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Student Insights for Entrepreneur Interviews

Entrepreneur insights and perceptions related to their businesses were obtained through interviews conducted by students. Student insights and reflections regarding the interview process are shown on this page.

Simply scroll down the page to view. They are shown with the most recent reflections appearing first.


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The most meaningful part of this project was being able to see what this entrepreneur had done with his experiences.  I’m headed down a similar road, majoring in business with lots of work experience in design, and I’m not sure where my future might lie following this path.  I’ve felt so much uncertainty that I’ve even considered switching majors and starting over.  However, this entrepreneur has literally been where I am now, and he’s been able to leverage his knowledge, expertise and work ethic into running his own lucrative business doing what he enjoys.  I also enjoy my work, but I don’t feel that I can manage a full engineering degree. It’s been inspirational to see that there is considerable success waiting down the line if I can earn it.

The other thing that I came away with from this project was a newfound respect for the planning process.  Planning is central to everything this entrepreneur discussed, both in preparing to start his company and in maintaining a high quality output.  He planned his strategy for five months before even starting up, working with business advice organizations so that he’d be prepared for anything that might go wrong. He also commented on how good scheduling can lower the costs of running his business and that it helped to keep clients both happy and aware of where their project was in development. I don’t think I ever spend as much time as I should planning and preparing for what might go wrong on projects, so I often find myself scrambling to finish them before a deadline.  If I sat down and organized my schedule to include delays and other emergencies that have a habit of popping up, I think my projects would come in under time and under budget more often.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 19:57:40
The most meaning full thing that i got out of this was to keep after your dreams. If you really want it go after it. The motivation of success has to be there. Like iI want to have my own clothing company. I'm already started off and the dreams are there. I really appreciated this assignment it helped me have a mentor for a little bit and I have a better notion of what it takes to run your own business.
 I liked spending tiome with someone that had similar interewsts dreams and motivations. I had the time to find out and see what hard work and dedication will get you. Spending time with a fellow entrepreneur was most resourceful and i enjoyed spending time with someone i view as a mentor. I'm  most grateful for this assignment, I could use all of this information as useful resources for my clothing company. The knowledge and wisdom gained will be most helpful. I enjoyed doing this assignment, for it's multi-purpose inside the classroom and out.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 20:15:30

When we first received this project my thoughts where "oh man I'm going to have to sit with my boss for an hour and talk to him." I was definitely intimidated by the thought but now that it's over I am more than glad I picked my boss. I would have never thought he experienced some of the things he did. The way he explained everything with such dept and emotion really helped me see a different side of him. I liked how he also explained to me how he grew from his experiences and how different his way of thinking was when he was around my age, because I can see that I have some similar ways of thinking and dealing with things. He was much more open and honest about his life than I was expecting.
What was most meaningful to me was that he didn't just answer the question and say "okay next one." He allowed me to ask my own questions whether they were on or off topic. He took the time to ask about my class and what it was that I wanted to get out of this and do in life. He gave me his personal feedback but never once judged me or put down any of my ideas. He made it easy to talk to him; it was not like talking to your boss just like talking to any other person. This project not only opened my eyes to things I do in the future but it also helped me understand my boss more.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 20:28:51
This project was very meaningful to me by it showing me how easy it is to start your own business.  It also shows me how many people have started their own business and have succeeded in the business.  This shows me that you don’t have to be a big company to start something great you can be a regular person and do it.  This shows me that you can be a small business and still be competitive against big companies for many years.  It shows me that little companies can steal compete with big companies by quality work and service.  I like knowing that is possible to beat the big companies.
I liked knowing that the big company can’t win at every corner and crack of the market.  Theirs always room for a small business to squeeze in and do what the larger chain cannot.  The small mom and pop store truly care about their customers feelings and their satisfaction. This project meant a lot to me because before this project I had ideas but never thought I could do them because I figured it was too hard or been done before.  Not anymore I now know how to do what I have to and how easy it really is.  This project has shown me it isn’t to hard to big or not possible, but very plausible.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 20:35:55
One of the most meaningful lessons that I got out of this project was the fact that got a better understanding of what it takes to run a business.  I got a better look at what I am going to have to do in order to keep up with my competition.  The fact that there are many areas to be tended to such as the new advancing technologies, and meeting your customers needs when it comes to customer service plays a big role in running a business.  The necessary things to do such as establishing credit with vendors had never crossed my mind.  My eyes were opened to the actual work needed to run a successful business. With this project I am taking with me new ideas and information that will help me to be successful in whatever business
This project was very meaningful to me because it confirmed my thoughts in becoming an entrepreneur.  I was able to see the freedom of choices that one really has in being an entrepreneur.  I see no other alternatives in my life to carry on as a career.  This project had sparked a flame within me that really gave me a desire to become a business owner one day.  The thought of having others come to me for my specialized work and being completely satisfied with the results is my dream. With the confirmation of my goal of being an entrepreneur,  I am taking what I learned from this project and already started to build up on the certain attributes I will need in being a successful entrepreneur
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 21:00:11
The thing that was most meaningful to me about this project was that I got to learn about some of the aspects of running your own business from someone who has done it firsthand and is currently running it.  One thing that I took away from this project is that it is often to your advantage to run a business that deals with a hobby or interest of yours.  Running a business that deals with one of your interests or hobbies will usually benefit you because thinking of innovative ideas regarding something that you are familiar with, for example comes much easier than they would for something that you are not so familiar with.  I’ll definitely keep this in mind as I think of ideas for the type of business I will eventually want to get into.  I might be able to run a profitable business that centers around something I am knowledgeable right about now.  After doing this project, I feel as if the types of business I can one day run are endless, so there has got to be one out there that I would not only enjoy running, but be profitable as well.
Something else that was meaningful to me about this project is the importance of a business’s location.  After the interview I put a lot of thought into how much the location of a business can impact its performance.  A very successful business that is relocated can go bankrupt solely because of its location, while a brand new business can thrive in a location that is strategically chosen.  In other words, a business’s location can often determine the extent of its success.  For example, the book stores across the street from Mt. San Antonio College probably would not have nearly as much business if they were not located across the street from a college.  With this in mind, I’m going to keep an eye out for regional trends that I may be able to capitalize on.
Overall, this project opened my eyes to a lot of different issues regarding business.  Starting and running a successful business takes a lot of strategic decision-making and careful planning.  Before I get into business myself, I’m going to take the time to talk to as many other successful entrepreneurs as I can.  The knowledge they gained through their firsthand experience can help me avoid making some the same mistakes they have made, while leading me to duplicate some of the good decisions they have made.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 21:01:42
The most meaningful thing about this project was getting an opportunity to meet an entrepreneur face to face and ask them questions. Although we can read or watch about entrepreneurship, there is nothing better than meeting an actual entrepreneur. I could feel his enthusiasm, aspirations, and sometimes frustration during the interview. Through the interview I learned many things from this entrepreneur. First, "niche market" is a key to success, which he mentioned over and over. I found his business fascinating, because it is not only a niche business, but also it is a green business. While many companies pursue their profitability, this company cares about environment and social responsibility. His marketing strategy is "win-win" relationship with customers. His company recently made a radio commercial to give customer a great promotion. When a customer buys a paint from his company, he will contribute 10% of profit to the customer's church under the customer's name. I found it fascinating, because it builds up win-win relationship with the customer and even with a church. This taught me that it is always important to come up with an unique idea and offer a great deal to customers.

