As some of you know from following “Young, Willing and Able” on Facebook, the column is coming to a close this fall to make time for a new pursuit here at the Washington Times Communities. But, before that happens, guest contributors will be providing tales of service and descriptions of how being on the receiving end of it has affected them. If you’re interested in contributing a piece, please e-mail a proposal to youngwillingandable@yahoo.com.
This week, Nick Troiano, who was a rising senior at Georgetown University, encourages young people to take a year off from school to follow a dream. Troiano, now communications manager at a political reform organization, has focused his work and studies at the intersection of technology and democracy. A co-founder of myImpact.org, Troiano has worked with several organizations to leverage social media and networking to engage Millennials on various issues, such as the national debt. Troiano finished his third documentary, which took him across the country to interview more than 300 people about Washington politics, this summer. Follow Troiano on Twitter.
Taking a dream year
By Nick Troiano
Thanks to good advice and a gut feeling, I recently learned what it means to drop everything and chase a dream. I wonder what would happen if more young people did the same.
A few weeks ago, I was offered a full-time job at a new organization that plans to launch a national political reform movement early next year. My soon-to-be boss told me, “Nick, you plan on writing your senior thesis on this very kind of political movement. Why not be a part of one, from the ground up, and go back to school next year to write a book instead?”
A job? A book? Does this crazy man not know I had my first happy hour last week? I have one more year of college left -- two semesters, nine courses, 27 credits. My graduation year is 2011 -- not 2012. What does he think he’s doing messing with these numbers that have slowly been ticking themselves down since I entered kindergarten?
Every part of me that has become predisposed to the assembly-line-style education model we have in the United States was trying to resist the temptation. Yet every fiber in my bones that is passionate about the cause, and cognizant of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, was pushing in the exact opposite direction. It wasn’t long (in fact, just a trip back home to convince my parents) before the latter won out. I shared the news online shortly after and was moved by two messages I received.
“I admire your bravery to make a decision that defies the conventional life path of our generation,” wrote one friend.
“I'm a big believer in more people our age doing stuff like this and get excited anytime I see anyone actually do it,” wrote a young nonprofit leader.
Two more friends told me they did something similar during college, and it was the best decision they made. This got me thinking. Although my situation is not a unique one, what would our society look like if it instead became the norm?
Imagine if every student -- between high school and college, or while in college itself -- took a year to follow a dream. Perhaps you want serve as a mentor in an inner-city school or help rebuild a disaster area. Maybe you want travel abroad to explore the arts in different cultures. Or volunteer on a campaign to learn about the political process firsthand. Or anything else that you might never get a chance to do once you graduate and a steady income and a secure job become necessities.
Mark Twain said, “I’ve never let my school interfere with my education.” The distinction is an important one. After all, education is a life journey and not something to put a check mark next to. The brick-and-mortar buildings we know as college will always be there. On the other hand, truly great opportunities to learn and make a difference come and go, according to that fleeting nexus of time and place.
That’s why, when opportunities come, young people should not hesitate to seize them. In fact, young people should not hesitate to go out and create them. We have a lot of new skills, raw energy and uninhibited idealism to offer. And we have a lot of knowledge and experience to gain. The traditional four walls of classroom and four years of college should not necessarily stand in the way.
Millennials are innovators, and innovation doesn’t come when we’re confined. We know this. That’s why we’re breaking down barriers that have prevented progress in the past -- race, religion, political affiliation, etc. -- maybe it’s time to start treating institutional barriers the same way.
If we all took a dream year before completing school, imagine how our perspectives on the world would change, our interests and career pursuits evolve, and our appreciation for traditional education grow. Imagine what we’d be able to experience and accomplish -- not just individually, but collectively.
Imagine if we identified ourselves not by what year we graduated and what institution gave us that framed piece of paper, but rather by what year we decided to follow a dream and what we were able to do.
2011 is my year. I’ll get back to you on how it goes.
* * *
Do you know someone amazing who should be featured? Your story ideas are welcome. Contact me at youngwillingandable@yahoo.com.
* * *
Angela is a professional writer, editor and designer. She has served as a news copy editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Houston Chronicle; a journalism instructor and media relations officer at the University of Houston; and managing editor at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which publishes the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics and the Journal of Lipid Research. You can follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/angelahopp or become a fan of this column at http://www.facebook.com/young.willing.able.
9/06/2010
Guest column: Taking a dream year | Washington Times Communities
Entrepreneurship MBA job prospects?
