management issues (including record keeping and cash
flow); marketing and selling your product and service; "people
skills" required by the business owner; and, finally, how to get
started putting your business plan together.
Livonia Central High School
Entrepreneurship Course
Tracie Hack, Business Education Teacher
Livonia Central High School
P.O. Box E
Livonia, NY 14487
Abstract: Livonia is a rural community south of Rochester, New York.
The school serves a broad range of occupations although there is no
industry within the community. Entrepreneurship is offered to students
in grades 10–12. The program is divided into two areas: marketing
and business ownership. A text is used in the beginning to establish
common knowledge among all the students. Then they use simulations,
field trips and video series to expand their knowledge.
The strongest component of the class is the marketing component. By
using simulations to learn and apply their knowledge, the students seem
to grasp the concepts quickly. They incorporate computer technology
also Videotaping presentation and having business meetings to critique
the presentations is an important learning component.
New York REAL Enterprises
Dr. Michael Doyle
Ms. Barbara VanWicklin
Cattaraugus Allegany BOCES
1825 Windfall Road
Olean, NY 14760
716-376-8285 or 716-376-8321
Fax: 716-376-8304 or 716-376-8438
Email: barb_vanwicklin@cabo.wnyric.org
Email: michael_doyle@caboces.org
Web site: www.caew-boces.wnyric.org
Focus: Experiential entrepreneurship education for elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as community colleges and adult entrepreneurship programs. Also adaptable for after-school, out-of-school, and camp contexts.
Geographic Area: New York State
Products and Services: Comprehensive professional development program for instructors (institutes, in-service seminars, site visits); experiential, activity-based entrepreneurship curricula with integrated technology and student workbooks for high school/post-secondary ("REAL entrepreneurship") and elementary/middle schools ("Mini/Middle REAL"); materials and support for establishing successful local programs; targeted entrepreneurship development modules for displaced workers; evaluation and documentation of student demographics, learning outcomes, and business development results; School-Based Enterprise module/training.
Age Level: Children (grades 5-8), youths (grades 9-12), and adults of all ages
Key Partners: National REAL Enterprises, CAEW-BOCES. At the local level: entrepreneurs, small business assistance providers, and community development advocates through a community support team created by each local program.
Abstract: Founded in the early 1980s, REAL Enterprises' mission is to help individuals, schools, communities, and rural America grow through hands-on entrepreneurship education. REAL is committed to preparing youths and adults to be active, self-sufficient, and productive citizens and effective contributors to community and economic development by: creating and sustaining a national network of dynamic entrepreneurship educators supported by effective member organizations, providing high-quality hands-on entrepreneurship curriculum and training for K-16 educators; advocating for experiential education and entrepreneurship; and documenting REAL's effectiveness for students and teachers. REAL serves and supports schools and teachers through nonprofit national and member organizations throughout the United States, six of which serve states in the ARC service region.
How it Works: At the high school/post-secondary level, REAL guides students through the process of creating small businesses of their own design. The process includes:
- self-assessment to determine students' potential and existing marketable strengths
- community analysis to identify needs and trends in the local economy
- researching/writing a comprehensive business plan for a student's chosen enterprise
- start-up support for participants who choose to open and operate enterprises.
A community support team of entrepreneurs and others from the local community assists each local program. REAL has been successfully integrated into existing post-secondary degree/certificate programs and has demonstrated its ability to create successful businesses.
In elementary and middle schools, Mini/Middle REAL helps students explore entrepreneurship in the context of a fully functioning in-school community (with a "Merchant's Mall," government, revenue, and court system), understand the economic implications of career and lifestyle choices, and apply entrepreneurial practices to school-based enterprises and community needs.
New York State Department of Economic Development)
Southern Tier Appalachian Rural Trade (NYS-START)
Ed Kowalewski, International Trade Specialist
Kay Wilkie, International Policy Analyst
Empire State Development
New York State Department of Economic Development
30 South Pearl Street
Albany, NY 12245
716-856-8111 (Kowalewski)
518-292-5270 (Wilkie)
Email: ekowalewski@empire.state.ny.us
Email: kwilkie@empire.state.ny.us
Web site: www.empire.state.ny.us
Focus: To foster rural Appalachian trade development by providing businesses in ARC counties with technical assistance and comprehensive export marketing plans prepared by graduate business student interns, and by encouraging participating firms to apply for matching funds to implement new export projects.
Geographic Area: The fourteen county Appalachian region in New York's Southern Tier (Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Schuyler, Chemung, Tioga, Tompkins, Cortland, Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Delaware and Schoharie) .
Products and Services: For a modest tuition fee, companies participating in NYS-START receive comprehensive and customized export marketing plans with detailed international market entry and expansion strategies, developed by graduate business student interns, with guidance from trade expert teams led by Empire State Development (ESD) international professionals. Participating firms may also apply for matching funds to implement qualified export projects resulting from export marketing plans. Matching funds will be available to firms subject to application and approval by ESD.
Key Partners: US Department of Commerce Export Assistance Centers in New York (part of their Rural Export Initiative), university faculty ( e.g. Alfred University, Cornell, and State University of New York schools at Alfred, Buffalo, Binghamton, and Fredonia), county Industrial Development Agencies, the Southern Tier West, East and Central Regional Planning and Development Boards, Small Business Development Centers and other business partners.
Abstract: The New York State-Southern Tier Appalachian Rural Trade (NYS-START) project will provide qualified businesses in targeted ARC counties with valuable international trade assistance, customized export marketing plans and access to matching funds for actually implementing qualified export projects. The NYS-START initiative provides the framework for supporting entrepreneurs in expanding global business and regional job retention and creation.
While New York State is a leader in the global marketplace, the number of small and medium-sized company exporters from rural ARC counties is not representative of either state or national participation averages. Products and services produced by firms within Appalachian New York, though high quality, suffer from the lack of international market access. Geographic obstacles beyond the control of individual companies, such as higher transportation costs and distance from export services often clustered in urban areas, play a role in limiting global access for rural entrepreneurs. Another significant factor related to global market access difficulties a factor that is under companies' direct control relates to the failure of rural businesses to produce an effective international market entry strategy. It is hoped that businesses participating in NYS-START will gain the resources to compete effectively in the global marketplace, and will increase their exports and workforce in the ARC region of rural New York.
North Syracuse High School
Business Ownership/Entrepreneurship
Linda Dwyer, Business Teacher
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Co-Advisor
North Syracuse High School
Route 31
Cicero, NY 13039
315- 699-2611
E-mail: ldwyer@nscsd.k12.ny.us
Web site: www.nscsd.k12.ny.us
Focus: Business Ownership/Entrepreneurship serves a heterogeneous group of approximately 90 students in grades 10-12.
Abstract: The Cicero-North Syracuse Business Department recognizes that due to the resurgence of small business in the United State, entrepreneurship has become an essential component of business curriculum. Our entrepreneurship program integrates entrepreneurship/business management principles and theory with “real life” experience in operating a business.
The Business Ownership course provides students with an opportunity to actually become entrepreneurs by starting a class business-a retail firm located within the school. The school provides us with a location designated specifically for the student-run business, which is separate from the actual school bookstore. Students structure the business as a partnership- developing a partnership agreement. They are involved in all aspects of business ownership, including: conducting market research, creating a name and logo, preparing a business plan, locating suppliers, purchasing and pricing inventory, developing new products, selling, advertising, bookkeeping, taxation, and preparing financial statements.
In addition to hands-on experience in operating the business, students use a variety of resources to learn business management principles, theory, and law. Business publications used to teach the course include: Inc, Entrepreneurship, Young Entrepreneur, and Black Enterprise. The textbooks used to teach the course include: How to Start. Run. and Stay in Business, Small-Time Operator, and Entrepreneurship, among others. Additionally, arrangements are made with local business owners to speak with students throughout the year.
