The Entrepreneur Program: “Opportunity =  Problem + Solution”

%28left+to+right%29+Instructor+and+coordinator+Kayla+Hester%2C+presenter+Deborah+Scott+and+Academic+Director+Kelly+Brown++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++at+the+1st+Entrepreneur+Program+speech+held+in+Shackelford+Auditorium.

Maliah Wilkinson/The Vision

(left to right) Instructor and coordinator Kayla Hester, presenter Deborah Scott and Academic Director Kelly Brown at the 1st Entrepreneur Program speech held in Shackelford Auditorium.

Maliah Wilkinson, Staff Writer
February 2, 2016

According to many, the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science hopes to provide a quality education through its use of academics, clubs, sports, internships, and real-life experience programs.The newest addition to the MSMS roster for real life experiences is the Entrepreneur Program directed by Kayla Hester.

For future entrepreneurs Mississippi from Scott:

  • Mississippi is #5 for economic growth in women.
  • Small businesses employ about ½ of MS.’s workforce.
  • There are over 240,000 small businesses in MS.

 

 

 

Hester stated, “The purpose is to educate our students about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and open [them] to the possibility of one day starting [their] own business.” For those interested in taking the class, it will cover, “the basic concepts of economics, but the second half of the course will focus on entrepreneurship. It will cover many of the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, including how to form a business plan, an introduction to business finance and management techniques.”

Roshanna Stallings, an MSMS Senior said, “My parents have their own business; however, I still want what others can teach me.”

Websites to check out when starting a business courtesy of Scott:

  • www.sba.gov
  • www.census.gov
  • www.citydata.gov
  • www.yallbusiness.gov

 

The program will begin in the Fall of 2016 with the Economics and Entrepreneurship class taught by Hester. For those students who will be graduating this May of 2016, the Entrepreneurship Program will be hosting “a series of speakers to talk to you all about Entrepreneurship” for this spring semester. Hester said, “These individuals include college professors, representatives from the Southern Entrepreneurship Program, and local small business professionals,” the first of these programs was held on Jan 28 in Shackelford Auditorium with Deborah Scott, director of the Small Business Center (MSBDC) at the Mississippi State College of Business. Scott is a 15-plus year veteran in the entrepreneurship industry.

“What do people need and what do they want?” asked Scott as she discussed need versus desire in building a business.

The students in attendance were also given important facts about the state of Mississippi as they studied handouts from the SBA Learning Center and previewed a hard copy of an entrepreneurship online program.

If you are interested in attending these monthly programs, contact Kayla Hester. Also if you do plan to open your own business, contact Deborah Scott at Mississippi State University. Scott, along with several others, work to help small business owners to complete their needed paperwork to obtain the proper licensing.