So I am thinking of doing an MBA in Entrepreneurship , because I want to get into the technology business from the business side – the real entrepreneurship stuff. I already work in the financial sector and don’t want to do an MBA to end up back at an investment bank doing Excel sheets crap. Are there such kind of jobs? if so, what?
This entry was posted on Saturday, September 4th, 2010 at 2:24 pm and is filed under Business Ian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Is Entrepreneurship in Your Kids' DNA?
Career
Is Entrepreneurship in Your Kids' DNA?
By Sandra Stahl
Published August 29, 2010
| WomenEntrepreneur.com
One thing most entrepreneurs love to do is talk about being entrepreneurs. Topics range from what is the "entrepreneurial spirit" to who has it and who doesn't, and what it takes to be successful. As co-owner of jacobstahl, a public relations agency, with my husband, as well as a mother of three, my favorite question is whether entrepreneurship can be passed down to the next generation--and whether I want to encourage or discourage it in my own kids.
The nature/nurture issue has provoked Talmudic-level discussions, but there is scientific evidence that entrepreneurship is heritable. Scott Shane posted data in a New York Times blog last year indicating a genetic component. Along with his colleagues, Shane conducted behavioral genetics (twin) and molecular genetics (association) studies of entrepreneurship. His findings suggest the tendency to be an entrepreneur is in the DNA, as is the ability to perform well as an entrepreneur.
Nancy Caravetta isn't surprised. Caravetta has been an entrepreneur since 1998, and she's presently owner of Rx Entertainment in Los Angeles. "My dad was a very successful entrepreneur, and I definitely inherited that quality," she says. The mother of twin boys, Caravetta is keen to see the baton passed within the family.
The sacrifices of the entrepreneurial life are well-known to Mark and Kristin Kimball, who run Essex Farm in northern New York. Those sacrifices temper their enthusiasm for having their daughter continue their legacy.
"Mark and I would both be thrilled if Jane grows up to take over the farm, but only if it's as much her passion as it has been ours. I would never want her to do it out of duty, or because she had limited choices, or for us. Farming is too hard a choice to make for anything but a deep love of it," says Kristin, who chronicled her experiences in a book, A Dirty Life, to be released on October 12.
Pamela Spain of Moorestown, N.J., is keenly aware of passion, having traded hers for her pocketbook. She and her husband, Michael, tried their hands in separate businesses--a graphic design company for Pamela and an interior design firm for Michael. Pamela eventually gave up her business for a regular paycheck and the benefits of being a salaried employee. Now she makes a deliberate effort to encourage entrepreneurship in her daughters.
"I've seen all the signs for years in Erica, my 21-year-old," Pamela says. "I didn't follow my passion, but I have totally nurtured her talent in jewelry-making and metalwork and am committed to giving her the chance to make a go of it."
What are these signs and how are parents to recognize entrepreneurial traits in their children? According to Shane and his colleagues, parent entrepreneurs should look for extroversion, openness to experience, sensation-seeking, and the recognition of a business opportunity.
"Really?" says Monica Elias, arching an eyebrow. Elias and her two siblings are or have been entrepreneurs in individual endeavors, as is their father. She believes their achievements are due to their noncollaborative natures, a characteristic she's already seen in her two children. "All of us don't like working for other people," she says. "That's what makes us seek independence and total control over our work lives and, ultimately, our own success or failure."
As with most things entrepreneurial, finding the ideal path for guiding the next generation one way or the other is deeply personal. Some thoughts to consider:
- Money is what matters. Some parent entrepreneurs squarely focus their children on a financial end game. They encourage their children to seek money-making opportunities even if these lie outside their interests so they can experience the satisfaction and rewards of self-made income. "The creativity of the approach is not as important as actually making the money," Elias says.
- Follow the passion. Others devote themselves to helping children identify what thrills, motivates and drives them, and cross their fingers that it leads to something that pays. Instead of steering Erica toward a typical broad-based college experience, Pamela Spain directed her to small schools offering a specialty in complex metalworking. "Most people thought I was crazy; they said I was limiting her. I don't see it that way. I want Erica to do what she loves, and hopefully she'll figure out how to make a living with it."
- Push one way . . . Those who want to add their kids' names to the company letterhead say they involve them in the family business early and often, take them to work, talk "shop," give kids small tasks when possible, and encourage summer internships that will expose them to other ideas within the same field.