The student-run business was created in 1999 with start-up capital I received from a School-to-Work mini-grant. The net profits earned each school year are given back to eligible students in the form of college textbook scholarships. Over the past three years, $3,000 in net profits has been awarded to students. As a result of this program, students learn firsthand the rewards and difficulties of operating a profitable business.
Rural Ventures Checkmate
Brower Communications, Inc.
Martha Brower, Instructor
Brower Communications, Inc.
P.O. Box 935
Norwich, NY 13815
607-334-7526
Fax: 800-238-7295
Email: brower@ascent.net
Focus: Rural business development
Geographical Area: New York
Products and Services: Business plan development training for
rural ventures
Age Level: Adults
Key Partners: LMLM Rural Economic Development, So. Central New
York Resource Conservation and Development, Center for Agriculture Development
and Entrepreneurship
Abstract: This business plan development training has one clear
purpose in mind—to have upon completion a completed business plan
for rural ventures. The 20-hour program has been designed to incorporate
less lectures and more hands-on activities. Students learn from analogies
and from applying concepts right in the classroom.
Each class provides an opportunity to understand a segment of the business
plan and learn how to apply the knowledge to rural activities. Among
the elements incorporated to "Checkmate" are the critical challenges
of marketing a business in rural areas and most important. Students
learn how to market products and services internationally to give rural
businesses new opportunities to expand and succeed. The learning material
is light, not complex; most of the learning comes from the student's
network and guest speakers.
"Checkmate" removes country practices and allows candidates to understand
the market competitiveness outside their boundaries. It provides students
the opportunity to see and understand what large cities are doing and
bring home the same innovative ideas. Checkmate helps entrepreneurs
and business owners understand the power of strategies and plans. By
comparing the failure of a tic-tac-toe, we can show them the advantages
of studying the business game and succeeding through the process of
strategic planning. A planning guide and textbook is also available
for independent studies.
New York State Small Business Development Center
Office of Entrepreneurial Education (oe2)
EntreSkills™ I Program
Beverly Ford
EntreSkills I Program Manager
100 Village Square, Suite 102
Painted Post, NY 14870
607-962-8039 or 518-433-5398 Ext 125
Email: entreskills@nyssbdc.org
Web site: www.entreskills.org
Focus: Inspiring Young Adults to Think as Successful Entrepreneurs: "Creative Solutions with a Practical Plan"
Geographic Area: New York State
Age Level: High School grades 9-12
Key Partners: - SBA - Small Business Administration
- NYS - New York State
- SUNY - The State University of New York
- CUNY - The City University of New York
- The Research Foundation of State University of New York
- US Dept of Labor
Abstract/Summary: EntreSkills™ is a CD/Web based Entrepreneurship course designed for 9-12 grade students in New York State. This course teaches high school students the skills needed to open and operate a successful small business. Students are easily able to navigate through this on-line course, which is reinforced with exercises, additional activities, case studies, vocabulary test, relevant Web sites and a section on business plan development that helps students apply the concepts they have been taught. Teachers can create online tests and draw from a large library of resources to customize the material to match their teaching style and lesson plan. To learn more visit oe2 at www.entreskills.org .
How was EntreSkills™ I Developed? The Office of Entrepreneurial Education (oe2) worked with knowledgeable and experienced Business Advisors from the New York State Business Development Center (NYSSBDC) network to develop the lessons, exercises, test questions, and other components of the EntreSkills™ I chapters. Since 1984, the New York State SBDC has been recognized as the premier business assistance program in the state, providing one-to-one counseling for more than 237,000 businesses, and helping them to save or create 113,000 jobs. Several of SBDC's highly qualified advisors applied their expertise and practical experience in the development and growth of small business to writing the EntreSkills™ I chapters. The Teacher Resources section of the EntreSkills™ I program was developed from recommendations provided by a Teacher Review Committee along with ongoing teacher feedback. There is no charge to New York State educators or students for using EntreSkills™ I; oe2 asked teachers to provide feedback and share resources in exchange for access to the program.
Resulting Outcomes/Product/Services:
Teacher training for EntreSkills™ I is available via Web conferencing, providing teachers the ease of training at school or from home, M-F 8am - 3 pm EST. To assist school administrators and teachers in implementing EntreSkills™ I, oe2 provides crosswalks that show how EntreSkills™ I meets the following New York State learning standards and course requirements.
- NYS Learning Standards in Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS)
- NYS Business Ownership and Marketing (Entrepreneurship) State Syllabus
- NYS Career & Financial Management State Syllabus.
Currently EntreSkills™ I is available free of charge to NYS educators and is available for use by educators and schools in other states for a fee. If you have questions about the program or are interested in the possibility of expanding this to your state, please contact Bev Ford using the information provided under "Contact Information".
Schoharie Central School
Lisa Collins
Community Entrepreneur Challenge
Schoharie Central School
Main Street
Schoharie NY 12157
518-295-8132
Focus: Activities to focus school fundraising activities through local businesses
Geographic Area: Local area
Age Level: high school students
Key Partners: Chamber of commerce and local businesses
Abstract: The Community Entrepreneur Challenge is a joint project between the Desktop Publishing class and the Marketing class in grades 10 - 12. Their purpose was to replace some of the outside fundraising companies used in the past with their own cooperative efforts to use local business sources. In the process of organizing fundraising activities students negotiated with local suppliers, completed contracts, developed a marketing plan, and completed a fundraising flyer for use by other school organizations. They plan to produce a catalog of the flyers for use with potential fundraisers that could be implemented using local suppliers.
This challenge is student driven. It allows students to interact with a variety of people and to be able to apply what they have learned in their regular course work to the "real world".
Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO)
Amini Kajunju, Executive Director,
220 East 23rd Street, Room 309,
New York, NY 10010
212-684-0854 ext 105
Email: akajunju@wibo.org
Website: www.wibo.org
Focus: Founded in 1966, How To Build A Growing Profitable Business is 37-year old workshop that teaches the nuts and bolts of starting and building a successful business.
Geographic Area: New York
Abstract: Over the past 37 years, WIBO has been providing entrepreneurial training to over 14,000 individuals in the New York City area. We have focused on the basics of business development. As an entrepreneur, you cannot avoid creating a marketing plan or figuring out your break-even points. Our curriculum and case studies are comprehensive and rigorous. Our graduates have gone out to create successful businesses.
Although WIBO has expanded significantly since its creation, the WIBO
mission has not changed. We continue to believe fervently that business education and economic
empowerment are intrinsically linked, and that they are essential ingredients in improving
living conditions in underdeveloped and impoverished communities throughout the United States.
The Web page provides information on all of their programs and activities.
NORTH CAROLINA
AdvantageWest Economic Development Group
CERTIFIED ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Pam Lewis, Sr. Director Programs
AdvantageWest Economic Development Group
134 Wright Brothers Way,
Fletcher NC 28732
828-687-7234
Email: plewis@awnc.org
Web site: www.advantagewest.com
The goal of the Certified Entrepreneurial Community Program is to create communities of entrepreneurial interest by promoting public and governmental awareness of the need for entrepreneurship through certifying governmental bodies and local units of government regarding their approach, strategy and state of readiness with respect to entrepreneurship.
Through extensive research we have learned that regions who boast a healthy economy and high levels of prosperity are typically regions that also foster strong entrepreneurial environments. Much like the rest of the nation many counties in the WNC region has experienced significant job losses due to a number of plant closings. It is becoming more apparent to our local business leaders that in order to be competitive in today's global economy we must include entrepreneurship and small business as part of our economic development infrastructure and policy for the future of our country.
