| I had a chance to see a part of my cousin Ivonne that I had never seen. Sure, I saw her at family parties and events, but I never saw her professional side. She has many of the things which I am looking for in life , such as a nice car, nice home, and own business. She is a well rounded individual with a lot of insight and knowledge which translates well to when I need to talk to a mentor. This project also made it clear that a business wont start itself and that there are plenty of opportunities to succeed in the business world. There is a place for bright, young, ambitious, and motivated men like me. I understand that things wont always be good and that there will be many lows during my career. However, an opportunity alone is worth it all in the end. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-16 22:04:12
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| This project was a lot of fun and was very helpful because I have been slowly starting my own cattle business so the advice and pointers I got from this project will forever help me with my future. The thing that was most helpful with this interview was the pointers I got about being prepared for the business I’m going to be running and the financial tips. Tips like that can help you because you will always have the in the back of your mind keeping your thoughts straight and keeping your future of the company held high. The next thing that was helpful was the section about reputation and advertising because without those two things you wouldn’t have the customers or consumers to make your product popular. I think we should have people to get advice and pointers from because they can have such an impact on the new businesses being created. People could learn about things they will encounter from other peoples mistakes. This is one piece of advice that everyone can take in consideration because it is completely true. These are just a few things I thought were very helpful in this interview because I can rely on this stuff to help me through problems that every business goes through. But the most important thing I learned was knowledge is power. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-16 22:38:50
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| The most meaningful experience for me is finally getting closer to my goals by hearing someone else succeed. I am starting to do what I set out to do long ago. Educating myself about the business and hearing the experiences from others is reassuring that my dreams can and will come true. Now, with technology as advanced as it is the possibilities are endless. I can have my own business on the net without ever leaving my house. Importing and exporting can happen all over the world with just a click of a button. I can become an international business person, buying and selling alike. I can work from the Fiji Islands and travel to Europe without missing anything at all. I can trade and sell any where in the world. Now, that means freedom to me. This project has opened my eyes to the importance of safety. What can happen and what to look out for. How there are people out there who are jealous and want what you have. People who are greedy and do not want you to succeed. How knowing the law is crucial to any business and can make you or break you if you do not know it. But on the flip side, there are people and family who do want you to succeed and will help you along the way. I think that general support is very vital to a thriving business. Weather it be financial or emotional stresses, you’re bound to endure both. It is important to have a strong support system or group to help you along the way. Through the hard times and the good times, it is best to celebrate with persons you care about and love. The significance of mentoring is very important, even if it is your dad. The mentor wants the best for you and wants to see you succeed. I think this one is the most meaningful of all. All of these great people willing to help out if we only ask. They one thing that was in the back of my mind the whole time was the business owners family. Never once did they give up on each other. They fought through it. Every step of the way they fought through it together. They never gave up on themselves or their family. They always had that, “We can make it!” attitude. Never once did they let doubt come in and steal their joy. They fought long and hard and they made it. I thought that was the most amazing part of it all! So in hindsight, "Never give up!" |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-16 23:42:28
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| The most meaningful thing to me about this project is how much effort he has put in to his Business that he has accomplished over the years, which I have known him even to this day he still hasn’t stop growing, he continues to expand each day to achieve his goal. I have not yet seen him fail in any area even through this economics crisis. I would consider him as a role model for any person that wants to start their own business. He is a mentor for any person that wants to start a business, he will provide directly with facts on how to achieve your goal and how to make it successful. His saying in his business is that “he doesn’t think on the problems he looks for solutions”; to rephrase his quote will be instead of stressing out of one problem think about another solution. In reality we will have to inform ourselves regarding any facts before we decide what type of business we want to accomplish. He show me that to be an entrepreneur I need to plan a strategy to make my business to be efficient and effective from not failing out of early stage of beginning a business. He also showed me that making and starting your own business it’s not going to be easy everything takes time. For you to decide to start a business you need to know what business you want to have, what is your first step, what name, what product you will be selling, licensing, permits, you need to start your marketing, what location is going to be, and what is your competition. When owning your own business you have to have ideas already planned out for the future that will bring in more success, expansion and profit. Not all ideas will come to you, get ideas from your employees to make them part of the company. When starting a business is good to ask for an advice from other entrepreneur, employees, friends, and family about any problem that you can not solve. Every business need always need a good leader to make employs and customers feel comfortable in their own environment. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 01:34:50
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| This project has reaffirmed my dream to start my own business. Throughout my educational career- including both high school and college- I have switched majors multiple times, experimented taking classes to broaden my interest in certain fields, and have considered a wide number of possible professions to go into. But not one career path sparked my interest and fulfilled my own personal needs as business did. It was clear that this route would allow me to do all the things I love and still provide me a comfortable life. Also, most of my reason to major in Small Business Management is to be my own boss, and after doing the interview and reading responses from other entrepreneurs, it seems we share many of the same values and goals. Moreover, through this project, I was able to learn many of the challenges I know I will face as an entrepreneur. It is never easy for any business to reach success. All the more, it is even harder during the first stages of starting a business. However, knowing that such challenges can be faced and even conquered brings me hope of my own success. With resources, such as Professor Jagodka provides, I know there will always be some form of help to get my business through the rough times. There will always be entrepreneurs ready and willing to take their own experiences and offer words of advice to those who need it. It is this network of entrepreneurs that has allowed small businesses across the US to thrive and hold together the economy. Knowing this, I am reassured that being successful is possible. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 01:49:13