- . . . Or the other. Some parents take pains to ensure their children know both ends of the success spectrum. Says Kristin Kimball, "I want Jane to be clear there's no guarantee there's any reward waiting for her on the other side."
- Recognize the signs. Scientific study may have outlined the personality traits of an entrepreneur, but most parents don't need support recognizing the signs of an offspring's boredom or rebellion. Most say they try extra hard to be sensitive and respond accordingly, even backing off entirely.
- Light the competitive fire. Parents who want to give their kids an extra boost can turn to the myriad of youth entrepreneur camps, programs, grants and competitions.
As for me, I respect the power of passion, and I encourage my children to have the courage to find theirs. I have no illusions their paths will take them to the threshold of jacobstahl, and I am pretty sure I don't desire it. I do believe in the genetic nature of the entrepreneurial spirit, but I am neither sure of its dominance in my gene pool nor of its presence in my kids. Every now and then, though, I think I see sparks.
My 16-year-old daughter is spending four weeks this summer working at a PR agency across town and seems to be loving it. My 10-year-old son's latest money-making venture is to make colorful duct tape wallets, a new favorite hobby, and sell them. If he charges $4 for each wallet, he reasons, maybe people will give him $5 and let him keep the change. A chip off the old block? More likely his motivation is to earn enough money to buy another Xbox game. Either way, if he is successful, he will have found the sweet spot where his passion and his pocketbook intersect. What more can a parent entrepreneur ask for?
For more about giving kids an entrepreneurial boost, see "Entrepreneurial Tools Set Kids Up for Success."
Sandra Stahl and Jeremy Jacob are co-owners of jacobstahl inc., a full-service public relations firm with global capabilities specializing in health-care, consumer and corporate communications.
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Business calendar for the week of 9/5/10
TuesdayMIT Enterprise Forum Pittsburgh, the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners, Carnegie Mellon University and the D'Appolonia Family, 3rd Annual Solutions for Society presentation, 5:30 p.m., Chosky Theater, Purnell Center, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave. Presenter: Cheryl Dorsey, president, Echoing Green; www.solutionsforsociety.org.
Business Referral Network of Pittsburgh -- AM Pittsburgh Chapter, 7:30 a.m., Aldo Coffee, 675 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon. Networking. Call Sue at 412-388-1250 or visit www.getgreatreferrals.com.
Pittsburgh Executives Association, noon, Radisson Hotel, Green Tree. Networking. Call Ed Roberts at 412-316-5653.
WednesdayVolunteers of America/Working Order, noon, 1650 Main St., Sharpsburg. Brown Bag Lunch: "Every Business needs a Business Banker." Speaker: Rachele Paulone, vice president commercial lending, Northwest Savings Bank. Call 412-782-5344.
Business Referral Network of Pittsburgh -- Washington Road Chapter, 9 a.m., The Pie place, Norman Centre II, 1775 N. Highland Road, Upper St. Clair. Networking. Call Sue at 412-388-1250 or visit www.getgreatreferrals.com.
Chatham University Center for Women's Entrepreneurship along with Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP, 8 a.m., Howe-Childs Gatehouse, Chatham University. Seminar: "Finance and Business." Visit www.chatham.edu/cwe.
Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for Operations Management, Rivertowne Pour House, 312 Center Road, Monroeville. Professional development meeting. Call 866-692-7427, ext. 105, or visit www.apics-pgh.org.
Downtown Business Connection, 7:30 a.m., Rivers Club, Oxford Centre, Downtown. Meeting. Call Ed Heal at 412-322-6676.
ThursdayCarnegie Library Downtown & Business, 12:15 p.m., 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. Program: "Marketing on a Shoestring Budget using Social Media." Presenter: Shawn Agyeman, SponsorChange.org. Call 412-281-7130, ext. 102.
FridayChatham University Center for Women's Entrepreneurship, 7:30 a.m., James Laughlin Music Hall, Chatham University. Women Business Leaders Breakfast Series: "Delivering on your Brand: Growing a High Performance Operation." Speaker: Sharon Willochell, chief operating officer, Leed's. Visit www.chatham.edu/cwe.
Duquesne University Small Business Development Center, 9 a.m., Rockwell Hall, Room 108, 600 Forbes Ave., Downtown. Workshop: "Business Opportunities in Mexico." Call 412-396-6223 or visit www.duq.edu.