It is for this reason that in early 2007, AdvantageWest Economic Development Group took its entrepreneurial initiatives one step further down to the community level and created The Certified Entrepreneurial Community Program (CEC) to educate and empower local leaders with the critical foundational building blocks necessary to attract and retain entrepreneurs in their community.
The CEC Program consists of a five step process that is outlined in a guidebook that each approved leadership team is given at the onset of the certification process. Highlights of the program include the formation of a leadership team, community visioning, asset mapping, identification of entrepreneurial talent, comprehensive plan for including the youth in entrepreneurship, and streamlining the business licensing and permitting for entrepreneurs.
Upon successful completion of all required elements of the program, AdvantageWest is providing marketing for these communities as well as access to a revolving loan fund for qualified entrepreneurs, funding for last-mile telecom broadband, training for leadership teams and signage for communities.
The CEC Program consists of a five step process that is outlined in a guidebook that each approved leadership team is given at the onset of the certification process. Highlights of the program include the formation of a leadership team, community visioning, asset mapping, identification of entrepreneurial talent, comprehensive plan for including the youth in entrepreneurship, and streamlining the business licensing and permitting for entrepreneurs. The Certified Entrepreneurial Community Program and the contents of the guidebook are copyrighted materials and the business method is currently patent pending.
Apex High School
Dawn Harrison
Family and Consumer Science Teacher
Wake County Public Schools: Apex High School
1501 Laura Duncan Rd.
Apex, NC 27502
919-387-2208
Email: dmharrison@wcpss.net
Focus: Clothing and housing apparel development.
Geographic Area: North Carolina
Age Level: High School- 10th - 12th grade
Abstract: The use of fibers and fabrics is combined with design
and construction techniques to develop and produce a clothing or housing
apparel product. A real or simulated business apparel enterprise and FCCLA
activities allow students to apply instructional strategies and workplace
readiness skills to an authentic experience and to develop a workplace readiness
skills to an authentic experience and to develop a portfolio.
Skills in science, math, management, communication, and teamwork are
reinforced in this course. Work-based learning strategies appropriate for
the course include school-based enterprises, field trips, job shadowing,
and service learning. A real work component is added to this program. Students
will learn everything from developing business concepts, business plans,
marketing strategies, to production and shipping a product.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Joseph L. Fox, Ed.D., PHR
Chairperson, Business Administration Department
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
340 Victoria Road
Asheville, NC 28801
828.254.1921, Ext. 7664
jfox@abtech.edu
www.abtech.edu
Abstract: "Bridging the Entrepreneurial Divide" describes a collaborative effort between Asheville High School, North Carolina Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (REAL), Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee (a coalition of community leaders and business professionals that provides advisory input to the entrepreneurship faculty) to create an entrepreneurial community.
Bridging the entrepreneurial divide focuses on creation of a seamless transition in providing entrepreneurship education from middle schools, to high schools, and to the two-year and four-year college or university environments. The goals of the initiative are to develop entrepreneurship activities which foster the entrepreneurial spirit, to utilize Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College business students and Phi Beta Lambda Business Organization students to develop workshops and presentations for Asheville High School students, to run a business start-up simulation between the participating high school students, and to involve the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee as judges for the business start-up competition among high school students.
This activity focuses on how to build coalitions within local communities, identify partnerships that aid in fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, and develop a model to create a seamless transition of entrepreneurship education. Dr. Joseph Fox is Department Chairperson, Business Administration, at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, and has been employed by several community colleges during his eighteen years of teaching.
Entrepreneurship or self-employment is particularly important in rural western North Carolina due to plant closures, displaced workers, and companies relocating outside the United States. Workers who once were employed in manufacturing and textile fields are now faced with going to work for service-based entities which, on average, pay the minimum wage to employees. Self-employment can be a viable option for increasing earning potential. All too often, individuals believe that self-employment may be an unrealistic goal; however, it may be the only option in rural areas where large manufacturing companies are no longer relocating.
Caldwell County Career Center
Carol Wright
Quality Entrepreneurial Simulation Teams (QUEST)
Caldwell County Career Center
2857 Hickory Blvd.
Hudson NC 28638
828-726-2606
Email: cwright@caldwell.cc.nc.us
Web site: www.caldwellschools.com
Focus: Year-long program for students interested in entrepreneurship as a career
Geographic Area: Caldwell County
Age Level: High school juniors and seniors
Key Partners: Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce, Caldwell County Government, and the Caldwell Career Ready Partnership.
Abstract: The Caldwell County Career Center is a magnet school serving three area high schools and is located on the Caldwell Community College campus. Students who elect to be part of the Quality Entrepreneurial Simulation Teams (QUEST) program begin by attending a one-week Summer Entrepreneurship Academy, followed by monthly meeting during the academic year. They also meet bi-weekly as student teams to plan and implement their business idea, all under the guidance of a team of local business mentors. At the end of the year QUEST teams present their final reports to an evaluation team of business persons and receive the annual Caldwell QUEST Entrepreneurial Excellence Award presented by the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce.
The program focuses on elements of entrepreneurship, development of self-awareness, basics of business planning and implementation, the use of web-based technology for business, the incorporation of basic total quality principles and tools for effective teamwork, and an analysis of the local economy and its potential for business development. Students will work in teams to develop and implement a business plan under the direction and guidance of a team of local business mentors from the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce, Caldwell County Government, and the Caldwell Career Ready Partnership.
Catawba Valley Community College
Sallie Neville Merritt, Director
Small Business Center
Catawba Valley Community College
2550 Hwy 70 SE
Hickory, NC 28602
828-327-7000 Ext. 4112
Fax: 828-322-5455
Email: smerritt@cvcc.cc.nc.us
Web site: http://www.cvcc.cc.nc.us
Focus: Helping small businesses thrive in Catawba and Alexander
Counties
Geographic Area: Catawba and Alexander Counties in North Carolina
Products and Services: Seminars, free counseling, and library
materials that help entrepreneurs.
Age Level: Adults
Key Partners: Chambers of Commerce, SBTDC, SBA, and local banks
Abstract: The Small Business Center at Catawba Valley Community
College helps entrepreneurs turn dreams into reality. We offer a seminar
series that covers planning, business basics, marketing and finance
at a nominal cost. We also offer free counseling by appointment and
have a library of books, videos and audiotapes that are available for
lending.
Central Piedmont Community College
The Small Business Center
Maggi Braun, Director, Small Business Center
Central Piedmont Community College
PO Box 35009
Charlotte, NC 28235
704.330.4651
Email: Maggi_braun@cpcc.edu
Web site: www.cpcctraining.org/small_business
Focus: Services to small business in the community
Abstract: The Center encompasses five major areas:
- Small Business Grant presents a series of free seminars at the Public Libraries of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County targeting those who want to start their own business or those already in business. These take place in the evening from September through June. A series of four seminars on starting a business are also offered in Spanish. There is also a Resource Center containing books, periodicals, audio and video tapes, software, and internet access.
- Self-Supporting Classes such as Getting Started With QuickBooks Pro; Business Basics of Starting and Operating a Small Business; Financial Management and Recordkeeping for Small Business; Hands-on Business Plan Writing; Dynamic Marketing for the Small Business; and Collect the Cash, Keep the Customer are offered throughout the year on each of the CPCC Campuses.
- International Outreach instruction includes Export Ready and Letters of Credit Principles and Documentation
- Business and Entrepreneurial Skills Training (BEST) offers a nine month program for those business owners looking to grow and improve their business. This partnership with the City of Charlotte and First Citizens Bank includes on-site assessment, workshops, and one-on-one counseling all customized to the individual business.
