IT USED TO BE THOUGHT THAT ENTREPRENEURS, PEOPLE WHO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, WERE BORN NOT MADE. BUT, SOME AMERICAN SCHOOLS ARE NOW OFFERING COURSES IN HOW TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR.ALTHOUGH MOST WORKING AMERICANS ARE EMPLOYEES OF BUSINESS OR GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING INTEREST IN THE IDEA OF OWNING ONE'S OWN BUSINESS. HISTORICALLY, MOST PEOPLE HAD TO LEARN THE PRINCIPLES OF BEING A BUSINESS OWNER ON THEIR OWN OR INFORMALLY, WITH THE HELP OF OTHERS WHO WERE ALREADY IN BUSINESS.
BUT MANY AMERICAN BUSINESS SCHOOLS ARE NOW OFFERING COURSES ON STARTING SMALL COMPANIES. EVEN A FEW UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS, SUCH AS MUHLENBERG COLLEGE IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, HAVE CLASSES IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP. SANDY WEINBERG, WHO TEACHES THE COURSE AT MUHLENBERG, SAYS STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT HOW THEY CAN TURN THEIR ACADEMIC INTERESTS INTO BUSINESSES.
WE TAKE LIBERAL ARTS STUDENTS, SOMEONE WHOSE REAL INTEREST IS THEATER ARTS OR HISTORY AND TEACH THEM HOW TO APPLY THAT CREATIVELY IN THE REAL BUSINESS WORLD. SO, WE TAKE THE HISTORY MAJOR WHO SAYS, "I WANT TO DEVELOP A COMPANY THAT WILL GIVE HISTORY TOURS" AND SHOW THEM HOW TO MAKE THAT PROFITABLE. WE TAKE THE THEATER MAJOR AND HAVE HIM ASSESS WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO START A DINNER THEATER AND WHETHER THAT CAN BE A PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
MR. WEINBERG SAYS EVERY STUDENT IS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A SPECIFIC BUSINESS PLAN AND MANY OF THE PLANS INVOLVE BUSINESSES THAT DID NOT EVEN EXIST A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE IDENTIFYING NICHES THAT JUST DID NOT EXIST BEFORE. A LOT OF NEW COMPANIES ARE DOING INTERNET TYPES OF ACTIVITIES, HELPING PEOPLE BUILD WEB PAGES AND SELL BY THE INTERNET. WE ARE ALSO SEEING A NICHE DEVELOP IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AS MEDICAL CARE GETS MORE EXPENSIVE, THERE ARE MORE HOME MEDICAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE POSSIBLE. THAT IS WHAT ENTREPRENUERISM IS, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR HOW CHANGES IN THE WORLD DEVELOP INTO NEW NEEDS THAT SOMEONE CAN MAKE PROFITABLE.
SANDY WEINBERG TEACHES MANY BASIC BUSINESS SKILLS SUCH AS FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND MARKETING BUT BELIEVES THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN HIS ENTREPRENEUR COURSE IS RISK ASSESSMENT.
WHAT WE DO IS TRY TO MINIMIZE DOWNSIDE RISK. IF SOMEONE IS UNWILLING TO TAKE ANY RISK, I AGREE THEY WOULD BE A BAD CANDIDATE. BUT I THINK THE IMAGE OF THE ENTREPRENEUR AS THE WILD, RISKY PERSON DOES NOT REALLY HOLD TRUE. MOST ENTREPRENEURS I KNOW WANT TO BUILD COMPANIES THAT WILL MINIMIZE RISKS.
MR. WEINBERG BELIEVES IT IS USUALLY HELPFUL FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO HAVE WORKED AS AN EMPLOYEE BEFORE STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS, BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY. BECAUSE OF CORPORATE DOWNSIZING IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE PERCEPTION BY MANY WOMEN AND MINORITIES THAT THERE ARE LIMITS TO HOW HIGH THEY CAN RISE IN A COMPANY, THE IDEA OF BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR IS OFTEN AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE. THE ABILITY TO START AND RUN A BUSINESS IS A SKILL THAT A GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICAN EDUCATORS BELIEVE CAN BE TAUGHT.
31-Jan-97
Source: Voice of America