Business Calendar appears every Sunday. To propose an item, send it to: Natalie Hill, Business Calendar, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh PA 15222 or e-mail to nhill@post-gazette.com. Items must be received by the Wednesday before publication and should have the telephone number of a daytime contact."Money Q&A" and "Company Town" are featured exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
First published on September 5, 2010 at 12:00 am
Use business incubators to create jobs and stop unemployment problem | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
-->Rachel A. Smith
Assistant professor of finance, University of Indianapolis
A primary reason why U.S. unemployment remains high is the lack of new business investment and business startups by entrepreneurs. The two primary reasons are businesses' reduced access to capital due to stricter bank lending standards and uncertainty surrounding expanding government policies.
Policies such as increased health-care costs, stricter environmental and financial regulations, and potentially higher taxes increase uncertainty of future costs and stunt entrepreneurship and innovation. Uncertainty feeds the vicious cycle of reduced consumer spending, which leads to reduced business hiring.
The role of government is to create an environment that encourages private innovation and entrepreneurship. This could include minimizing restrictive regulations and reducing government spending and the deficit, which could allow a decrease in business tax rates. This could also include partnerships in which government, academic institutions or economic development organizations provide funding to support nonprofit business incubators, such as the Flagship Enterprise Center in Anderson.
These business incubators assist start-up companies with technical support, obtaining financing, office space and business consulting, which allow them to become self-sufficient and create jobs. This will replace jobs that have been permanently lost due to global competition, new technologies and increased efficiency. To learn more about business incubators, visit the National Business Incubation Association website at www.nbia.org.
Entrepreneurship is topic at Hudson Library & Historical Society: Business Calendar
Entrepreneurship is topic at Hudson Library & Historical Society: Business Calendar
Published: Sunday, September 05, 2010, 3:30 AM
TUESDAY
Hudson Library & Historical Society's Entrepreneurship Series: 7 p.m. at the Hudson Library & Historical Society, 96 Library St., Hudson. Sponsored by the library's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship Research. Scott Shane, professor of entrepreneurial studies at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and author of "Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders: How Your Genes Affect Your Work Life," will discuss workplace behavior. Free. To register, e-mail askus@hudson.lib.oh.us or call 330-653-6658, Ext. 1010.
American Association of Individual Investors, Akron: 6:30 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Public Library, Main Library Building, Room 2AB, 60 S. High St., Akron. Free. "Prevailing Over the Aftershocks," about the current state of the markets, is presented by Timothy Hayes of RBC Wealth Management. He is host of "The Smart Investor Hour" on WHK AM/1420. E-mail aaii-neo@googlegroups.com for information.
WEDNESDAY
CFA Society of Cleveland Meeting: 5-8 p.m. at Sammy's Metropolitan Ballroom, 21st Floor of the Huntington Building, East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. "Ethical Decision Making," presented by Michael McMillan, director of ethics and professional standards at the CFA Institute. Free for members, $20 for guests. RSVP by 8 a.m. Tuesday. Walk-ins will be charged an additional $5. To register, e-mail cfa@cleveland.cfasociety.org or call Katie Khoury, 216-696-8066.
Lake Communicators Luncheon: 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Lake Metroparks Pine Ridge Country Club, 30610 Ridge Road, Wickliffe. "What Sustains You from Within, When Everything Outside of You Falls Away?" presented by David Cowens, who recently retired as the public-affairs manager for Lubrizol Corp. $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers. E-mail wolfeshirley@yahoo.com or call Diana Lewis at 440-255-8932.
THURSDAY
Lake/Geauga Area Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Dino's Restaurant (inside the Days Inn), 4145 Ohio 306, Willoughby. "Strategic Approaches to Conflict Resolution: Lessons Learned in Mediation," with speaker Loretta Feller, alternative dispute resolution coordinator, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. $20 for members, $30 nonmembers. Go to tinyurl.com/2a5dx4k to register.
FRIDAY
Small Business Administration seminar: 10 a.m. to noon at SBA's Cleveland District office, Suite 211, 1350 Euclid Ave. The seminar will explain government contracting opportunities available for small businesses. Free. Seating is limited. Call 216-522-4180.
Workshop for small-business owners: 1-3 p.m. at the former Erie County Conservation League Building on U.S. 250 at Fox Road, Sandusky. The workshop will detail subcontracting opportunities available through Test Facilities, Operations, Maintenance and Engineering, a NASA prime contractor responsible for the maintenance and operation of NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky. The U.S. Small Business Administration will explain SBA programs available to assist small businesses. Robin Puppos will also be present to explain the services available to firms through the University of Toledo Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Seating is limited. Call 419-621-3244 to make your reservation.
