Teaching Entrepreneurship

teaching entrepreneurshipI have taught classes for many years, starting as an ESL teacher in Europe and Canada while in my early twenties. I learned valuable and practical lessons from teaching ESL—that we learn through hands-on, practical experience, and that it is easier to do something new and potentially scary when we feel supported and we’re having fun!

To teach English to new immigrants I used the art of play, street theater and shared humor to help students deal with a new environment, develop trust and face their fears related to learning a language. Together we learned about culture and language out loud and in full view of each other, developing a place of trust. Students were then encouraged to take their new knowledge and courageously put it into practice on the way home.

Established and emerging entrepreneurs also deal with an unknown environment and many fears. They are often wedged between the fantasy of what they hope will happen with their enterprises and the reality of money, management and marketing.  This can be exciting and scary.

When teaching business owners, it is helpful to use a hands-on approach and involve the whole class or cohort in the process. Humor is key, as well as helping to foster excitement about learning together. Teaching entrepreneurship is not just about lecturing (although content and theory is important), it is a doing process. Students need to take what they learned in class and apply it.

Business workshops or classes can introduce business skills, demonstrate social media and traditional marketing techniques, and present real world financial projections. However, it is also important for students to get out into the real world themselves. They need to test their assumptions. Then they can use the classroom for sharing, reporting back, and group problem-solving sessions with actual business models. The class becomes an important learning community and support system.

When I teach small business classes, students research how their business idea fits in the marketplace with face-to-face interviews, they expose their ideas to the reality of the numbers by doing rigorous financial analysis, and then they develop a practical, realistic plan of action that they can test week by week. This plan must be adjusted as the marketplace and then their own level of confidence and excitement reveal the right directions, with the class support there to help.

The focus must be on empowerment and building confidence as well as teaching entrepreneurial skills. Small business owners need to tap into their passion and also have the ability to mitigate risks. It is important for business owners to continually cultivate the right balance of business skills and intuition.

By guiding students through an engaging curriculum, giving them access to resources and mentors, and providing direction related to good management practices, we can help entrepreneurs launch and sustain a successful venture. The process is fun and richly rewarding for both student and teacher, because in the best learning environment, the teacher is learning from the students, too.

Are you ready for your encore?

The traditional idea of retirement is increasingly becoming an old notion—either because people need to keep working as a financial necessity or because they still want to work. Instead of retiring, many people are looking to do something on their own terms, and do work that really matters.

encore career

The term “encore career” is being used to describe a new career later in life—one that is focused not just on making a living but on making a difference. Encore.org—a San Francisco non-profit that helps people pursue “second acts for the greater good”—defines encore careers as jobs that combine personal meaning, continued income and social impact in the second half of life. And according to the organization, the idea is catching on. As many as 9 million people ages 44 to 70 are already in encore careers, with 31 million more interested in the idea but not sure how to make the transition.

For many, the encore career most appealing is starting a business. In 2012, nearly one quarter of all new businesses were started by people ages 55 to 64.  According to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, business creation by older Americans grew more than 60% between 1996 and 2012.

So if you are interested in starting your own business as an encore career, where do you begin?

1. Follow your passion! Your business will only succeed if you love what you do. As Steve Jobs says, “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

2. Know yourself well. Assess your strengths and weaknesses to determine if you have what it takes. Do you have some of the traits common to successful entrepreneurs? What are your existing skills?  Older entrepreneurs have an advantage — at this point you probably have a good sense of what you love to do and what you can do well. Now, instead of doing that work for an employer, you can do it for yourself.

3. Get out there to connect and learn. There is so much to learn from others in the field. Read, take classes, join small business groups of like-minded people, find organizations focused on the issues you are passionate about, as well as organizations focused on senior entrepreneurs. Starting a business can be a risky endeavor but much less so when you have relevant skills, a sense of the marketplace, and an understanding of what others have tried already and what has succeeded or failed.

