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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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Records 281 to 290 of 1253
I would have to say that this project was meaningful to me because I got to see the insides of a business, it wasn’t just what you se one the outside. It is amazing the different things and how much effort goes into running a small business. Friendly competition is always important; it causes people to thrive for more. Motivation is the key aspect of a business, you have to want it, and you can’t expect someone to do it for you. Either you find work and work, or you fail you business and can loose your livelihood. The other thing I thought was neat is the pressure it is on a family when a small owned business is the bread and butter of a family, how it affects a family if money is not coming in.
This project made me step out of my shoes and into small business owners; your actions have an affect on everyone. The customers you work with, the suppliers that supply you, the family that the business supports and owner that works so hard every day of the week to make sure it all works synchronized so everyone is happy. Owning your own business sounds great when you’re looking at it in the perspective of not having a boss and all the money is your profit but there is a huge under layer. When you get into a business it is amazing the finances, the hard work and motivation and the scarifies that it takes to continue a business life and success.  I think doing this interview can defiantly give someone a second thought of starting there own business, but it can also help someone be better ready. I can say that personally I am now better ready and know what to better expect, it’s a lot of work and many aspects to take into consideration, very important to stay focused and motivated.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 12:30:46
Anyone can have a business dream, but not many people achieve it and become successful. In this case, management and ownership are very important because the owner has to know who is going to run the shop, and who is going to be the general manager, bookkeeper, head cook or bartender. A owner needs to be able to manage his or her time appropriately. Many new restaurant owners either hire a general dining room manager or a kitchen manager. In this case, the boss regards a family relationship as the primary unit of the organizational structure. The boss has to decipher who is going to do what, including any potential employees whom the boss feels will be a great benefit to his or her new restaurant. If I start a small business, I have to know many things because I might have to do these things by myself, such as hiring people, taking care of the employees, making delicious food for the customers, ordering from food supply companies or local farms, knowing who my competition is and who my target market is. It is always good to know and learn this knowledge to improve one’s skills.
This interview allowed me to see how a small business boss builds his or her own empire. I also feel that this interview experience will help me greatly in my business. Being around this business environment allows me to actually see how customers react to this service. It is also important to have a business plan because it is essential for most new businesses seeking any kind of financing, which is absolutely imperative for a prospective restaurateur. By creating a restaurant business plan, one shows the bank one has a clear and concise plan for getting one’s restaurant up and running. Also, one will learn about all the different aspects of a restaurant, as well as one’s local competition and the local market.
This project is meaningful because it allows me to actually grasp the knowledge that I was given from the book. This interview experience helps me understand how to run a business, and it will be a good example to help me build my own business in the future. The boss gave me some advice that will help my career. It is not hard to have a business, but it is difficult to keep a business going on and doing well. In addition, a boss has to think about people’s needs and what can be done to fulfill those needs. Thus, an entrepreneur has to keep his or her eyes and ears open in order to catch the opportunity and do well in this industry.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 12:32:25
The most meaningful part about this project was talking to someone who has experience in a field i want to get into. She was sweet and very knowledgeable in her field. She was very supportive and really believed that I could do it. She talked from her own experience. She gave great advice on how to make it in this business and even offered me an internship with her which I plan to take her up on. Andrea found the most important component of the business to be management and staff because without that you have nothing.

