Students Learn How to Pitch
On April 26th 2011 Georgia Southern University students tried pitching their business ideas to a panel of ‘prospective investors’. The students in two sections of Jim William’s (Chair of the Center’s Advisory Council) Entrepreneurship class developed a business idea, undertook basic market research and conducted a ‘stadium pitch’.
The ideas ranged from a casino on a plane to a drive through convenience store. Frank Goforth, judge and Professor of Electrical Engineering, commenting on the students’ efforts said, “There were some great ideas presented but really I was impressed with the students’ ability to summarize a business idea in a compelling way and in such a short time-frame”.
About the Entrepreneurship class
There is an important underlying human story to starting a new venture and this provides a focus for the course. Although many people at some time express a desire to ‘work for themselves’ or to ‘be their own boss’ only a minority do so. Moreover, of those that do, not everyone finds it an enjoyable experience or indeed makes a success of it. On the course we examine a variety of research findings that focus on the behaviors, motivations and business strategies of entrepreneurs, and we will consider how these issues may relate to the types and performance of new ventures created.
The second focus of the course is the ‘entrepreneurial process’ – the activities and issues involved in the creation of new ventures, their subsequent growth and eventual closure and failure. We also examine entrepreneurial behavior in a broader context than the small or growing business and assess the primary issues associated with entrepreneurial activity.
Frequent use is made of illustrative case histories and several visiting speakers share the reality of their entrepreneurial experience with the class. Class seminars focus on activities that increase students’ entrepreneurial skills and insights into the practice of entrepreneurship.
Posted in Teaching and Learning