In this class, you are respected and treated as an entrepreneur!
Entrepreneurs are not told how to do work in the real world. We are not given rubrics for projects, we are not told how many sentences it takes to answer questions, we are not guided on what format they should use AND we are certainly not told how many words should be included for an A!
We decide for ourselves how and when work is to be done. It is a HUGE advantage of being an entrepreneur.
I will be encouraging YOU to make MANY decisions. YOU choose the format and length of your projects; YOU decide when to take tests and when to submit projects.
Think about it. Does it really matter if you choose to document the entrepreneur’s responses in a paragraph or question-answer format? No, who cares, I don’t! In the “real world” and the world of the entrepreneur, what matters is the end result of your work.
Would you rather do something else as a project? GREAT! I am open to whatever will help you in your work or career. Send me a proposal on something that you would like to do as an alternative to the projects. Think outside the box and BE ENTREPRENUERIAL!
Because this is an academic environment:
The more thorough the work, the higher your grade… Short answers and a rehash of what the book says will not get you an A. I am MOST INTERESTED in your opinions and your interpretation of what you may find in the book. Fair Warning: If you choose one of the “interview an entrepreneur” projects and simply write down her/his responses to the questions, you will not do well on it. There is nothing entrepreneurial about that!
Make sure you do not miss the scheduled deadlines. Be creative, take advantage of what you do well and be thorough and detailed in your work.
MORE THAN ANYTHING… BE ENTREPRENEURIAL!
Several ways to complete projects are offered this semester. Project selections are completely up to you.
Option 1:
Create a nonprofit organization and include the following in your presentation.
1. Discuss your interest in non-profit organizations.
2. In your opinion, what it takes to start a non-profit organization.
3. What needs to be done to make it acceptable to the general public.
4. How to make it attractive to donors.
5. Describe the type of legal structure that would be most appropriate for the non-profit organization.
6. Discuss an event that could be done to help fund the non-profit.
Option 3:
Interview an entrepreneur in an industry or business that interests you. Focus on how and why this entrepreneur started their business. Relatives may not be used for this assignment. Use the following questions when submitting the assignment or create your own.
a. Your contact information
b. The entrepreneur’s name, address, title, company name, and phone number
c. How did you find this person and why did you choose her or him?
d. Describe their background
e. Why is this person an entrepreneur?
f. What influenced the entrepreneur to identify and pursue this opportunity?
g. How did the entrepreneur’s background (family history, prior education, and work experience) affect the opportunity discovered?
h. Describe the opportunity that the entrepreneur decided to pursue and the process the entrepreneur used to evaluate the opportunity.
i. How did the entrepreneur evaluate the opportunity?
Option 4:
Interview the CEO of a non profit organizations and ask him/her the following questions:
How did you become involved with this organization? (Or, if the leader also founded the organization: Why did you start this organization? How has it grown or changed over time?)
Can you tell me about the work your organization does and the program or programs you run? [As a follow up, what differentiates you from other organizations?] (Here you are trying to get at how the organization is unique while confirming your impression of what causes or people it serves, what programs it offers, and how it gets results.) What do you think your constituents or beneficiaries would say is the best thing about your organization?
What results does your organization achieve? How has your program improved over time?
What are your goals for the next three to five years? What priorities will help you achieve them? What barriers are in your way?
What proportion of your revenue for next year will come from similar sources to this year’s revenue? Do you have plans to increase this consistency over time? (Here you are trying to get a sense of how stable/unstable their revenue picture is, and how dependent it is on a few decision-makers.)
Where is your leadership team strong, and where does it need development?
What is the hardest decision the organization has had to make recently, and how did you evaluate the tradeoffs involved?
What do you, personally, spend most of your time on?Entrepreneurial Project Option 5:
Submit a
proposal to Professor Ortega. This project may be completed on anything you
deem appropriate, however, you must get prior authorization to complete it.
Failure to do so will result in a 0.