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Club helps entrepreneurs
By Natalie Asmus/Contributing Writer
College students with creative ideas and a desire to be their own boss meet every Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Mississippi Room in Atwood as members of the SCSU Entrepreneurial Club.
"The purpose of the organization is to provide experience and opportunities to its members through speakers, seminars, workshops and real world applications of entrepreneurship," said Molly Kohler, a member of the club. Some examples of topics discussed at the meetings are: identifying and evaluating opportunities, developing business plans, acquiring resources and managing a venture.
The club also enables students to brainstorm ideas with fellow entrepreneurial students. The club meetings alternate between having a speaker one week and having an idea bouncing-session the next week. With this bouncing-of-ideas session, members come together to discuss issues on starting a business, financial questions, help or ideas about a business in the making or just questions on writing a business plan.
"We feel that the more heads that we can pull together the better off," Kohler said.
The members of this club consist of those thinking about starting their own business and those that already own and operate their own business. They are not all business and entrepreneur majors; the club is open to all students.
The start up of this club was based on the new entrepreneur ship major and minor that is now offered since late last April. It's a way to raise awareness about the major and possibly peak a student's interest in pursuing an entrepreneurship degree.
"It's a great idea, the club offers guest speakers, networking and sharing opportunities," said James Keebler, a business professor at SCSU. "For example, on March 6 an attorney and a tax service are presenting helpful material."
An entrepreneur himself, Keebler owned a KOA Campground and later resold it for profit. He has 25 years of business experience with large companies such as Palmolive, Pillsbury, Digital Equipment Corporation and Colgate. He also operated a consulting practice, which included Keebler and few independent contractor consultants.
"The opportunity to be your own boss, autonomy, lifestyle, decent income with upside potential, and the fun of doing things you like to do are reasons people become entrepreneurs," Keebler said.
The Harold Anderson Entrepreneurial Center was built in conjunction with the new major. It is located at 616 Roosevelt Road and includes the Small Business Development Center.
The center offers internships, mentoring opportunities, seminars and project consulting. In addition to many courses offered at SCSU and the resources available at the Entrepreneurial Center, information can also be found about entrepreneurial opportunities at SCSU Career Services.
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