4. Don’t do it alone. Starting a new business can be a significant undertaking. You need a strong network to help you navigate through the rough patches and mentors who will share sound guidance. It is important to surround yourself with supportive and insightful people.  As someone with life and career experience, there is a good chance you have a strong network of contacts already — people you can turn to as a support system and people who might eventually be customers or clients.

5. Use all the business tools you can find. There are many non-profit organizations and government agencies committed to helping people start their own small businesses. In San Francisco, the Office of Small Business is a great resource and there is a San Francisco Business Portal for finding all the licenses and permits you’ll need. Check out our website for more resources.

6. Money, money, money. There are many small and home-based businesses that can be launched without much start-up capital. No matter your size, knowing the resources you have and projecting what you may be able to earn is critical. How much do you need to make each month to cover expenses and make a profit? What are your start-up costs and how will you fund your transition? There are many ways to fund your business, with crowdfunding platforms becoming an increasingly popular strategy.

7. Make a plan! Your plan doesn’t need to be lengthy but it’s helpful to give some thought to marketing, money and management before you begin. A business plan can force you to clarify your idea, understand the external conditions that might affect your business, and set realistic goals with benchmarks to track your progress. Doing the research, talking to people and creating realistic financial projections will give you confidence to get your business started and keep it going. Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center offers a 12-week Business Planning Class to help you through the process.

Above all, what’s most important is to get out there and keep learning. Starting a small business is tough but it can be so rewarding both for the people you serve and the person you become. You are never too old to learn something new and make a difference.

Wendy’s Wisdom

As the coordinator and teacher of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center‘s Business Planning Class, I helped small business entrepreneurs create solid business plans focused on management, marketing and money. Students learned, struggled and grew through the process… and many returned to Renaissance to share their lessons learned as guest speakers, consultants and mentors.

Wendy Lieu, graduate of the Fall 2012 Business Planning Class, shared her wisdom during a class graduation. As of owner of Socola Chocolatier, Wendy Lieu handcrafts delicious artisanal confections. Here’s what she shared with the graduates:

Getting into Business

Emerging entrepreneurs can be a different breed. They are excited about their business ideas and are driven by their passion… but it may also blind them to some degree. How do people start a business with their eyes wide open and set themselves up for success right from the start?

start a business

Passion is essential

First, passion and conviction are essential. You need to know who you are and what you want to do. Then there is the choice of business model and knowing your product or service inside and out. You want to be ready to eat, drink and breathe business ownership… and wake up and do it again the very next day.

Know your market

Even if you have the best business idea and you are confident in your ability to make a product or provide a service and set up a successful business model, the great arbiter of success is the marketplace. Your business concept must be viable, not just to you, but to the people who will be your target market. How do you know your business expectations are not fiction? To get the answer, you must talk to people, survey potential customers or clients, and test your assumptions.

Test your concept

Once you have an idea of the marketplace, you want to test the concept. You can pop up in someone else’s space or test your product or service at a street fair or makers fair. You can get friends to hold events and sell your product in their living rooms. You can convince a friend who has a retail shop to let you set up a trunk show. If all goes well, the experience will make you feel more secure that your business idea is a good one and that you want to own and run a business.

Can you now say YES to these 5 key questions?

  1. Do I really enjoy being in business?
  2. Can I attract the customer or client who will appreciate my business and will pay for it?
  3. Am I good with customers and can I provide excellent service?
  4. Does my business model make money or will it at least break even “soon”?
  5. Can I envision myself persevering for the next 12 to 18 months to really establish my business?

Time for planning

Some degree of prior business planning is essential. To help guide you, you can take a class, read a book, or ask an experienced business owner for support. However you do it, the purpose of a plan is to define your business offerings, specify your market, outline the essential management skills needed, and create realistic financial projections with a well-timed series of action steps. Your final plan will be a useful document for potential investors, funders or business partners. But the primary purpose for writing a plan is for the process itself. It forces you to be objective and critical, identifying weaknesses, challenges and opportunities and setting benchmarks to track progress. Ultimately, it will give you confidence to get into and continue with the business.