- One-on-One Counseling is available on an appointment basis for start-up or existing businesses.
Most entrepreneurs are well versed in the technical side of the business in fact, that is usually why they go into business. At the same time, most have very limited expertise in the business side of the business strategic planning, marketing, financial management, human resources issues, etc. This “business side of the business” is the area of concentration for the BEST (Business & Entrepreneurial Skills Training) program. BEST seeks to identify the long-term goals of each owner and to deliver the tools they will need to reach those goals.
BEST targets companies who have made it over the “start-up” hurdle and are at a point of growth where the owner needs to develop additional managerial skills in order to successfully move their company ahead. It specifically targets minority and women owned businesses with an emphasis on those located in the City Within A City area. In order to be eligible to participate in the BEST Program, a company must:
- Have been in business one year or more.
- Be full time in the business.
- Keep financial records.
COMPONENTS OF BEST: This nine month program consists of:
- Unique individualized assessment and customized delivery of on-site consulting.
- Workshop series covering all aspects of business.
- Practical information that can be applied immediately.
- Networking with small business owners.
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development
Lisa Marincic, FastTrac Coordinator,
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development
104 T.W. Alexander Dr., Building 1,
RTP, NC 27709
919.549.7500
Fax: 919.549.7405
FastTrac courses, 919-549-7500 ext. 104.
Email: lmarincic@cednc.org
Email: info@cednc.org
Focus: Assistance for business growth
Abstract: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) was founded in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high impact companies in the greater Research Triangle area. CED achieves its mission by providing programs and services in four major areas: education, capital formation, mentoring, and communications. Through these efforts, CED provides entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills that ensure their success and at the same time heightens awareness of the contribution that entrepreneurial companies make to our communities and our economy.
A private, non-profit organization supported by membership dues, program revenues, and contributions, CED is governed by an Executive Committee and an operating board of Directors with input from a larger Board of Advisors. CED maintains an office in Research Triangle Park where full-time staff members and a large corps of volunteers combine their talents to ensure increased opportunities for entrepreneurial development. CED is continually seeking new ways to better serve the entrepreneurial business community.
With more than 5000 active members representing 1300 companies, CED is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the US. CED provides an interactive forum for entrepreneurs, investors, service professionals, academicians, researchers and public policy makers who combine their energies to create an environment in which entrepreneurship can flourish. CED helps entrepreneurs in wide range industries and at all stages of development-from high-tech product based organizations to professional service firms, from one-person start-ups to 1000-person businesses. CED has several different membership categories with different levels of member benefit.
FastTrac is a comprehensive business-training program created to help current and prospective entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies wisely, successfully, and profitably. The program combines interactive instruction with one-on-one coaching, peer learning, guest speakers, and comprehensive workbooks. It provides an effective and productive environment for entrepreneurs, business owners, and business executives to examine the critical areas necessary to build the business, strategic, and financial plans necessary to establish and grow a successful venture.
To date, more than 40,000 entrepreneurs in the United States and more than 450 in the Triangle have improved their businesses by completing FastTrac. Research shows that FastTrac graduates outperform other entrepreneurs in all business measures, including annual sales increases and employment growth.
Five-year success rates for FastTrac companies are twice the national average for startup companies.
FastTrac is offered in three forms in order to fully and effectively meet the needs of businesses at different levels and different stages of growth: FastTrac Tech, FastTrac for Startups, and FastTrac for Growth. FastTrac Tech is offered as part of CED's Capital Connection program. The FastTrac for Startups and FastTrac for Growth courses are offered through a partnership with Venture Management Inc., a long-term participant in the implementation of CED FastTrac programs and a firm that provides senior management expertise and assistance to startup and growth companies.
Dixon High School
Susi L. Price
Business and Marketing Education Teacher
Dixon High School
160 Dixon School Road
Holly Ridge, NC 28445
(910) 347-2958
E-mail: susi.price@onslow.k12.nc.us
Web Page: http://dixon.nc.och.schoolinsites.com/
Abstract: Dixon High School offers a variety of courses from the Marketing and Business & Information Technologies programs available from the state of North Carolina including Small Business Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Sports & Entertainment Marketing as well as Computer Applications and e-Commerce I Honors, Principles of Business and Personal Finance and others. Marketing and Business & Information Technologies Education serves a diverse population in the Sneads Ferry/Holly Ridge area of Onslow County. The majority of our students are from low-economic situations. Many of our students are very transient since they are from military families that move frequently.
Dixon High School is one of only three schools in Onslow County that currently offers Marketing Education courses. Many of our students' families operate their own businesses from local restaurants, to real estate offices, to commercial fishermen and fish houses. Many of the students that take Small Business Entrepreneurship and Marketing wish to apply what they learn to the betterment of the family business.
Entrepreneurship education showed specific benefits for my students. My students' VoCATS scores(the NC testing system for CTE courses) were only in the 50's percentage wise for students achieving level 3 or 4, which is considered proficient. After incorporating entrepreneurship information I obtained for about eight weeks before the semester ended, my students scored over 85% proficient in Small Business. This school year I am teaching Small Business and Sports & Entertainment Marketing during the spring semester.
I would also like to be able to increase the number of sections of Small Business I teach by showing students that Entrepreneurship is fun and not just about writing a business plan. If I can get current students talking about Entrepreneurship and all the fun that can be had, it will lead future students to be even more interested and eager to take Small Business Entrepreneurship.
Forestview High School
Ms. Ruth J. Brown
Teacher - Marketing Education/Business
Forestview High School
5545 Union Road
Gastonia, NC 28056
704 -861-2625
Fax: (704) 853-3323
Email: ruthbrown@gaston.kl2.nc.us
Web site: www.gojagwire.net
Focus: Entrepreneurship/Small Business
Geographic Area: North Carolina
Age Level: The population of students enrolled in Entrepreneurship/Small Business is diverse.
Student makeup includes those whose parents have advanced degrees to those whose parents
are high school drop-outs.
Abstract: The Marketing Education Program is a vital part of the Curriculum
at Forestview High School. Students take an active part in understanding
the overview of entrepreneurship and the management of a small business.
The use of projects was used to enhance the learning process for students.
Topics covering, Pricing, the Private Enterprise System, the Government's
role in small business. Competition, the Marketing Mix, and the location
and layout considerations for a small business, help students to conceptualize
their own business plans. Students are also given the opportunity to participate
in Co-Operative Education as a component of the Marketing Education Program.
Business/Education Partnership Forum
Brett Pawlowski
Business/Education Partnership Forum
c/o DeHavilland Associates
10925 David Taylor Drive, Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28262
704.944.3134
Fax 704.944.3101
Email: brett@dehavillandassociates.com
Web site: http://www.biz4ed.org.
Abstract: The Business Education Partnership Forum is intended to be a resource
for anyone involved in building successful partnerships between businesses and K-12 schools,
from local initiatives to national programs. It offers news, information, and resources to help
prospective partners learn about building successful business/education partnerships.
Haywood Community College
Janice Gilliam
Dean of Student Services,
Haywood Community College,
185 Freelander Drive,
Clyde, NC, 28721
828 627 4508,
Fax: 828-627-4513,
Email: jgilliam@haywood.edu
Web site: www.haywood.edu
Timothy Haynes
Division Head,
Engineering & Information Technology
Haywood Community College
112 Industrial Park Drive
Waynesville, NC 28786
828-452-1411 X259
Fax: 828-452-3353
Email: thaynes@haywood.edu
Web site: www.haywood.edu
Focus: Entrepreneurship throughout the community college
Geographical Area: North Carolina
Age Level: Adults
Abstract: Haywood Community College Entrepreneurial Learning
Team is developing models for integrating entrepreneurial competencies
across the campus through an alternate strategic plan in the re-accreditation
process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Two members from this team who have developed models in the cosmetology
program and electronics engineering can provide an overview of HCC's
Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative in the implementation phase and
integration of HCC's entrepreneurial skills sets. Examples of how entrepreneurship/experiential
classroom techniques will be integrated into curriculum programs will
illustrate the use of Howard Garnder's multiple intelligences theory
in lesson planning, coupled with collaborative learning strategies to
enhance learning and transferability of knowledge to the workplace.