Even though her business is listed as a sole proprietorship Andrea sees it more as a partnership. They divide and conquer her husband more of the customer service end and Andrea being more of the creative end. Together they make it which gives me hope for my fiance and I. Word of mouth is important and I myself as a tiny tiny business owner am slowly figuring it out. She talked about passion which made me really think about what i really want to do. Now I'm more than certain that baking is my passion and what i want to do.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 12:52:25
This project really did two things for me. First, it reminded me that they're are fundamental laws in entrepreneurship that, when applied can make all the difference. Secondly, this project gave me a renewed sense of hope and opportunity! During the process of conducting this interview I realized that sometimes its the fundamentals that can determine who wins and loses in business. For example, having a tremendous work ethic, building a foundation on honesty and integrity, and simply meeting the needs the of the consumer can make all the difference. This project reminded me that sometimes I have to step out of my comfort zone in order to grow and ultimately become successful. Mastering my craft so to speak or becoming the best at what i do is important at becoming successful and staying successful. Also, i'm reminded that good things take time and the best things in life don't come easy. One has to be willing and able to work harder and more determined than anyone else to bring their dreams to fruition. Put simply, if i do what most people do you'll get what most people get, if you do what most people don't do you get extraordinary results. Also, honesty and integrity are invaluable. No business will thrive in the long run if its not founded on these principles. Its evident that trust is the true currency in commerce. When we are business for ourselves we have to sometimes go back to what worked for us in the beginning. So often, when things aren't going the way we want in our business we tend to assume that their must be some complex reason when in fact its usually something simple. I feel reassured that if I utilize these fundamentals in the development and maintenance of my business, I will surely reap the rewards of the free-enterprise and ownership. Also, this project was very inspirational for me. During and after the interview i could barely sit still trying to absorb all of this great, useful knowledge and advice. I feel renewed in the sense that there's always a chance to win, no matter what. No matter who you are or where you come from, if you want something bad enough and are willing to pay the price to get it, well, you can have it! I realize that even during the tough economic times, theres always seeds of opportunity waiting to be nurtured. In life, sometimes things just don't turn out the way we expect, but we can take something from those experiences and use them to propel us in the future. Sitting across from someone who has achieved the very thing i've set out in life to attain was very powerful and  enlightening. It reminds me that there are people just like me, who have already won, and won big that are willing to help others in their journey. Hearing the stories of temporary defeats and great triumphs made me realize that the price that I have to pay to win in business is so worth it! Where else can someone like me with the educational background i have, or lack thereof and sit across the   
table from a seven-figure earner and receive useful knowledge and advice on the changes that i need to make in order to win! This project has re-kindled my "entrepreneurial flame " and has given me a higher belief in myself and in my ability to be successful in business.
    
     
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 18:15:45
 The most meaningful part of this project was getting to know the entrepreneur. She was skillful and wise in her area of work. I really learned what it takes to start my own business. She gave me good business ideas. This project gave me good ideas and made me realize what it takes to start your own business. It was very helpful.
  The entrepreneur seems to know what she was talking about. She was doing well in her business. Being a sole proprietorship has its advantages like getting the profits, making your own hours, could go on vacation whenever you want, and as long as you want. I’d enjoy doing this project.    
   
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 18:18:01
The most meaningul about this project is that it inspired me to become a owner of a business. The fact that I get to do things my way in a good enviornment is amazing. Although I know it won't be easy, there are still benfits. I realized that in order to exprience good days in my business, im going to have to experience bad day in my business. That way, I would really be able to determine if my business is growing or not.

This was a good project because it shows what I need to look forward too when having my business. It's helpful because it's giving me some insight on how to run a business. It helps me to learn from other peoples' mistakes and so that I won't make them in the future, and my business can be ten times better and successful than another other business. A business with less problems, is a business that is powerful. This project taught me a lot and it was greatly need for the future.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 18:41:24
This project is meaningful because I got to visit the assisted living facility near Beverly Hills and experience what is like to run the day to day operation of an assisted living facility.  I was able to interview the owner these specific questions and was pleased that he was willing to share such valuable information with me.  I do get a sense of the problems that exist within the business as well as the goal they are trying to accomplish.  Looking back to what I originally thought how the business was ran I now have a different perspective on this industry.  The challenges Felipe faces are multi-dimensional and are unique within the industry.  It requires problem solving skills that are honed through time. The data gathered from this interview will definitely help in conducting the feasibility study in starting this type of business.
 