Take the plunge

So you have made some initial sales, carved out time on weekends to work on the business and you are still excited about doing it. Actually, it is all you can think about. How do you take the plunge from part-time to all-in?

There are many different ways to do it.

  • Wait to launch until you have raised enough start -up capital – either through personal savings, bank loans or crowd fundraising.
  • Convince your friends and family to lend you money (perhaps with no interest) and agree that you do not have to pay them back for at least three years.
  • Approach your employer and negotiate to work only four days a week and use that extra day to work on your business.
  • Move from full-time employment to a contractual arrangement so that you can set your own hours and take time off when needed for the business.
  • Find an active or silent business partner with capital to invest in the new business and cover business expenses for the first year.
  • Marry well and/or use your future inheritance to support your entrepreneurship habit!
  • Quit your job and go all in right away, using credit cards to get you through the cash flow negative start-up period.

The path to small business ownership is unique for each entrepreneur. It depends on your tolerance for risk, your access to capital and cash flow, your skills and experience running/managing a similar enterprise, and your support systems.

Time, money and the prospect of failure are common hurdles for almost every small business owner starting out:

  • How do I find enough time to devote to my business?
  • Do I have enough funds to support myself while the business is developing/evolving in the first 6, 12 or 18 months?
  • Can I respond well to short-term failures as I navigate my way to long-term success?

You may struggle to find the right strategy to get your business off the ground but if you have passion for your business idea, some success from product or service testing, solid financial projections, and a strong support network… YOU CAN DO THIS!

Are entrepreneurs crazy? Sometimes yes. But that’s just what may be needed to jump in and swim! Some start in the shallow end of the pool and tip-toe down the stairs. Others lower themselves down the ladder until they are fully immersed but continue to hold onto the edge. And then there are the ones who leap off the diving board straight into the deep end. No matter your approach, just make sure you can see the edge and make your way back to solid ground as needed. But if you really want to swim in the world of small business ownership, you first just have to get into the water!

Launched!

There are many small businesses that launch every month in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Each launch is proceeded by months (if not years) of hard work, detailed market research and fundraising before the new business owner can “open the doors”. A number of our business planning students at Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center launched their businesses in 2014.  Show your support by visiting them and spreading the word!

Calibur

launched
Sean Patrick and his business partner opened a new burger and fries place in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood featuring burgers, fries and milkshakes made from 100% organic ingredients sourced primarily from California. (They even have a veggie burger for me!) Check out their recent San Francisco Chronicle review.

Pinhole Coffee

launched
JoEllen Depakakibo just opened a new coffee shop on Cortland Street in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood. The curated space features a variety of coffee roasters and other locally made goodies. Check out this recent profile of JoEllen and her new business.

The Good Hop Bottle Shop

launched
Melissa Myers opened her bottle shop and tasting room on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, offering hundreds of craft beers from around the world, with mostly local beers on tap. You can enjoy your brew on site or take away, and attend their classes and monthly events.

Hoi Polloi Brewpub and Beat Lounge

launched

Viet Vu opened his brewpub with his brother and wife on Alcatraz Avenue in Berkeley. The pub features a variety of beers, including their own creations, and all beer comes with popcorn drizzled with truffle-oil. Check out this recent San Francisco Chronicle review.

Communitē Table

launched
Michele LeProhn opened the doors to her neighborhood restaurant in Oakland’s Laurel district this December — seasonal American comfort food to eat there or to take home. Check out this recent article about Communitē Table in the East Bay Express.

The ReCrafting Co.

launched

Andrine Smith opened The ReCrafting Co. as a crafter’s resource for quality recycled crafting materials, supplies and tools. The shop also offers crafters a convenient opportunity to recycle their surplus crafting material and supplies on consignment for cash.

