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.
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Records 971 to 980 of 1253 |
To interview a business owner in detail and have to elaborate on vague sentences was a definite learning experience. Having to ask probing questions to keep the interest and ask for elaboration helped acquire a lot of knowledge that will further assist in the pursuance of my profession. Not only gathering the intel but building a relationship with a role model figure. The people we surround ourselves with doesn’t define who we are exactly but helps create goals and images we usually aren’t exposed to. Networking can be a strong basis for starting a business. That was most meaningful because there is so much knowledge to take from an experienced entrepreneur but the effort that comes from having to actually ask the question and analyze the content being provided almost refrains me from doing so. Now that I see the benefits in active listening towards another business owner I want to implement this strategy in my further research for business opportunities. |
Date Submitted: 2016-04-21 23:52:38 |
The most meaningful to me about this project is that I be able to gain business insight from the interviewee He told me his experiences on how to start a business and to affectively managing a business. It seemed like I have gained two years of business management from him in just one short day. I get the chance to ask him about some other business related that are not tin the interview questions and he was totally cool about it. He is a really nice guy and his answers were very thorough throughout this interview. I am glad that I get the chance to do this project and it was a life changing experience for me. Furthermore, he mentioned that more than half of what you have learned or will learn from school about business might not even applied in the real world. Running a successful business is an art, he said. Make sure that you know what you are doing when managing a business or it could have a short life. During with him, he keeps mentioning about how to treat a customer and try to make customers happy because customers are the key profits to keep a business running. I total agree with him on that. I came from a family own business background where relationship between customers often view as family. Like my parents always say, “Treat them right (Customers), and the price is right (meaning the customers willing to pay more even though our cost is a little bit higher). |
Date Submitted: 2016-04-22 01:36:40 |
Coming out of from finishing up the project i learned that business is not as easy as it seems. there is a lot of background that i did not cover on [Name Removed] it definitely helped me grow and know that i have someone who i can always ask advice for. it helps me learn about a different industry and know that i can tie up some of the essentials to my business. some of the questions were question that i always wanted to ask someone so it really helped. it helped me know some of the struggles that the company owner and entrepreneur had so that i can focus on that and know that it can't be an issue for me because i was told before. I am definitely going to implement all of this to my lifestyle and give people advice especially since it's coming from someone with a lot of credibility. these are situations that i know i won't be the only one living through them. a main key that i took is that always meeting new people and networking is key because if not no one will know about the business and you entrepreneur lifestyle. [Name Removed] also mentioned to make sure you're surrounding yourself with people smarter and some that aren't as smart to learn leadership role and also be able to get mentored. |
Date Submitted: 2016-04-22 02:23:21 |
I really enjoyed doing the project but I think that the most interesting part of the interview was that these men were able to take advantage of the entrepreneur’s sweet spot that we talked about in class. I know that they have had their share of up’s and down’s especially with the legalities pertaining to this business. I will hopefully be opening the same kind of business in the near future and it gives me hope that my business has a good chance of becoming successful. I do understand that it is a lot more than just hitting that opportunity of a sweet spot and that it is a lot of hard work. When I started this class I was really gun-ho about starting this business. I was determined to get it going as soon as possible. This interview has given me the opportunity to see that although they were able to start this business on a thought and a prayer it is not the best way to start a business. I have been really lucky to have the support of our pastors offering to lend us money to get the business started. The Pastor made a comment during the interview that now makes sense to me. He said that it is not a good idea to start a business with scared money. I asked him what he meant by that phrase and he explained that you always have to have extra because things come up and they always will come up. I understand what he meant by scared money now. I call these situation and problems speed bump there are no real warning signs and before you know it you have to hit your brake they slow you down but in my case and obviously his that could not stop us. I am currently the founder and director of a women’s recovery home. I know it sounds a little fancy but it is a very small self-supported non-profit. In our class I have learned that entrepreneurs find their selves in high risk situations which tells me I am perfect for this. I also read a book last semester while taking a leadership class, called “The Art of Being Unreasonable” By Eli Broad. Broad is a very successful business man that started a multimillion dollar company by selling a china set that was a family heirloom. Ely Broad also borrowed some of the money from his father in-law. His company was the first to build track homes. There is a lot more details but the point is that he had an idea, not a lot of money but he became very successful. In our type of business there is more to it than losing money lives are always at stake. I have to make sure my staff is properly trained to make decisions at the drop of a hat because we work with emotionally and sometimes mentally ill people. Mistakes can cost lives not just money. Speaking for myself in any business you have to have a passion first. To me the passion is just as important as the business itself and could make a lot of difference. This interview has really taught me a lot and I will be doing a S.W.O.T analysis and then put a business plan together. |
Date Submitted: 2016-04-22 13:35:12 |
The most meaningful part of the entrepreneurial project would be getting to know a side of a friend that I didn’t really know much about. Learning the specific struggles that he went through in order to get his business to where it is at the present day. [Name Removed] also provided me with helpful resources that can help ease the financial struggle of becoming an entrepreneur. It was interesting to find out that the business he started wasn’t even a plan A, B, or even C for a means of income. He was just looking for a way to pay for school and it ended up providing financial freedom for him and his family. It was nice to know that anybody can start a busy, you just need the ambition and patience it requires to do so. |