After the interview, Felipe allowed me to stay at the business for a couple hours to have me watch what the day to day operation is like.  I would almost compare the assisted living facility to a well ran hotel, but with additional elements and it is that some of the residents have dementia, Alzheimer’s, and physical disabilities.  It was fascinating to me to see how difficult the elderly lifestyle is when he or she is completely depended on the assistance of the care taker.  From this experience, it not only changed the way I viewed the business, but life itself as well.  It was depressing, but at the same time I know that the assisted living is a niche market that will exist for a very long time.  Felipe and I are friends and after this interview, I decided to volunteer here.  Working with the folks here gave me a new area of expertise in handling specific cases and allows me to tackle challenging problems with limited resources.  Kind of like solving a puzzle in limited amount of moves because the residents here and their family expect answers and quick responses. It was definitely a meaningful experience for me to say the least.  
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 20:14:22
One thing that was gained from this assignment was the insight as to how hard it is to run a business and what you have to be prepared to deal with. Most of what was talked about is what I expected to come up but it put into perspective how real these problems can be. There maybe day where not a single sale is made. There may be weeks or even months where you may be barely making enough to feed yourself. This is where the message of "Who Stole My Cheese" needs to be applied so that the business and you can continue to survive.

Taking the risk is the other thing that was learned and what can be done to reduce that risk. This entrepreneur just jumped in without knowing what he was really getting himself into, but jumped in knowing that it was something that he loved doing. I feel like if you love it, you will find a way to make it work. But as he mentioned, to give myself foresight in what I may be getting myself into, make a business plan and goals to work towards so that the business has direction. This will allow the business to evolve and grow as long as I continuously come up with innovative ways of marketing the business and staying on top of the trends of society.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 21:11:36
I think there are a lot of aspects of a small business that could be learned from this project. For one, I really saw the passion an entrepreneur has for his or her business. I think this is very important because it makes me realize that before starting a business one should really be passionate about what they plan to open as a business. I think sometimes people see an idea for a business and act on that idea but do not realize that they have no experience, craze or even enthusiasm about the actually business. Thanks to this project I see that it is important to open a business for a lot more reasons than just for the money.  Another thing I learned was the importance the web has on small businesses today. I realized that through the web you can stay connected to the customers even after they leave your business. Developing those relationships with customers and staying fresh in their mind is what is going to keep them coming back.

One major piece of advice from the entrepreneur that really opened my eyes was, finding the right location. The right location is going to go hand in hand with the type of business you are planning to operate. It is key to have a location that accommodates your needs. It is also essential to learn about the surrounding area of your business before it even opens so that you can customize the place to the customer’s needs.  My interviewee is successful in her business because her location is perfect for her clientele. The place is only open Monday through Friday from 7am to 2:30 pm because she knew that the area was a down town district where everyone in the offices went to lunch around the same time,  and needed something fast to eat from a place they could walk to. The last factor that really stood out for me was the importance of developing good customer service. If you treat your customer like they want and deserve then they will keep coming back again and again so long as your business stays relevant with the times.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 22:30:39

The most meaningful information is that with a produce store came a lot of challenges but at one point the store was really successful. They would deliver to schools and other companies. I learned the background on which my grandfather came from. Growing up he was a farmer, then he worked for Dixie buying produce from downtown LA wholesale, and final lived his dream opening up his own business. Some advice that he gave me was always be true your customers. Keep the customers happy and they will come back. His methods were sometimes older but if done correctly were very efficient.
He stressed that customer service was always a big concern. His business ran on word of mouth, he did not have advertising but he treated is customers as his friends. He also said times have changed since when he first started there was less tension and things were easier going back when he started up. If I would start a business today some of the advice I would take away from this would to do my research first on location and once I get a business going get to know my customers. I learned they do not have up to date technology but they still operate using work done by hand or finding other ways around.
Date Submitted: 2011-10-12 23:21:15
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