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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 851 to 860 of 1253
The most meaningful part of the project was that I got to learn how to start a business. I now know how one of the most successful people I know, started their business. The start is always the hardest part. I hope to be able to follow the advice he gave me. He went on about the importance of a good start. To do the work yourself, I think that is the most valuable information.

The ability to know how to begin is probably the most important part, but the second most important part is knowing how to expand the business. He told me to go slow, when you expand. You can expand too fast, and then have to declare bankruptcy. The ability to expand your business is crucial, and every business will need to expand some day. Knowing when he expanded the business also helped, because that is another crucial aspect. He said expansion occurs before you are at the maximum capacity of horses, because otherwise you waste money advertising. Provided the expansion can be done cost effective.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-26 18:14:43

What was most meaningful to me about this project is that I got an inside almost behind the scenes view of the business I would like to apply to come July. Over the past five months I have been building a relationship with a few of the employees as well as the owners. This interview was a tool to get me one step closer with the owner. Being new to the industry I am a sponge ready to take in as much knowledge as I can get. I feel like sitting in a class and being told about how a small business works versus being told by someone who is actually in the spot I would like to be in years from now are extremely different. It makes what I've learned in class a reality and not just something on paper.
After this interview I know what I should make sure I focus on when it comes to schooling. Of course I should focus on it all, but having the owner point the top three things in various categories helped make my life a little bit easier. Knowledge is power, and I feel like this interview process was a miniature mentorship. I appreciated all of the inspirational words she sent my way. I tend to get down on myself more often than I should and to know someone I look up to is rooting for me makes me lift my head high.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-26 21:13:17

There were a couple of things that were most meaningful to me about this project. For one, i got to see, experience, and visualize a whole new perspective on what it takes to be in the small business world. I learned what it takes to get there, how to stay stable in the business world, and the tasks it takes. I've been able to study and really go into depth on the perspectives of the business world. It's very meaningful to be able to be taught so many things that are so beneficial.

The other thing that was most meaningful to me, was being able to interview my dad as being a small business owner. Not only did i get to hear and discuss with him on what it takes to be in the small business world, but it was most meaningful to hear the personal side of things. It was meaningful to be reminded on how/what brought him into this business world and how he got there. His opinions and visuals on life mean everything to me, so it was very meaningful to hear about this type of world from someone who is such a professional in this type of field of work.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-26 22:39:33

I found this experience interesting and useful in many ways. I learned about some of the problems that an entrepreneur encountered in the process of opening a business. A strong foundation for my business is very important for its survival. The knowledge I have in business is a key factor for me to manage it the best way. It is necessary to have the information on how to open a business, bookkeeping, and marketing for example. The finances play also an important role in the foundation of business. If I do not have a good credit, my business is going to be financially affected. In the present day, the advances in technology offer useful tools that help in the competitiveness of a business. In a word, I have to have all the “pieces of the puzzle” in their right place. Other key points that were mentioned during the interview as important for the business were to have competitive prices, give an excellent customer service, and offer the best product/service quality possible in order to be in business. I also learned that being an expert in the services/products offered in a business would determine the confidence I will have as an entrepreneur. I cannot afford to learn as I go. In a word, I have to have all the “pieces of the puzzle” in their right place. My conclusion and the best advice that I could get was to not be afraid and start up my business.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-26 23:18:23

It was really refreshing to have actually sat down with an entrepreneur who gave me insight into their business. It’s more meaningful to actually have someone who has already traveled down the entrepreneur road than to read success stories or theories in books. Having sat down with a business owner allowed me to visually see the outcomes of their business actions and ask any questions that I had. Through these questions I gained knowledge that will one day help me with my own business. For example, learning about finances and how to obtain them is one tip that will definitely help me when starting up. Also, while learning about the challenges that this business faced I learned how to avoid them for my future.

If it wasn’t for this project I don’t think I would’ve been able to have the courage to ask a small business owner for advice. Now that I have, I don’t see it as something I cant do anymore. I found it really helpful to seek entrepreneurs for advice because each business is different and each faces their own challenges. This single interview has inspired me to continue on and not get discouraged. Down the road I will definitely seek the help and advice of more small business owners.

Date Submitted: 2015-04-27 03:40:57

This project was extremely meaningful since this business was a part of my family. I got to learn about some of my family’s history and how successful they were locally. It was exciting to know that if someone else can do it, especially someone so close to you, then I could do it too. This project gave me great insight on the importance of education and learning to start up a business. I’m inspired now that I should pursue an educational degree related to business if i want to one day start one of my own. I could possibly be more successful from the knowledge i have accumulated through college courses like the one I’m currently enrolled in now. Projects and material I have learned in this class and others I have taken in the past have always inspired me which is why this was one of the most meaningful projects i have had to in a business class.