Date Submitted: 2016-04-28 14:06:07 |
I had the opportunity to learn how much is important for business to be updated and have knowledge of technology. I see how my mom's friend wishes to be able to unrelated technology and new trends to be able to run her business better. I honestly never imagine that this topic was relevant to her because or me her business does pretty good. I learned how important is to adapt to demands of young society. Technology apparently affects every single business field. Also the study of the demography is extremely important for business because like she commented her business is located close to 3 schools and offering WiFi to her customers will increase the profits. Getting to know well your neighborhood and will help alot with the development of your new business. |
Date Submitted: 2016-05-11 03:23:02 |
What was really meaningful for me as a participant of this project was being able to get into the business side of running a preschool. I am only working as a preschool teacher at the moment, but people who are close to me are willing to help me create a business by opening a school with me. Getting into the mind of a business owner is very helpful for me to serve as a model for my future business. It is also inspiring for find a fellow immigrant like the interviewed business owner to be highly successful in this field, despite not having a background in early childhood education, or despite the fact that English is not her native language. In fact, it allows her to create a niche for her business, providing immediate language support to some of their customers who are also speaking the language she is fluent in. Her business appears successful; according to reviews online, they are doing very well. The staff and parents log system are all computerized via fingerprint technology. The school does look clean and well-lit upon observation. One really useful tip for me was the fact that she revealed that she was able to get 70% of new business from advertising at the only review site YELP.COM, and only 30% from referrals. Seventy percent is a huge draw! I'm sure the advertising isn't just the factor that closes the deal for this school: they have a wonderful location that is very close to two major schools in Walnut and Pomona, and the fact that the school is securely located underground is pretty cool. Upon additional research, this interviewer found that the school has been in existence for a while now but has only been under the new ownership since the opening of the school year in 2015. Considering the array of their glowing new reviews online, this is impressive. I will definitely take note of strategies that worked for her business and use them as a model for my business in the future. |
Date Submitted: 2016-05-30 17:21:46 |
I have been wanting to start my own non-profit organization for a while and I believed it would be fairly simple as long as I had the funds to do so. However, now that I spoke to this individual, I was able to see that much more is required. It is not enough to just have the money and the will. I not only need to contract employees and get software and equipment for my business, but I also need to think about the accounting, the partnerships I want to form and how I will advertise. It is not enough to just create flyers and business cards like the organization I interviewed does, but really establish a marketing plan that can help take the organization to another level. So I was also able to see what improvements this organization could make, thus, teaching me what errors I can avoid and what improvements I could make in my own business from the beginning. In addition, I was able to gain invaluable insight from the interview about what it will take to not only start my business but also keep it afloat and to expand it when the time presents itself. I also had no idea that non-profit organizations where more like regular businesses because they do need to maintain a certain profit margin so it cannot only be about helping people but also about bringing in enough profit to survive. I have a full understanding of what I need to do before I can even establish a successful organization. |
Date Submitted: 2016-05-30 21:28:22 |
This is interview meant a lot as I got to interview my mother the owner of the California Apparel News. She just bought the company in 2013 and this was a new and exciting adventure that she was about to go on. She had always worked in the apparel industry her whole life and little did she know she was working her way up to become an owner of a business that she worked at for 15 plus years. My family is so proud of my mom and where she is today. I am also very proud of my mom and always have looked up to her because she has always been a hard worker and is a great mother. It is also amazing to see a women as a owner of a business because most businesses today are owned by men. I work for my mother as I do a lot of different things for her and try to learn as much as I could and also be well rounded in each department. I got to learn some new things that I did not know which was really cool. My mom got really in depth in each answer that she gave me which was really nice so I could really understand how she runs her business and a lot of insight information. Something that I do admire is the way she treats her employees she constantly is motivating them. She has a great team behind her back. She learns new things everyday and is constantly writing down ideas for her company and how the company could grow. This was a really great project as I got to interview my mom an owner of a small business. It’s funny as I always loved fashion and wanted to work in the fashion industry ever since I was younger attending tons of fashions shows and events so I got introduced to the industry young. Now my mom the owner of a business in the fashion industry. |
Date Submitted: 2016-05-31 12:19:18 |
The part that really stuck out to me and made an impact on me was learning that in order to truly succeed you must invest all your time, effort, and money into something you truly care about. In addition, building a business on something that actually interests you and makes you happy makes it so much more worth while. It makes it that much more exciting to be passionate about something and be able to call it your own. In addition I also learned that taking risks is necessary. If you never take risks, you'll never know what you may have missed out on or you may lose a life changing opportunity . I also took away from this experience that sometimes it is good to welcome challenges. Although they may be obstacles in the road, they may lead to changes in the future that can help make your business more successful and prosperous. I also learned that technology can be a huge asset to your company especially in this day and age where technology is such a huge part of society. It is important to continue learning about new and different technologies and learn how they may prove be beneficial and useful to your business. |
Date Submitted: 2016-06-01 01:00:19 |
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