By Susan Adkins
The Center for Entrepreneurship, a center in the Marriott School of Business, is showing what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
The center welcomes weekly lecturers to advise students and share their business secrets and success stories.
Through the Marriott School, the center offers Business Management 371R, a weekly one-hour lecture series throughout the school year, which is also open to the public. During Spring Term, the lectures are offered Monday and Wednesday at 2 p.m. in 710 N. Eldon Tanner Building.
“You can attend the class or watch the lectures on line,” said Melinda Maughan, a program assistant in the Center for Entrepreneurship.
Each of the lecturers is a successful entrepreneur or businessperson. They discuss the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. They also offer advice to students on getting started and on how to be successful in their business endeavors, according to the Center for Entrepreneurship”s Web site.
The entrepreneur lecturers also discuss the five phases of an entrepreneur”s business, which are concept and planning, start-up, growth, maturity and harvest.
Lecturers have included Jayson Edwards of JDawgs, Andy Barfuss of Leafwood Development and Stephen Oldham of Tucanos Brazilian Grill. All of these lectures can be found online at marriottschool.byu.edu/cfe.
Maughan said there are more students around campus who have their own businesses than students realize.
Student entrepreneur, Jeff Tolsma, 25, from Peachtree City, Ga., owns two of his own businesses and works a part-time job in the Cougareat. Tolsma started his two businesses in September 2005: JT Entertainment, an entertainment company for parties and corporate events, and JT Paintball Rentals.
Entrepreneurship can appeal to students from all majors, including Warren Brooks, 22, a history major from Atlanta.
“I”m not a business major, but I”m into it [entrepreneurship],” Brookes said. “I think on my mission [to Argentina] I saw so many poor people that how money works became interesting to me.”
Upcoming Lectures
May 29 – No Lecture – Memorial Day
May 31 – Tom Karren of WingateWeb
June 5 – Paul Johnson of Windsor Development
June 7 – Chuck Coonradt of Game of Work
June 12 – Clint Argyle of Prime Allowance Bank
June 14 – David Burbidge of Burbidge Concrete
June 19 – Brent Bishop of Naarrtjie Custom Kids
