LOCAL EXPERTS TO OFFER TIPS TO BLINN’S BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS
More than 90 Blinn College business students swapped their usual Monday lecture for a dialogue with five leading entrepreneurial experts.
Dr. Duane Ireland, interim executive associate dean at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School; Royce Hickman, president of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Robert Stanberry, local attorney and director of Blinn’s Legal Assistant Program; Kyle Pope, program manager for collegiate licensing at the Office of Business Development at Texas A&M; and Robert Emick, owner of Brenham-based Foxhole Games, offered advice to students in the College’s Small Business Management/Entrepreneurship and Business Principles courses, part of Blinn’s Business and Applied Business Programs.
The experts’ tips covered networking, business law and balancing personal life alongside a burgeoning business. Each expert suggested budding entrepreneurs seek assistance from their local Small Business Development Center, whether in Bryan, Brenham or the 1,000 others across the nation. They also encouraged students to:
- possess a passion for their business.
- formulate a dynamic business plan that measures success and offers opportunities for reevaluation.
- establish a solid financial backing.
- cultivate positive and lasting relationships with customers and employees.
- learn everything they can about their business and their competition.
- cultivate excellent communication skills.
“Running a successful business is as much about saying yes as it is about saying no,” said Ireland, author of “Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures,” the textbook used for Blinn’s Small Business Management/Entrepreneurship course. “Your business plan helps you identify who you are and what you do. Planning helps you focus on what your story needs to be.”
But a solid plan without passion and a willingness to form new relationships is a recipe for a short-lived business.
“You have to have a strong desire to do what you’re doing or you’re going to struggle,” Hickman said. “You must play to win. You can’t just play not to lose. And you have to be willing to network. Go to events, meet new people and establish relationships. People are your business.”
Blinn’s Business Program provides students the foundation necessary to pursue a business degree at a four-year institution. Students learn theory and practical application of management principles, personal finance, business law, business legal environment, teamwork and research practices.
The Applied Business Program, designed for students seeking first-line management positions, prepares students for careers in accounting, business and management with an applied and practical approach.
Graduates have landed high-paying jobs immediately after graduation, transferred to renowned universities and started their own businesses. Program administrators and faculty arrange opportunities for students to interact with business experts, including those on Monday’s panel.
“We have a lot of students who dream of starting a business, but they don’t know how to get started,” said Brandy Scholze, assistant dean of the Division of Mathematics, Business, Engineering & Technology. “Entrepreneurship is so important. It provides jobs and spurs economic growth. We wanted to emphasize the importance of networking and allow them to hear from experts in the area.”