Business Volunteers Unlimited seminar, "The Role of the Board": 8-11:15 a.m. at the Dr. Harry E. Eastridge Professional Development Center, Building B, 5700 W. Canal Road, Valley View. $65 for members, $95 for nonmembers. Go to tinyurl.com/23duuws to register.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 14
Akron affiliate of Sales and Marketing Executives International Meeting: 4-5:30 p.m., a workshop, "Just Say 'No' to Taxes," presented by Scott Shields, CPA, of Shields Blice & Co.; 5:30-6:15 p.m., networking; 6:30-8 p.m., dinner with keynote speaker Dan Colantone, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Akron Chamber, "Business Building Combinations that Get Real Results," at Tangier, 532 W. Market St., Akron. $40 dinner/workshop, $30 dinner only, $15 workshop only for members, and $70 dinner/workshop, $45 dinner only, $30 workshop only for nonmembers. Reservations required. Go to smeiakron.org or e-mail smeakron@ameritech.net or call Sue Warren at 330-945-7740.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15
Northeast Ohio Health Underwriters Association Program: 8-10:15 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, 6001 Rockside Road, Independence. "Long Term Care," presented by Marty Puin, president of Marty Puin & Associates Inc. Free for members, $35 for nonmembers. Register by 2 p.m. Sept 13. Go to www.neohua.com to register.
Baldwin-Wallace College, "Enduring Questions: The Mark Collier Lecture Series": 8 p.m. Baldwin-Wallace College, Kulas Musical Arts Building, Gamble Auditorium, 96 Front St., Berea. Speaker is Barbara Kellerman, an author and the James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Free. For more information, call 440-826-2325.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 16
Small Business Administration loan seminar: 10 a.m. to noon at SBA's Cleveland District office, Suite 211, 1350 Euclid Ave. Free. Seating is limited. Call 216-522-4180.
Business Volunteers Unlimited and the Commission on Economic Inclusion seminar: 9-11 a.m. at the Greater Cleveland Partnership offices, Higbee Building, 100 Public Square, Cleveland. "Maximize the Value of Diversity on Your Board." $45 for Business Volunteers Unlimited or Greater Cleveland Partnership members, $75 for nonmembers. Go to tinyurl.com/2fdgbdx to register.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 17
The University of Akron Global Supply Chain Forum: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., University of Akron Student Union, 303 Carroll St., Akron. $50. Register by this Friday. Go to tinyurl.com/2dwsoa9 to register.
Cleveland Executives Association: Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Hermit Club, 1629 Dodge Court, behind the State Theatre in Playhouse Square, Cleveland. Speaker is Jimmy Hanlin, golf pro, radio/TV personality and entrepreneur. $25. Must register by Sept. 14. E-mail Mike Fischbach at mfisch121@sbcglobal.net to register.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 18
Computer Assisted Genealogy Group-Cleveland Area Meeting: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fairview Park Regional Library, 21255 Lorain Road, Fairview Park. Morning session: "When the Name's the Same . . . and When It's Not," with Jean Hoffman; afternoon session: "New Map Sources," with Jean Hoffman. For more information go to www.rootsweb.com/~ohcagg/ or call Bill Frank, 440-734-2021.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 21
Cuyahoga Valley Chamber of Commerce Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Independence. "A Business Perspective on Health Care Reform -- What the Reform Means to You and Your Business." $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Must RSVP. E-mail cvcc@cuyahogavalleychamber.org or call 216-573-2707.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22
Ohio Small Business Development Center at the Summit Medina Business Alliance seminar: 4-6:30 p.m. at the Akron Global Business Accelerator, Mezzanine Floor (ninth floor), 526 S. Main St., Akron. "Numbers Demystified: Making sense of financial statements." Free. To RSVP, e-mail info@akronsbdc.org or call 330-375-2111.
"Must Know Financial Information & Resources for Smaller Manufacturers": Workshop 8:30 a.m. to noon, lunch and individual meetings noon to 1:30 p.m. at MAGNET Innovation Center, 1768 East 25th St., Cleveland. Free. Must register. E-mail linda.barita@magnetwork.org or call 216-391-7766. Go to tinyurl.com/273ejj6 for more information.