Another thing I learned from him is to be creative and innovative. Although, he does not have many competitors, he constantly makes efforts to be creative and comes up with new marketing ideas. For example, social network is one of the new marketing tools he uses. They have both twitter and facebook, which advertise what their company does. Although it has not proven its effect yet, he tries to pursue and stay on it.  Learning the new technologies can lead a company one step ahead of competitors. He also uses radio, magazine and newsletters as advertising tools to appeal to his customers. I think that it is very important to keep the company creative and innovative especially for small business owners. We can not beat big corporations by price or brand name; however, if we can offer something big corporations do not have, or things only small business can offer, we could be more successful. I really think that this project was meaningful and opened my eyes. If I have a chance, I will try to meet more entrepreneurs and obtain their secret of business.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 21:41:17
What I got most out of this project was learning a lot about starting a business as far as what to expect and what to prepare for from someone who experienced it first hand. It helped out because the guy that helped me started off in the company at a very low position and actually looked into opening his own business in the same market but realized how well the company treats it's customers and employees so he decided to stay and excelled in the company and is now at a very high position. When considering the different things when it comes to starting up a business there are a lot of things that can be over looked when the entrepreneur has a lack of experience or knowledge. Therefore it is good to have some sort of insight from someone who has been through the experience to help guide the entrepreneur through the proper steps. That was made clear to me through this process. A lot of different topics were addressed that were a little unclear to me before this project. We were also able to go into detail about things that were more important or that had more of an emphasis. It was made sure that all of my questions were not only answered but understood to a very high degree before we moved on to another question.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 21:54:22
This project broadened my understanding of what it means to own a business and be an  entrepreneur as well as confirm much of what I have learned from the class and book. The interviewee described trust as being an important key factor to the success of a company. This is a topic that was discussed within the first three chapters of the text book. This particular company is doing very well for itself and has even recovered from near bankruptcy since the interviewee has begun running the company about seven years ago. This entrepreneur shares the same values as the book and his results help support the claims of the book. The interview also helped to bring these topics and information into practical light. It made the information seem as more than just information but guidelines that should be used in the future.
The project also showed that there is more to capitalism and business than just competition. Mentors can be a very useful tool and can help guide one into a successful future. Competition is a major factor of business but so is cooperation. In fact cooperation is necessary in business, whether it be with other companies, employees, family, mentors, friends, or sources of information. The value of the opinion of different minds magnifies the understanding of the market and business. I know deem it valuable to acquire as many different opinions as I can about the business or market that I decide to enter in the future in order to prepare and decide how I believe the business or market to work.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 22:19:52
I learned a lot from my interview with an entrepreneur.  Getting insight and advice from someone who has gone through the career oath I aspire to follow gives very unique insight in what it takes.  Solid and deeply ingrained organization skills were one business aspect that the subject of my interview put heavy emphasis on, and it one thing that while I fee I am somewhat proficient I have done little work on improving.  

More than anything else, I am even more excited at the prospect of what lays ahead.  The social interactions and networking that seem to make up a good portion of business conducted by my interviewee and his immediate coworkers are exactly what initially drew me to business, and I have taken many surprising and worthwhile lessons from this project.
Date Submitted: 2011-04-14 22:28:41
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