Tippin The Scales
Entrepreneurship Education
By
Aug 10, 2006, 11:12

In my last article, I wrote about the amazing opportunity that will be presented to workers, especially young professionals. In the next few years, the baby boomers will begin to retire, leaving multitudes of jobs to be filled. In writing about future opportunities, I touched on entrepreneurship. The USF Center of Entrepreneurship is the second best center of its kind in the country, trailing just behind Stanford University. I was surprised by the response I had from the article. Many people, especially friends were asking me about the Center for Entrepreneurship and how to get involved.



This spark of interest led me to realize two things: (1) that people actually read my articles, and (2) many young people are interested in entrepreneurship. And without surprise— if I just found out that it was possible to start a company, work my own schedule, have the freedom to execute my own ideas, achieve a heightened sense of self fulfillment, and all the while having the potential to make an insane amount of money, I’d say sign me up!

Well this is definitely possible; just ask Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google. After developing the technology in their dorm rooms as college students, they formed the company, it went public and they became billionaires. Can you guess where they went to school? Stanford University—the school with the number one Center for Entrepreneurship in the country. Please don’t forget, USF’s center is number two—I told ya’ll they were on to something good!

Thanks to capitalism, those with good ideas and strong work ethics can be handsomely rewarded. I love to hear “rags to riches” type of stories of successful people who persevered through seemingly insurmountable obstacles and rose to financial independence. These stories inspire others to travel in the direction of their dreams as well. By the way, if you happened to be one of these people, please contact me, I’d be delighted to sit down and talk with you.

Many college students are looking into entrepreneurship after graduation instead of going to work for a company. Until recently, much of the information on starting a company had to be found outside of school. Few institutions taught how to recognize opportunity in the marketplace, how to develop a legitimate business plan, how to recruit investors or venture capitalists, how to incorporate, how to capitalize on government contracts (if applicable) and how to steer clear of fatal pitfalls. It is a commonly known fact that 9 out of 10 businesses fail within the first five years, which may be partly due to the lack of formal training available.

I once took an introductory business class at a college other than USF. Excited to learn how to start a business, I was ultimately disappointed when there was only a measly few paragraphs written on the subject in my textbook. Thanks to the USF Center for Entrepreneurship, a student can take classes to learn applicable knowledge in this field. Classes in the program include, Strategic Market Assessment for New Technologies, Fundamentals of Venture Capital and Private Equity, New Product Development, and Business Plan Development.

One of the most captivating features of this center is that the professors not only teach the curriculum to the students, but they either have their own companies or have formed partnerships with other entrepreneurs in the community. One of the center’s goals is to bridge the gap between theory and application, between academia and commerce, between students and business leaders. And as noted in my previous article, you do not have to be a student at USF to be involved with the center. Students are, however, privileged to more opportunities.

The education does not end when class is over, students can receive help on projects outside of the classroom. The Florida Small Business Development Center at USF offers continuous practical education to address almost every aspect of developing and running a start-up company.

Even though entrepreneurship is becoming a more popular topic for today’s youth, it is still widely unrecognized as a viable option. Many students struggle through college with the mindset of working for a company and climbing up the corporate ladder. Unfortunately they do not realize how capable they are to branch out on their own. Although working for a company is good for many, it is not best for all. Especially now that the educational resources are available in our own backyard, students have more freedom to choose alternate paths of making a good living.

Here is a quote that has inspired me, I have recited it to myself on many occasions. Written by Thoreau, it states: “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor…if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”



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