Motivational strategies for the adult learner in an active learning
environment are the foundation of the program.
Entrepreneurship Concepts were integrated in all administrative
areas, such as decentralized budgeting, performance-based funding, customer
service, and team training. As a result, the college has grown 52% in curriculum
programs, 38% in non-credit programs, and the foundation has more than doubled
during the last five years of the initiative.
In the classroom, two programs were selected to incorporate entrepreneurship-REAL
and Cooperative Learning. Cooperative learning was selected as a tool to
implement active collaborative learning. Team skills, communication, and
adaptability are some of the Entrepreneurial Skills Sets identified that
are promoted by cooperative learning, Gilliam was part of the HCC ELI Faculty
Development Team who participated in cooperative learning training and implemented
active learning strategies in the classroom.
Gilliam completed a study in January 2002, as part of the NCSU Adult
and Community College Doctoral program in the assessment of the impact of
the cooperative learning instructional strategy using the IDEA Center Student
Survey Form of Courses and Instruction in all regular-schedule courses in
the spring of 2001 at HCC. The study also measured how course learning environment
factors impacted student ratings of instruction. Significant differences
were found in comparing courses taught cooperatively and courses taught with
the traditional format and on several of the course learning environment
factors. An overview of the study and how cooperative learning was implemented
in 54 courses across the campus in the spring of 2001 is available.
Haywood Community College Entrepreneurial Learning
Initiative
Dr. Nathan Hodges, President
Haywood Community College
Contact: Sharron Bleyl
185 Freedlander Drive
Clyde, NC 28721
828-627-4512
Fax: 828-452-3353
Email: ssbleyl@haywood.cc.nc.us
Web site: www.haywood.cc.nc.us
Focus: Post-secondary education
Geographic Area: Haywood County, North Carolina
Products and Services: Classroom training, community resources
and outreach
Age Level: Adults
Key Partners: Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning
(REAL), North Carolina Small Business Center Network (NCSBCN), Handmade
In America, Haywood Chamber of Commerce, and Haywood Economic Development Commission
Abstract: The origins of the entrepreneurial learning initiative
began in 1990, with collaboration with NC REAL on the need for entrepreneurship
education at the postsecondary level. Haywood Community College was the first
community college in the nation to implement the REAL Enterprises program.
In 1996, the college started a self-study program in which the entrepreneurial
learning initiative was further developed. HCC views entrepreneurial
learning as the provision of focused entrepreneurial instruction in
key programs, in addition to helping students and organizational members
develop the ability to apply the traits and skills typically associated
with entrepreneurs—e.g., responsibility, adaptability, teamwork—to
their various learning challenges. A broad-based operational definition
for the concept of entrepreneurship is used at Haywood. Entrepreneurs
are those who see opportunities that others do not and marshal the resources
to capitalize on them.
Several components work together collaboratively to give momentum
to this initiative:
- Every course syllabus at the college states the commitment made
to teaching entrepreneurial skills to students, and each instructor
lists the entrepreneurial skills included in the particular course.
- Our professional crafts program has a long and established national
reputation for preparation of graduates with exquisite technical skills
coupled with real-world entrepreneurial skills.
- The college is planning for the development of a regional Entrepreneurial
Resource Center that will serve as a training center for faculty and
staff, provide a research facility for students, and be a meeting
place and resource center for potential entrepreneurs and established
small-business owners.
- Yearly entrepreneurial conferences are planned.
- An ongoing entrepreneurial newsletter is published quarterly.
- Since 1986, the college has housed a small business center that
provides community outreach as well as an internal resource for the
college.
Sharron S. Bleyl is director of the Small Business Center
and chairperson of the Entrepreneurial Learning Team.
Kings Mountain High School
Liza B Dellinger, Business Education Teacher
Kings Mountain High School
500 Phifer Rd.
Kings Mountain NC 28086
704-734-5647
Fax 704-734-1723
Email: liza_28086@yahoo.com
Focus: 10th - 12th grade high school students, about 1/3 of which are minority students
Abstract: The REAL course (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) is used here to help students identify and develop entrepreneurial talent, increase self-awareness and understanding, and develop criticl thinking and life skills. In the class, students will identify business opportunities within our local community, develop their business knowledge and skills, and produce a business plan for an enterprise of their own choosing. Students are required to have a business mentor for their project.
The REAL course is taught using the experiential learning style. Because most entrepreneurs are more interested in "getting down to business" than in reading about it, entrepreneurship does not lend itself to traditional teaching methods. Experiential methods work because they promote ownership, self-direction, and responsible decision-making, which are all qualities needed for successful business ownership
McDowell Technical Community College
Beth Henderson
Enterprise Agent/Loan Officer
Appalachian Microenterprise Loan Program
McDowell Technical Community College Small Business Ctr.
54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752
828-652-0605
Fax: 828-659-8038
E-mail: bethh@mail.mcdowell.cc.nc.us
Focus: AMLP targets low to moderate income individuals (focusing
on women and minorities) who desire to start or expand a small business.
Geographic Area: North Carolina
Age Level: Adult women.
Abstract: AMLP provides technical assistance, ongoing training,
and loan capital to entrepreneurs who desire to start or expand a small business.
The program is coordinated in partnership with the NC Rural Center and based
on the Grameen Bank concept whereas entrepreneurs agree to network and support
each other at bi-monthly meetings. Loan applications are approved or denied
by the group members. This concept has proven successful due to the peer
pressure set upon the members to make their payments. If one member is
late with their payment or does not repay their loan the other group member's
access to future loans are stopped.
In addition to the Microenterprise Program, the Small Business Ctr. provides
REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) classes, and various
other professional small business classes. AMLP received the Site Excellence
Award this year for exceeding its goals. Also, under the direction of Beth
Henderson, AMLP holds the national record for managing a 0% delinquency/default
loan portfolio. During the 2001-02 fiscal year, AMLP assisted 67 entrepreneurs
resulting in the creation of 69 full time and 41 part time employee positions.
The program assisted 26 existing/expanding small businesses and 41 start-ups.
This year AMLP received a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant to
expand its service area to include Burke County.
North Carolina A & T State University
Thaddeus McEwen, Associate Professor,
Department of Business Administration,
North Carolina A&T State University,
1601 East Market Street,
Greensboro, NC 27411.
336-334-7656, ext.4030.
Email: mcewent@ncat.edu
Focus: The Entrepreneurial Learning Lab: A Model For Experiential Entrepreneurship Education at
the university
Abstract: Recently, there has been a growing interest in experiential learning in entrepreneurship programs. The main reason is students' demand for more hands-on entrepreneurial training. Students are interested in acting as entrepreneurs, rather than just learning about entrepreneurship.
The program involves the Entrepreneurial Learning Lab (E-Lab) as an educational strategy for
incorporating experiential learning into entrepreneurship education programs. The program features
unique objectives of the e-lab, how the e-lab works, role of faculty and grading, educational outcomes,
and the value of the e-lab program.
Dr. Thaddeus McEwen is an Associate Professor of Business Administration and Coordinator of the
Entrepreneurial Internship Program in the Department of Business Administration at North Carolina
A&T State University. His teaching and research interests are entrepreneurship education and
management education.