Walthall Drake & Wallace and Hospice of Western Reserve lunch and learn: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hospice of the Western Reserve, Mentor office, 5786 Heisley Road, Mentor. "Is someone depending on you for care?" Space is limited. Must register. E-mail c.bade@walthall.com or call 216-573-2330.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 23
Black Pages Ohio: "Profit Factor: Maximizing Your Business Potential," 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza, 777 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Free. To register, go to www.gohere2rsvp.com and use event code 84255, or call 1-800-900-7735.
American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland Business Continuity Seminar: 8 a.m. to noon at the American Red Cross, 3747 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. "Is Your Business Prepared for When 'What if?' Becomes 'What Now?' " $39. Must register; go to www.redcross-cleveland.org or call 216-431-3076.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 24
"Post Recession Communications: Facing the New Realities": A four-part public-relations series presented by Kent State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communications. First session: "The Authentic Enterprise," 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at KSU's Franklin Hall. Other sessions include webinars on Oct. 6, noon to 1:30 p.m., "Maximize Your Communications ROI," and Oct. 20, noon to 1:30 p.m., "Leverage the Power of Technology in Your Communications Program." The last session, "Earn Trust," is Oct. 29, 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., at Franklin Hall. Go to www.myprseries.com for more information, directions and registration.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 28
How to Write a Business Plan: 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Akron Global Business Accelerator, Mezzanine Floor (ninth floor), 526 S. Main St., Akron. The seminar will be presented by Mary Ann Jasionowski, Ohio Small Business Development Center director, and Mark Hansel of the Cleveland District of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Free. Registration is required. E-mail info@akronsbdc.org or call 330-375-2111.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29
Cleveland Council on World Affairs Dinner: 6 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. program followed by dinner at the Shaker Heights Country Club, 3300 Courtland Blvd., Shaker Heights. "Middle East as Priority and Emerging Trouble Spots in the World," presented by John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. $90. Go to tinyurl.com/26lg4h8 to register.
THURSDAY, OCT. 7
Business Volunteers Unlimited, "Effective Leadership of Nonprofit Boards": 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the Penton Media Building Conference Center, Main Lobby, 1300 East Ninth St., Cleveland. $65 for members, $95 for nonmembers. Go to tinyurl.com/2b4r2sc to register.
Ashland University lecture: The Dr. Lucille G. and L.W. Ford Distinguished Business Lecture, noon at Ashland University's Myers Convocation Center. Speaker is Lizanne Galbreath, managing director of Galbreath & Co., a real estate investments and private-equity holdings firm. Free. Must register by Sept. 20. E-mail Khushwant Pittenger, kpitten@ashland.edu or call 419-289-5219.
Send new items at least two weeks in advance to Eileen Zakareckis, Business Calendar, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114, or e-mail her. Include "BizCal" in the subject line.
New design for success | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/05/2010
Jiffy Lube cofounder and Philadelphia University president Stephen Spinelli Jr. got the luckiest break of his life in college. And the very thought of it drives him crazy.
Spinelli was a poor kid from what he calls an Italian "ghetto" in Springfield, Mass. He was studying economics and playing running back at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel) three decades ago when his coach - a semiretired entrepreneur - noticed something.
"You're a tough, smart kid - I think," Jim Hindman told him. After college, he hired Spinelli at his nursing-home business, watched him work, and a few years later floated Spinelli and his partners $2 million to start the oil-change franchise.
Spinelli gets irritated as he thinks back: It was too random . . . should have had something to do with his college courses . . . didn't seem logical.
So he is overhauling academics at the East Falls university that used to be called the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences, when it reflected the used-to-be American apparel-manufacturing economy.
Next fall, Philadelphia University will introduce a College of Design, Engineering, and Commerce. It will combine existing design, engineering, and business majors, put students from all three into some of the same classes, and make them tackle real-world projects for the new, if uncertain, economy.
"I don't believe someone comes and sprinkles: 'OK, Steve will be the lucky guy and John won't be,' " Spinelli said with the high-volume and hand-waving passion that has made him known across campus to students as, simply "Spinelli."
Lucky breaks? "That's crazy! That's not democracy," said the rags-to-riches entrepreneur whose parents, he points out, didn't even finish junior high school but put four children through college. "Taking hold of your own destiny: That's luck."
If a furniture manufacturer wants a new product to attract customers, the university will put marketing, design, and engineering students on the case for credits. It did so last year as a pilot class.
The idea of integrating expertise is ripe in today's times, when unemployment and outmoded business models are painful proof that expertise in one area - no matter how sparkling - no longer guarantees success.
