Entrepreneurial Education
Steve, a senior in the entrepreneurship class that a colleague (and fellow entrepreneur) and I are teaching at a local high school, started his own commercial cleaning business, essentially creating a $35 per hour part-time job for himself, cleaning parking lots.
Cleaning parking lots?
Teaching entrepreneurship means more than writing a business plan, learning about income statements, balance sheets and break-even analysis.
Entrepreneurship is a mindset focused on creating value. It’s a way of looking at the world that exposes opportunity, ignites ambition and fosters the innate creativity, drive and determination that we all possess.
It’s a mindset that encourages innovation and initiative, problem solving, collaboration, self-reliance and resourcefulness, skills that are essential for anyone to survive and succeed in the new global economy.
Unfortunately, it’s a mindset that is often overlooked in traditional education.
Insights, Exploits And Life-Lessons
on 08 Mar 2007 at 4:37 pm 1.Steve Rucinski said …
Great point, great post, great lesson for the young man.
on 15 Mar 2007 at 7:02 am 2.Steve Orlando said …
Thanks alot Gary! The class has helped me out a ton and has assisted me in so many ways. Once the concept of the entrepreneurial mindset clicked, it is way easier to make deals with companies and corporations for anything.
on 15 Mar 2007 at 4:50 pm 3.eric said …
STEVE IS THE MAN!!!!!
on 25 Mar 2007 at 9:58 am 4.Brad Kleinman said …
Gary, I think you really hit that one on the head. Teaching how to write a business plan or how to analyze a market is just an exercise in entrepreneurial thinking. It’s all about the mindset. That is awesome for Steve…what is he doing now?!!? We want updates!!
on 25 Mar 2007 at 4:51 pm 5.Paul Orlando said …
As Steve’s father, I can attest to the change in his thinking once he entered the entrepreneurial mindset.
The cool thing to me is that he is excited about doing what is fundamentally an unpleasant job.
Picking up parking lot trash in cold and wet conditions, sometimes late on a school night, isn’t fun, but he’s excited about it and is aggressively seeking more clients.
His customers don’t have to supervise him as they would an hourly employee, and this has led to other clean-up work on short notice. He plans to continue this business through college, and maybe beyond.