North Carolina SBTDC
George McAllister, Regional Director
Small Business and Technology Development Center
8701 Mallard Creek Road
Charlotte, NC 28262
704-548-1090
Fax: 704-548-9050
Email: gmcallister@sbtdccharlotte.org
Web site: www.sbtdc.org
The SBTDC is North Carolina's resource for growing companies. There are 17 offices throughout the state, of which the Charlotte Office is one. The SBTDC's mission is to grow and develop North Carolina's economy by helping businesses successfully meet challenges, manage change and plan for the future. The organization carries out its mission by providing management counseling and educational programs to businesses across the state.
Of the more than 6,000 North Carolina clients counseled in 2001, three-quarters are existing businesses. Of those, 25% meet the definition of high-growth (meaning they experience 20 percent or more growth in annual revenues or in employment). Through our management counseling and educational services, the SBTDC helps these owners and managers gain knowledge essential to improving business practices, creating high-value products and services, and enhancing competitiveness. Our interactions may be brief or long-term, but our ultimate objective is to improve North Carolina's economy through job creation and increased tax revenues.
Businesses that have worked with the SBTDC have experienced a phenomenal 85-percent survival rate (when the national average is less than 40 percent over a six-year period). And our clients typically grow five times faster than the average for North Carolina small businesses.
We are now entering our 18th year as the US Small Business Administration's primary resource partner for small business development. Our close ties to The University of North Carolina's campuses make our efforts possible. We provide statewide procurement technical assistance-in 2001 alone, our clients received $340 million in government contracts-through our partnership with the Defense Logistics Agency. We help North Carolina businesses export their products and services through our partnership with the US Export-Import Bank, and we have served technology-based clients for many years as the North Carolina Biotechnology Center's outreach partner. Finally, SBTDC services have become more closely aligned to support the objectives of the North Carolina Department of Commerce; this strong partnership is helping to improve the level and quality of services to our state's existing business and industry.
Through these relationships, we continue to expand the resources needed to help North Carolina's
economy-and our small businesses grow.
NC REAL Enterprises
Ms. Anna Koltchagova, Director
NC REAL Enterprises, Inc.
3739 National Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612
919-781-6833
Email: anna@ncreal.org
Web site: www.ncreal.org
Focus: Experiential entrepreneurship education for elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as community colleges and adult entrepreneurship programs. Also adaptable for after-school, out-of-school, and camp contexts. A train-the-trainer workshop, delivered by National REAL Enterprises and NC REAL Enterprises, called "Rapid Response Entrepreneurship Modules," is available nationally to Community Colleges, Small Business Centers, and community development centers.
Geographic Area: North Carolina
Products and Services: Comprehensive professional development program for instructors (in-service seminars, site visits); experiential, activity-based entrepreneurship curricula with integrated technology and student workbooks for high school/post-secondary ("REAL Entrepreneurship") and elementary/middle schools ("Mini/Middle REAL"); materials and support for establishing successful local and statewide programs; evaluation and documentation of student demographics, learning outcomes, and business development results; School-Based Enterprise module/training.
Age Level: Children (grades 5-8), youths (grades 9-12), and adults of all ages
Key Partners: North Carolina Community College System, Small Business Center Network. At the local level: entrepreneurs, small business assistance providers, and community development advocates through a community support team created by each local program.
Abstract: NC REAL has over twenty years successful experience providing quality professional development for teachers who work with youth to implement school based enterprises, and small businesses within their communities. Successful teachers of youth entrepreneurship programs, like REAL, approach learning in an interactive, experiential manner that connects real-life economic decisions to students' daily learning experiences.
Everyone in economic and entrepreneurial development loves to talk about the importance of youth entrepreneurship, but few people know how to make it a concrete part of the development of their community. Through a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation, NC REAL has been charged with tying youth entrepreneurship education with a regional economic development strategy-Advance Materials Manufacturing. The project is named BRIDGES- Building REAL Interest in Developing Greater Entrepreneurial Systems. Through this experience and several others NC REAL has learned how to create bridges between the community colleges and the K-12 school system and how to create youth entrepreneurship opportunities outside of the school system when necessary. Youth entrepreneurship can play a role in economic development if community leaders and developers see easy, tangible ways to make it part of the bigger strategy.
A major challenge facing rural America is assisting communities in restructuring their economic base from branch plant economies to homegrown economies that create sustainable economies. Experience has shown that with the right educational elements in place the business skills essential for success can be enhanced among many already in business so that their entrepreneurial spirit can be realized and they might ultimately become job makers rather than job takers.
NC REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) Enterprises is committed to the mission of developing entrepreneurial talent through action learning and fostering the creation of sustainable enterprises with a special emphasis on rural communities. Therefore NC REAL, in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System and the Small Business Center Network, created a series of business development seminars and training called the Rapid Response Entrepreneurship Modules Training. The Rapid Response Modules grew out of the needs of the SBC directors to have more tools in their toolkit to better meet the varying needs of small business clients.
The eight modules are very distinct from the REAL curriculum and are targeted at clients who may already be in business, may have some entrepreneurial skills, but lack in depth knowledge of certain topics. The Rapid Response Modules provide them with additional skills and confidence in key areas of small business planning and development. With the assistance of the Small Business Center Network, NC REAL was able, through four statewide focus groups, to identify the competencies essential for each of the modules. Additionally, the modules address the five mandated areas of focus for educational programs by the North Carolina Small Business Center Network.
The Rapid Response Entrepreneurship Modules are:
- Am I Cut Out to be an Entrepreneur?
- Can My Business Idea Support Me?
- Pricing Products and Services
- Achieving Sales Projections through a Viable Marketing Plan
- Let Your Numbers Do the Talking
- Bookkeeping Basics
- Tax Planning and Reporting
- Taking Care of Taxes
The focus of the RR Training is to provide participants with professional development in the areas of experiential teaching methodologies, learning styles, using the Rapid Response Entrepreneurship Modules curricula; and course planning.
North Stanly High School
Wanda Brooks
FACS teacher
North Stanly High School
40206 Highway 52 North
New London, NC 28127
704-463-7358/ 704-463-1962
Email: Wanda_E_Brooks@scs.k12.nc.us
Career and Technical Education -Foods II- Advanced , Prostart serves high school students from very low to lower middles class families. Our area has been hard hit by the loss of textile mills and the outsourcing of much of the furniture industry. We have also lost our largest employer, Alcoa. Thus, many of our students need training to begin small businesses in order to survive in this area.
In my foods program, I teach entrepreneurship. We learn basic skills and then brainstorm for ideas on small businesses we can operate for our live project. We learn about the basics of operating the small business and the responsibilities that go with it. Our goal is to operate a business for about six weeks each semester. Throughout the project we evaluate the business to see which areas we need to improve on and which areas are going well. Businesses we have had include mixes in a jar, meals-ready-to-go, cakes for sale, and lunches for faculty on Fridays.
My students also learn garnishing, bread making, catering, and cake decorating skills which could be used to start a small business. I have actually had students who completed the course and then went on to operate a business in cake decorating. Students are offered the opportunity to certify in Servsafe, a national restaurant program in food safety and sanitation. About 70% of my advanced level students do so. This, too, is an asset in operating a foods related business.
Dianne E. Lambert
Family and Consumer Science Teacher
North Stanly High School
40206 Highway 52 North
New London, NC 28127
704-463-7358/ 704-463-1962
Email: Dianne_Lambert@scs.k12.nc.us
Abstract: The Career and Technical Education - Apparel Development I & II, Housing & Interior Design I program includes students from very low to lower middle class income families. The loss of most of our textile industry and much of the furniture industry in our area has changed the job market landscape tremendously. In order for our students to stay in their home community many will need the option of starting a small business.