"I want people who are not going to be a cog in the machine," Spinelli said in a campus interview last week. "I want them to create new machines."
For much of its 126-year history, the college had a simple job: Train students in balance sheets, fabric engineering, and fashion - the types of disciplines that helped Philadelphia's and the nation's manufacturing economy hum.
In 1950, well before mass-apparel manufacturing moved overseas, all bachelor's degrees at the school were textile-related.
Today, Philadelphia and its environs are littered with factory carcasses and mansions that once belonged to textile magnates. The college has eliminated old majors and added new ones to avoid its own obsolescence.
The name changed to Philadelphia University in 1999. In September 2007, the college hired Spinelli, who was vice provost for entrepreneurship at Babson College in the Boston suburbs.
Spinelli said he believed graduates of the soon-to-be-integrated college will have an advantage because they will walk into interviews with problem-solving experience. That will help them especially if jobs are scarce.
Spinelli, 55, did not need that kind of experience in his day. Workplaces used to be de facto boot camps for new graduates. The economy was forgiving.
His own mentor had watched him in action before coughing up $2 million to help start Jiffy Lube International Inc.
"Do you think he was going to give us two million dollars?" Spinelli asked. " 'Here kids, go play?' He's not nuts. He said, 'If this doesn't turn into 20 million, I'm going to rip your hearts out with my bare hands.' So we had to go show him we could solve the problem.
"That's what attracts capital, that's what attracts people to hire you," Spinelli said. "Not standing in line and saying, 'I'm an engineer, here's my grades.'
"All of that is good and we need to do that," he added, "but it's not enough anymore. It's not enough. And we need to teach kids that."
Christopher Anderson, an architectural-engineering major, has started to come to the same conclusion, just by talking to classmates who already graduated.
His light-brown, curly locks flew as the 21-year-old from Carlisle, Pa., bolted from the library, only to hear Spinelli shouting at him from behind. The pair met on a path and said hello.
The night before, Anderson had sent Spinelli an e-mail asking for a chance to take his entrepreneurship class before graduation in the spring.
They giggled and joshed each other like locker-room buddies, rather than patriarch and peon. How, the senior was asked, did he know the president so well?
"It's Spinelli!" he said, laughing with insouciant affection, as Spinelli, too, broadened his smile. "He comes to everything. He comes to all of our stuff; he's all over."
Last year, Anderson danced the tango at a student event; Spinelli danced, too.
"I was very bad," Spinelli said, laughing even harder.
"That was awesome," Anderson replied.
Before the fall semester, Anderson was not thinking much beyond engineering.
"A couple of my friends from engineering school started doing just engineering work," he said, "and they felt like cogs in the machine."
How much fun would it be, Anderson thought, if he could turn his own ideas into reality - have that control from the start?
As Spinelli and Anderson stood there, laughing and talking, Spinelli's vision became clear: Empower the Andersons of the world to be creative and in control, from Day One.
Before their impromptu meeting ended, the pair agreed - like any team tackling a problem - that they would find a solution to Anderson's senior-year dilemma.
"We'll figure it out," Spinelli said. Ever the entrepreneur, he added: "He's got an interest, I've got a capability, we're friends, we'll work it out."
Contact staff writer Maria Panaritis at 215-854-2431 or mpanaritis@phillynews.com.
Biblical Entrepreneurship ? Kingdom Influence in the Marketplace | Cash Miller's Blog SmallBusinessDelivered.com
The last section of biblical entrepreneurship we must discuss is influence. Influence is the foundation of power. External power is cultivated by increasing your influence with people and industries. As biblical entrepreneurs, we must use our influence to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom, to encourage ethical practices within our industries, and to promote a righteous lifestyle within individuals.
How does a person create influence? It is a by- product of trust. Trust is created when people believe that you have their best interest in mind when you are encouraging, correcting and making decisions. Trust is also developed when others see that you are consistent in your words and deeds. Integrity and having others’ best interest in mind produces trustworthiness. You must be worthy of receiving people’s trust.
Another component of influence is wealth. A person that has wealth and assets has the ability to influence governments, industries, and people. The Bible declares in Ecclesiastes 10:19 that “money answereth all things”. A biblical entrepreneur has the capability to have her wealth to speak for her within the marketplace to promote righteous business practice. Ecclesiastes 7:12 also proclaims that “money is a defense”. Biblical entrepreneurship encourages paying employees descent wages therefore defending the enterprise’s reputation in the eyes of consumers, employees, and government officials.