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| The most meaningful aspect of this project is going out and interviewing an entrepreneur, and just picking there brain, what it took to get everything started, how much sweat and tears to be established enough to live comfortable, not lavish but still well off. Not being afraid of going out and taking chances, because life is about chance and gambling, its not always in your favor but sometimes, we hit walls in life you just got to figure out how to get around it, getting great information is always importatnt to get an idea of what and where and how you want to do business. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 12:16:16
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| It gives me lots of insights of how an entrepreneur uses a variety of tools and techniques to make his/her business more efficient, which also helps to reduce costs and improve profits. For example, a software to simplify procedures, improve efficiency, accurately record transactions, produces accurate report for management to analyze what needs to be improved throughout the whole operation of the business. Product quality, pricing, and positioning of product can help establish my company in a spot more attractive than my competitors. Understanding my competitors can also help to improve and differentiate my business. Always keep myself up to date on market trend, improve or acquire additional products to expend market and to keep my company in front of the curve. Understanding the operation procedures, from manufacturing the product to shipping to selling and to delivering the product to consumers. It helps me to understand that each step of the operational chain is important, and I need to always look to improve efficiency to move my business forward, to never be “outdated, and be left behind by the market. Techniques like maximizing credit terms with vendors, account receivable financing are helpful to maintain sufficient cash flow of the company. This project prompts me to do additional research which can benefit me significantly when i start my own business. Information from this project can also help me in researching for new product to start business, and it helps me to focus more on improving and to look for advantages to differentiate myself from the competitors, so it can help me expand to an untouched market. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 15:15:20
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| What I found meaningful about this project was the insight of an entrepreneur and some advice they gave us while answering the questions. The information such as what is the best sources of financing and what we must do well in order to survive was very important. I think these things are some of the areas many new entrepreneurs struggle with the first few years of starting up. Many new start up companies have some financial problems in the beginning and having a strong financial backing will greatly help with the initial costs of a business. In many if not every business runs into some sort of problem and these problems may be unique problems that many people don't know how to react to. The ability to figure out a solution and executing the solution to solve the problem is very crucial in keeping a business running. I also thought the questions relating the biggest challenges were helpful as well. The answer given to the question stated both the problems and how the company attempted to eliminate or minimize the problem and to come up with a solution. For some people when a problem arises they either attempt to tackle it head on or to simply just avoid it. My interviewee showed how they solved or worked around the problem thus allowing them to operate. Another thing I found meaningful was the advice given on how aspiring entrepreneurs should prepare and what should we focus. I agree with us needing to have a fresh mind and accept new ideas that we can incorporate in the company, as well as learning the correct things in school so we can be proficient at what we do. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 15:27:51
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| I have a few topics that was meaningful to me. The first that i would have to pick is the overall amount of information and emotion that took place. Being able to see the side of a business owner I rarely see has opened my eyes in different aspects. Not only I was able to obtain useful information it gave a me clearer insight on how to run a business . I've always knew that he put a lot of hard work into his business. But to sit down on a professional level and hear first hand what a entrepreneur must do in order to be successful on what they chooses to become is really motivating. This project asked about eight question. Not only I got information based on that I was able to network a little better and take a serious look into his business. He seen that I was taking the extra step in getting to know a entrepreneur and gave me very good opportunity. This project served a great purpose. Also Knowing that he is so busy. He made time to take a trip from Thailand to sit down and give me useful information. This project gave me the chance to now have a mentor as an inspired entrepreneur and know I’m getting good advice on questions I have. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 16:26:50
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| One of the things I found most meaningful about this project was the insight from someone who is so successful in running their own business. I found it remarkable that someone was willing to take this risk and be able to reap the benefits. This person decided to leave the corporate world on a whim to chase their dream of what they were truly passionate about. To most people this kind of thing would be just another job, but in talking to this person I could hear the passion they feel for this business and the satisfaction they get knowing this was something, along with her partners, they created, developed and succeeded. The other thing I took away from this project was it really lit a fire inside me to start my own business. Before this project I hadn't really thought about it but now I really want to find something I can get passionate about. Perhaps something in sports or travel, maybe even a combination of the two. In talking to this entrepreneur I discovered that I don't want to follow someone else's rules, but instead I want to make my own. Now I know that one day I will have my own business. I may not know what it will be but I will make it my passion. |
Date Submitted: 2012-10-17 18:45:30
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