In my advanced apparel development program we study how to develop usable entrepreneurial skills. We focus on the basics of operating a small business and the responsibilities involved. The students come up with several ideas for a business venture and make samples of their proposed products. The class votes on the final product that will be produced and sold as a class project. All students are then involved in the production from start to finish - using workplace readiness skills that are an integral part of our course objectives.
Some of the businesses my students have operated were "Design Necessities" - making designer belts, bracelets, and novelty key rings for purchase. They have made prom, baby, and birthday memory boards as special pre-paid orders. Some students have actually operated their own businesses - alteration services, designer tote bags, and theatrical costume construction. Another service we offer to our school is pressing and collar attachment for senior graduation gowns. The students learn to operate a business that requires little monetary investment, but rather time. This helps them understand the "service industry" more clearly and in a way that they can implement skills in their own homes without any significant overhead. This gives future "stay-at-home moms" an opportunity to add additional income to the family without leaving their children.
Piedmont Community College
Doris W. Carver
Vice President, Continuing Education
Piedmont Community College
P.O. Box 1197
Roxboro, NC 27573
336-599-1181 / 336-597-3817
E-mail:
Web Page: http://www.piedmontcc.edu
Focus: Training business owners, individuals interested in owning their own business, business and industry, unemployed and underemployed individuals, dislocated workers, youth, and students seeking a better education.
Abstract: The Continuing Education division provides training in education in the following areas: Business Development/Small Business Center, Industry Training Services, Human Resources Development, GED, Adult Basic Skills, and Occupational Extension (including criminal justice, public safety training, healthcare courses, NC Real (entrepreneurial training), and personal enrichment courses. The role of Continuing Education programs is to identify and deliver educational programs and services that meet the needs of area businesses, industries, government and the community, which are not available through the degree, certificate, and diploma programs of Piedmont Community College. These programs and courses are usually short-term and can be delivered rapidly.
The Continuing Education programs can be delivered quickly and can be customized to meet business and industry needs in addition to the needs of other individuals. Some courses are delivered face to face while others are delivered on-line (e.g. Ed2Go is one example).
SANDHILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Mary Lea Dixon, Chair
Management and Business Technologies Department
3395 Airport Road
Pinehurst, NC 28374
910-695-3754
Email: dixonm@sandhills.edu
Website: www.sandhills.edu/entcert/
Marilyn Neely, Director
Small Business Center
910-695-3938
Email: neelym@sandhills.edu
Website: www.sandhills.edu/sbc/
Ted M. Natt, Jr. CEO, Owner
Sandhills Business Times
235 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
Southern Pines, NC 28387
Email: ted@sandhillsbusinesstimes.com
Website: www.sandhillsbusinesstimes.com
Focus: Collaborative consortium of educators and business leaders creating a program to help current and prospective entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies and current and prospective intrapreneurs work in and grow companies they work for.
Geographic Area: North Carolina
Age Level: Adults
Abstract: The Sandhills Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Advisory Board partners with the Small Business Center, the Department of Management and Business Technologies and the business leaders of the Sandhills. Through this center, Sandhills Community College plays a vital role in economic development through entrepreneurship education to students and the community at large. The Entrepreneurship Program is more than just a program of the College; it is crucial to the future of economic development in the region.
"The collaboration between the Management and Business Technologies
Department at Sandhills Community College and the Small Business Center
and Continuing Education is an excellent example of how North Carolina
can use the community college system and support services to ensure more
successful entrepreneurs for the future."
Heather Van Sickle, Executive Director
National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)
Purpose: We want all students, not just those in business programs, to see the value of thinking like entrepreneurs. If a student decides business ownership is not for them, the newly developed planning skills can make the student a more attractive employee in the workplace. Most organizations will need persons with entrepreneurial skills who can analyze and evaluate business opportunities. (Kauffman Foundation)
Phase I
Mary Dixon, Chair, Department of Management and Business Technologies, coordinates the Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. The Entrepreneurship Certificate is a one-or two-semester program that prepares the student for a new employment perspective. The certificate is offered to help students become entrepreneurial thinkers in order to start their own entrepreneurial ventures, to work on management teams of entrepreneurial ventures, or to apply their entrepreneurial abilities to an existing business.
The Entrepreneurship Program Certificate offers 6 essential courses. The courses in the 17-27 credit program cover basics such as QuickBooks Pro (accounting software application), business finance and small business management. Also included are classes in entrepreneurship, e-commerce and integrated management. We are partnering with the Kauffman Foundation to integrate the e-version of Planning the Entrepreneurial Venture, Student Workbook for Developing a Plan For a Start Up Venture into 4 of our Entrepreneurship Courses, providing the experiential component for building the business plan that will provide a better opportunity for students to learn this process. The courses are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the day and evenings to minimize trips to the SCC campus. Some of the courses are available on-line or as a hybrid format of Internet and classroom teaching.
Sandhills Community College's Entrepreneurship Program uses the National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education which advocates not only learning about entrepreneurship but also experiencing it as part of the instructional process. This Toolkit for the National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education is designed to give the Standards and Performance Indicators framework necessary for developing curriculum for entrepreneurship programs as a lifelong learning process.
The Small Business Center at SCC plays an important role in the success of the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program.
Phase II
The second and third phases of entrepreneurial training at SCC involve the creation and growth of an entrepreneurial network where alumni of the certificate program and members of the business community can network. Marilyn Neely, Director, SCC's Small Business, coordinates the new Sandhills Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The goal is to build a consortium of educators and business leaders who will guide new entrepreneurs and assist current business owners by offering educational opportunities such as academic instruction, mentorship and business plan creation.
Customized Training Workshops The Small Business Center offers a variety of non-credit training on topics in business, quality, and human resource issues throughout the year. Customized Ed-To-Go training program also makes online training possible.
PartneringSandhills Community College's Entrepreneurship Program has joined hands at the national level with NACCE and CEE to network with organizations at the national level to help us develop entrepreneurship policy and effective practice for North Carolina; we have joined hands at the state level with the Entrepreneurial Networks Policy Work Group and the Entrepreneurial Educational Policy Work Group in a year-long effort to develop entrepreneurship policy and effective practice for North Carolina. We have joined hands at the local level with the Moore County Chamber of Commerce's Education Department to bring the entrepreneurial spirit to the community, through educational forums.
Sandhills Community College's Entrepreneurship Program has joined hands at the university level; we are collaborating with UNC Pembroke to provide a proposed advanced Entrepreneurship track so that students can matriculate from the SCC Entrepreneurship Program to the UNC Pembroke Entrepreneurship Program. Also, students who wish to enter the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and have earned either the A. A. in Business Administration or the A.A.S. in Business Administration degree at Sandhills Community College with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher are guaranteed admission to UNC Pembroke.
At the community college level, we are partnering with UNC-Pembroke for students to earn their BSBA and their MBA at the Sandhills Community College Campus, allowing us to join hands with students and faculty at AAS, BS and MBA level-work-our faculty collaborating with their faculty to create a more seamless process.
At the high school level, we are partnering with First Step. First Step is a program created for Moore County Schools, allowing high school juniors and seniors to earn 12 hours toward their college degree while in high school. Moore County Schools intends to offer Entrepreneurship I and II at the college level as part of their technical track.
With Governor Easley's help, SCC is a participant in the Learn and Earn initiative. Easley's plan calls for a network of "early college" high schools. Eventually, there will be a Learn and Earn school available to students in all 100 of the state's counties. SCC is partnering with Hoke County, to create one of the first "early college" high schools with 200 students through SansHoke.