Now let us deal with empowering people to transform their lives in order to become righteous individuals. Biblical entrepreneurs are trailblazers and standard bearers of being holy within their industry. Christians within the global marketplace are to model godly character in all transactions. Their deeds will be able to testify that righteousness is the only way. Biblical entrepreneurs must display a lifestyle of holiness so they can spread the Gospel of the Kingdom to those whom they interact with. As believers in Christ, our characters must line up with our words if we are to be effective in spreading the Gospel. The purpose of creating influence is to promote the good news about King Jesus coming to earth with his kingdom so people’s lives can be changed.
Jesus the Christ used His influence to change the religious climate within the Roman empire. Jesus’ ministry changed millions of lives by displaying a new standard known as Kingdom Authority and Righteous. Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom instead of doctrines of traditions. The Gospel of the Kingdom transforms lives and man made doctrines keeps people in bondage. To be a biblical entrepreneur we must use our influence to change the standard within our industries by living Kingdom principles.
www.stephenowens.com Stephen Owens is a man on a mission to impact and empower the lives of striving entrepreneurs and those within the role of leadership. Stephen’s primary goal is to help transform the lives of business leaders around the world and their organizations. Stephen understands the trials and tribulations of starting and operating an enterprise. He is compelled to aid individuals to be effective in the market place.
Stephen was the founder and president of Alpha Lending & Investments, LLC. This Cleveland, Ohio based company focused on securing financing for commercial real estates investors and business expansion. Stephen’s experience is working with entrepreneurs and organizational leaders, has helped him gain an understanding of the obstacles and frustrations that many of them encounter.
In 2006, Stephen released his first book, The Revolutionary Change: Unlock the secret to producing change in your life. This book was birthed out of his experience of transforming his life. He wrote this great work for those individuals that are ready to reposition their lives for outstanding growth and achievement.
Stephen is a sought after Speaker and Seminar Teacher as well. Some of the topics include: The seven laws of entrepreneurship; The effective organization; Unlock the change within you workshop; and The young entrepreneur. The material that Stephen shares fans the fire of the entrepreneurial spirit that is needed to grow an organization to world class status. Website: www.stephenowens.orgBookmark this post on all your favorite bookmark websites
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Program introduces world of work | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times
Program introduces world of work
By Deborah Gates • Staff Writer • September 5, 2010
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-->-->SALISBURY -- An Easton property owner has offered Junior Achievement a 20,00 square-foot building to build a city -- with a bank, insurance company, city hall, and other obvious institutions of commerce.
All jobs, decision-makers and consumers will be schoolchildren, giving them a leg up in the business world.
The nonprofit agency works to link businesses, educators and volunteers through partnerships that teach work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. A hands-on, experiential program called JA World, as the proposed city is known, teaches young people about the business world.
Projects are underway at 38 locations throughout Junior Achievement USA, including Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington, and as soon as there is a suitable location, a JA World will launch one on the Eastern Shore.
"We're looking in different cities; we haven't found the perfect size. This will be a very large facility with a tall ceiling -- an actual city," said Jayme Weeg, president of Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore, headquartered in Salisbury. "Students will get to live the life of an adult at least one day."
JA World is a fully interactive simulated town facility with opportunities for students of different ages to function in adult career and community role. BizTown is a practical field outing for elementary students, and JA Finance Park is an infrastructure targeting middle-grades.
The local simulated city will include up to 20 businesses where students can function in settings as restaurants, check-cashing entities and lending institutions, and challenge themselves on decisions as whether to borrow, as well as whether to lend. The challenge makes students more competitive.
At least 6,000 fifth- through- ninth-grade students throughout the region are expected to participate and role-play a variety of functions. Students in six counties -- Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester -- would participate. The project has endorsements education leaders including John Fredericksen, superintendent of schools in Wicomico, and a member of the local Junior Achievement board of directors.
"Why not us? Our kids need to be competitive," Weeg said. "We don't have one on the Eastern Shore. We have one of the toughest standards of living on the Eastern Shore -- we're one of the poorest counties (in the state) right here."
The local program is weighing all options on a location, and hasn't decided on whether to accept the Easton offer, Weeg said. The JA World could take up to five years to build out -- but worth the time and investment.
"We will build windows, floors, an actual city street," she said. "What we build will allow students to gain hands-on financial literacy and entrepreneurship experience. They will leave with an understanding of what the real world is like."
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