This project is also meaningful because you can take some of these answers you have received and related it to other existing small business out there. Could they have answered similarly? Could they possibly have the same inspiring stories of how and when they started?
This project makes you want to ask more and more questions. Obtain more perspectives on small businesses. Learning the ins and outs of existing businesses or even failed businesses. The most meaningful part of this project is definitely the inspiration that erupts from asking questions. Now if I ever end up in a conversation with an owner of a business I essentially have a base of questions I could ask for my own personal curiosity since this project has sparked a huge curiosity in me for other existing businesses.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-27 17:01:30

When I first heard of this project I knew I wanted to do something specific to the industry I am hoping to enter. The questions were too good to and they were things I wanted to know. I sent out email after email to small ranches and small farms throughout California hoping someone would answer. Only one did and opened up the lines of communication. Farming and animal production are such important industries and it is unfortunate it that it is an unviable industry. I am humbled that so many choose this occupation, something consisting of impossibly long days of hard work, for something that pays less than a job at McDonald’s. Yet here they are - squeaking out a living amid government regulations, ridiculous land taxes, animal activists, and consumers who think a Big Mac is made with real meat and that pesticides are perfectly safe.

The biggest thing I learned was that life is not cheap. That $2.99 gallon of milk came from a cow who gave birth to a calf that was separated from her after a month. Behind that was the rancher who stayed up all night with the cow hoping it would be an easy birth – knowing full well that every now and then the mother may die. The owner of the ranch I interviewed had just dealt with the stillborn lamb but whose twin was alive and doing great. As consumers we have the power to pick where we buy our food and from whom. Trends are changing and more and more people are choosing organic, or sustainable, but those are not always your local farm. There are large organic farms operating in Texas and Mexico and are just as bad for small farmers as the large mono-crop farms of the Midwest. Knowing now what I have learned I have no problem buying goods from a local farm. I am not making them rich, but I am keeping them in the life they want and I hope others do the same.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-27 19:39:59

The most meaningful experience with this project was that my friend would actually take the time to let me interview him for this paper. What I learned and I already had an idea of how difficult it is to run a small business because we have been friends for over 20 years. I have seen the dedication he invested to making his business successful and the sacrifices of family life but also how he was able to provide for his family financially. I also understand how important it is to have a good knowledge of how finances work. I learned that everything in the business relates to cost and price and profit. How very much customer service plays in the success of a small business. The small business has the opportunity to really provide great customer service and if a customer is not happy the owner of small business knows it and can fix the problem immediately. I learned how important integrity is to a small business that survives in a close community and that if you lose that - your business probably will not make it.

I also learned that I can build a small business too. I may not have all the tools yet but I know how to get them. As a retired person I finally have the ability to make my dream come true. My goal has always been to "make cheese". I have been working on my project for the last year and have written my business plan and I am currently in the process of finding a location that I can actually make my product. I have learned that I need to be better prepared for the financial part of my business and that finding that bank that I can have a relationship with is going to be important for me and my success. I have also learned about how important the details are. Using the best software packages for my type of business will certainly help me in staying on the course and profitable.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-27 20:12:31

It was most meaningful to me that I got opinions and knowledge from someone with experience. I now have a little more insight into what it would be like to own my own small business and how I can be successful. Everyone needs to start somewhere and it’s always a great idea to hear others stories and how they got started and what they did right and wrong. The more knowledge I have the better I can be at running my own business. It was also meaningful to hear somebody who cares so much about what they do and that they are happy with what they are doing. I always have wanted to do something I love and that’s what the person I interviewed said I should do. It was nice to hear this and to know that hard work can pay off.

It doesn’t sound by all means easy to start your own business but I learned that I need to love it and work hard in order to be successful. Its nice to get a little insight to take classes before hand and to make sure I am knowledgeable of the business I want to go into. I need to make sure that I know as much as I can about this business before I pursue it and invest a great amount of money into something. It even made me think that working for someone else in the business I want to get into and learning the ropes can help to benefit me. I just want to make sure I know information and I have a “skill” as the person I interviewed said. Lastly, its great to know small businesses can be successful and that they can workout for the better. Surrounding myself around the business constantly but making sure to take care of myself and that I am staying on top of others around me. By this I mean with competition and staying up to date with the latest techniques and other business ventures.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-27 21:48:04


I learned a lot about starting your own business by doing this project. Honestly, I really didn't want to use this business owner. The reason being is because this person is always busy. I was very glad that they finally decided to do this project with me. We first started off with a 10 to 15 minute phone conversation. The person I was interviewing wanted to know all about my class and what are my future goals. The individual had such good insight to how she got started in her business. We concluded the interview via e-mails.


The knowledge that I gained was about the same that I learned in this class. It was really helpful that she told me to work at the business I planned on opening someday, which I already do and to also take classes, which I have. I realized that I can never stop educating yourself on the type of business I want to start one day. I know that I must like the type of work I do. It wouldn't make any sense to start business that I don't enjoy. So with that being said, I have decided not to open up a Residential Care Facility. After many years in this field and all the education that I have received from this type of business, it's not for me. I plan doing what I love and that’s retail. I would love to open up my own clothing store for woman of all sizes. I know I need to improve a lot of things before I can even get started, my credit being one of them. Hopefully in the near future I can finally start my own business doing something that I love to do.
Date Submitted: 2015-04-27 22:18:04

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