Entrepreneurship Club seeks prospective students
The Entrepreneurship Club is now in session. The group held its first meeting of the year at Vienna Coffee House, located on High Street, within walking distance from the Maryville College campus.
The club is hosted by President Nathan Phipps, a junior, and Vice President Forrest Clarke, also a junior. The group was founded by Derek Lester, a 2010 MC alum, and is advised by Brandon Bruce.
The group has planned to meet once a month in Bartlett 101, with specific dates to be announced.
The club is organized to cover a variety of topics throughout the year, the concept of entrepreneurship being useful not only for those interested in a career within field of business, but to any individual serves as the group’s main theme for the year.
“Entrepreneurship is for everyone; every major,” Clark said. “Be creative and use the skills and resources you have at hand.”
The club encourages those who are interested in further developing their ideas as entrepreneurs to come take part and learn how to turn ideas into possible ventures.
In order educate club members on how everyday entrepreneurs find success, the club plans to host speakers at meetings. These will include local entrepreneurs within the community, such as the owner of Vienna Coffee House. This opportunity will allow for those present to learn the strategies of starting an independent business, as well as the benefits and concerns.
Along with hosting speakers, the club plans to attend a conference in Knoxville hosted specifically for entrepreneurs.
The main goal of the club is to become part of the community. An idea that has been presented is to host an art exhibit during the spring. This exhibit would feature pieces created by MC students. The students would be able to price their work and sell it to the community. This idea takes an opportunity and presents it in a way that can potentially fulfill a need. The opportunity of the art exhibit would allow students to present their talents and abilities to the community in hopes that one day they can reference this experience in the path to becoming entrepreneurs.
The U.S. economy is currently in an unstable state, causing many individuals who are considering starting independent businesses to hesitate. Starting a new venture requires base capital, and many U.S. citizens do not have the funds or credit to waste or acquire.
The question then arises, “How can being an entrepreneur during the current economic state be of use?” The economic trend that the nation is now experiencing opens up opportunities for those who are seeking to provide services in areas that may be overpriced or not yet offered.
The key concept is to find an area with a flaw, perfect that flaw and pursue a career goal.
Join the Entrepreneurship Club in order to find out more about how ideas can turn into possible careers. For more information on meeting times and places, contact Nathan Phipps at [email protected] or Brandon Clarke at [email protected].