Liquid Gold

launched

Tim Lee’s bottle shop and tap room opened in lower Nob Hill the Fall of 2014. The  focus is on locally sourced beers and wines.  In November, Liquid Gold made Zagat’s list of the 12 hottest new bars in the United States!

Urban Putt

launched

Steve Fox and his team have created Urban Putt, the City’s first and only indoor miniature golf course in San Francisco’s Mission district. It is a playground for people of all ages with organic and locally-sourced food and drink. Thrillist calls Urban Putt “quite possibly the best thing to happen to the Mission.”

Wisdom from Melissa Joy Manning

Melissa Joy Manning

Design Sponge posted a great profile of jewelry designer Melissa Joy Manning, a graduate of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. She talks about why she started her own business and she shares some of her lessons learned in running a sustainable artisan jewelry enterprise.

Melissa says that it was with our help that she learned about the importance of setting well-defined goals:

“I was lucky enough to have an amazing teacher, Paul Terry, at the Renaissance Center in San Francisco, who taught me the importance of vision. He taught me to envision my success and what it would encompass. I used these goals as benchmarks when building my brand. Every time I reached one, I would sit down and create another. As the ‘visions’ kept coming true, they emboldened me to think bigger and more creatively each time.” (Thanks Melissa!)

Here is some of Melissa’s great advice for others considering a small business of their own:

Make sure it’s what you want to do.

If you really love doing something consider how it will change when it becomes a business. I meet a lot of people who loved a hobby but when they had to economize it on a daily basis, found that they lost all joy in it.

Know that your life will change

Your friendships, relationships, how you view the world…everything. When you take charge of your life by forging your own path, a lot of lessons will come forward that you didn’t consider. In some ways, it’s like a veil lifts in how you see the world. Remaining true to yourself and your passion will carry you through any unexpected reaction or loss that success may bring to you.

Always, always, always listen to your heart.

If you are true to yourself you will always succeed.

Testing the Waters

Before you start a new business or expand into a new marketplace, it’s always essential to “test the waters”.  This means doing some simple market research. The intent is to find out as much as possible about potential customers or clients before taking the plunge and/or repeating a marketing effort!

market research

Shoe leather approach
Market research can be as simple as asking casual questions, comparing prices, walking around your neighborhood or attending a trade show. I call this “shoe leather research” even if you don’t do it by walking around. You learn by keeping your eyes open, your ears to the ground, and paying attention to what you notice.

Situational Observations
Casual and informal research can also be called situational research. Basically, it involves getting a feel for the industry, the general marketplace, and/or the specific targeted market that you think is right. The process can include informal conversations with potential customers (“I’m thinking of opening an online pet helpline. Would you use something like that?”), direct competitors (“I wonder if you could help me as I’m thinking about opening a shop like yours 50 miles away.”), and potential suppliers (“Can you tell me how much inventory you usually sell to stores that carry your line?”) Sometimes this informal style of research generates enough information to build your confidence and help you get a new business started. Other times, this approach will help an existing business to identify and carry a new product line.

Formalized Primary Research
Shoe leather and situational research can be very helpful but more formalized research may also be needed when trying to determine if your business approach is the right fit. This can include careful observation (watching, counting, recording), interviewing someone relevant to your business area (by phone, in person or online with carefully chosen questions), or preparing a survey to administer to your potential customer base (by mail, in person or online using free software like Survey Monkey).

Secondary Research
It can also be very helpful to do secondary research—getting information from trade journals, census reports and other industry references. There are online services based on Google key words or specific industry data.  This form of research is easier in a way (you just go online and ask some questions) but it isn’t always relevant and may be too general for your market. A combination of primary research (done by you to acquire original data) and secondary research are BOTH valid and need to be part of your business planning.

Making the Time
The most important factor when selecting a market research approach is to determine if you have the time to do it and if you will actually compile and use the data. Your research should help you minimize the risks related to the venture you want to undertake, so make the effort to talk to people, gather information from the industry, watch competitors and record your impressions. Testing the waters (even at the shallow end) will make your plunge into business much more successful!