Shadowing The students could be presented with numerous opportunities to build upon their skill sets with frequent interaction with the business community through the Chamber of Commerce. Shadow days could be incorporated whereby students shadow a successful entrepreneur. The students could have the opportunity to witness and learn the application of skills, such as negotiation from a seasoned entrepreneur.
Mentoring Sandhills Community College offers a Mentoring Program for students in the process of earning their Entrepreneurial Certificate and/or other equivalent or similar degree. The Program pairs a volunteer, who is an experienced professional, and/or business person and/or educator with a student of Business Administration for the purpose of enhancing and finalizing the student's own Business Plan. The goal is to fine tune the student's own Plan so that it might be used to provide helpful guidance for the proposed business as well as perhaps be used to seek investment capital and/or financing for the start-up business being contemplated.
Business Plan Capstone Course There will be an annual business plan practicum in which graduates of Entrepreneurship Program Certificate will have an opportunity to present their business plans to experienced members of the entrepreneurship community for valuable feedback and a chance to practice many of the skills and implement knowledge that are critical to entrepreneurial success.
The business community plays an important role in the success of the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program.
Phase III
Ted Natt, CEO and owner of the Sandhills Business Times, coordinates interaction with business leaders to provide a think tank for small business owners in the region. Research ongoing for a business incubator to support the graduates from the program.
Mentoring Graduates of the Entrepreneurship Program will have the opportunity to also present their business plans to an audience of angel investors. This experience will not only introduce the student to the local investor community (individual investors as well as lenders), but will also help determine whether the student may be offered to opportunity to be a tenant in the potential future business incubator.
Alumni Network To ensure Alumni awareness, a link on the SCC Entrepreneurship Program webpage provides information about activities, speakers, competitions and other events in the Department of Management & Business Technologies and the Small Business Center. We also have a link that includes a database of current students in the Program. Alumni stay informed, and current and future students have access to a large number of experienced individuals and potential mentors.
Collaborative Marketing We have created an opportunity for program participants to network with and support each other.
Tuscola High School
Brenda Cogdill
Business Education Teacher
Tuscola High School
564 Tuscola School Road
Waynesville, NC 28786
828-456-2408
E-mail: bcogdill@haywood.k12.nc.us
Web Page: http://www.ths.haywood.k12.nc.us/
Abstract: Small Business Entrepreneurship teaches the student how to run a small business. The student must participate with the class to create a product, name the business, design the business cards, design the logo, create all the marketing promotions, understand management and participate in all financial decisions. The profits are used to help our local ministry who assists with food and heating costs.
The students will also complete a Business Plan for their own business. This project is year long and the students will complete financials including; cash flow for three years and a balance sheet. I have included a copy of the rubrics for the Business Plan.
The Small Business Entrepreneurship class is so different from any curriculum that most students have taken in the past that they really do not know what to expect. These students are given "junk" and asked to create a product! They are asked to use the creative side of their brain from day one. My hands-on style always draws a few grimaces and complaints the first time, but they dive right in and begin to discover their creative side again. I have had students complete an entire Senior Project using their Business Plan.
A student several years ago wrote a paper describing how every level of student was able to succeed in the Small Business Entrepreneurship Class, as students who do not do as well in math and writing, excel when it comes to thinking creatively! It is very rewarding to me to have a student say, "I thought this class was going to be boring, but now I really believe that I could open my own business." I spoke with the parent of a special needs student last year who is now in college taking craft and business classes and they are going to use their business plan from class to start a business next year.
Watts Consulting
Karen Southall Watts,
Consultant and Coach
Watts Consulting
(919) 644-7220
Email: Wattsconsulting@aol.com
Focus: GROW YOUR BUSINESS-Helping entrepreneurs maintain valuable relationships with employees, suppliers and customers by using sound management techniques.
Abstract: People quit bosses-not jobs. The transition from idea person to business owner and manager is often very difficult for entrepreneurs. New business owners run the risk of losing customers, suppliers and valuable employees because they are forced to rely on a previously underdeveloped skill set. Leadership requires they be able to set priorities, delegate tasks, motivate and discipline employees and master a host of complex business communications techniques.
In order to grow a business, entrepreneurs need to have an accurate view of their management abilities as well as their financials. As a consultant, coach or educator you must be able to help business owners honestly assess their skills and then offer training to fill in the gaps. Interactive exercises and provocative discussions will uncover the strengths and weaknesses in management skills. "So, now you're the boss" is a workshop of how to information for managers and owners.
When coaching entrepreneurs towards business growth we need to understand the fears that keep people from effectively delegating, the two major communications agendas and the theories regarding employee motivation and discipline. However, presenting these theories and textbook ideas are not enough. We must empower entrepreneurs to make real world applications of these concepts. Jargon must be boiled down into regular words and business owners made comfortable with market language and technology. Most importantly, we as trainers must provide opportunities to practice new business skills in a safe environment and provide constructive correction before sending entrepreneurs into new management territory.
Wialillian & Company
Wialillian Howard, President
Wialillian & Company: Events,
Training & Consulting Specialists
P. O. Box 36482
Charlotte, NC 28236
704-376-9476
Email: wiaandco@yahoo.com
Focus: Wedding business trainers
Geographic Area: North Carolina
Abstract: Fabulous weddings don't just happen. In fact, over the last decade weddings have become a well-choreographed event. Gone are the days when couples were satisfied with the small-unrehearsed event in the parents' backyard. In an industry where spending exceeds fifty billion dollars annually, couples are seeking the services of a well-trained wedding professional.
The first of its kind in the Charlotte area, the HeartStrings Wedding University©
provides comprehensive basic knowledge of the wedding industry with a great deal of emphasis on the competencies required in the planning and execution of wedding events.
Two primary goals of The HeartString Wedding University©:
- continually improve the professionalism of the industry
- provide a professional development program for industry practitioners.
The HeartStrings Wedding University© is a non-credit, part-time training for those who wish to enter the wedding consulting industry at a beginner's level. It also provides a formal program of study for people currently working in the industry, and for those who want to start a home-based business. One-on-one practical training in a small class is emphasized. Participants can expect to work on theory and practical components outside of class.
University classes are offered once a year during weekend sessions, beginning in the Fall. It consists of 43 hours of training: six 6-hour sessions, two 3.5-hour sessions and an out-of-class project.
NORTH DAKOTA
Marketplace for Kids/Career Marketplace
Marilyn K. Kipp, Executive Director
Marketplace of Ideas/Marketplace for Kids, Inc.
411 Main Street West
Mandan, ND 58554-3164
Telephone: 701-663-0150; Toll-Free 888-384-8410
Fax: 701-663-1032
Email: marketplace@btinet.net
Web: www.MarketplaceForEntrepreneurs.org and
www.MarketplaceForKids.org
Abstract: Marketplace for Kids is a unique educational program offering encouragement for developing young entrepreneurs. The program provides young people with a forum to present their projects which demonstrate entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. Marketplace for Kids provides an Education Day full of hands-on learning offered in a variety of classes and education/wellness/career exploration exhibits to help young people develop their business skills, enhance personal development, and build friendships with future leaders. Marketplace for Kids demonstrates the special role of youth improving the economic future of our state.
Career Marketplace recognizes this region's workforce shortage and regional employers' need to develop a pool of skilled talent. Career Marketplace is a concerted effort by regional employers and educators to bring high school juniors and seniors, recent high school graduates, college students (community, university, vocational and technical, technical, tribal, public and private) and second career adults to a statewide entrepreneurial conference. Career Marketplace showcases the opportunities available and explains the skill sets needed so that participants can translate their skills, interests and abilities into a career in one or more of the Industry Career Clusters.