A study in local entrepreneurship

Knox students learn about business by just doing it

Saturday, March 10, 2007

By JOHN R. PULLIAM

The Register-Mail

GALESBURG - Knox College students enrolled in Dr. John Haslem's Business and Technical Writing course get a chance to become entrepreneurs. Haslem on Wednesday told students local business leaders who heard this year's business plans said most of the student presentations were more impressive than those of people actually trying to start their own businesses.

This year's winners were Leah Heister, who is from Connecticut, and Bradley Becque of Carbondale. They ran a T-shirt company known as B.L. Fan Ts.

How did a nine-week technical writing course evolve into a contest among young entrepreneurs?

Haslem, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, said another professor came up with the idea for the class, then left the college.

"I was concerned about teaching this course," Haslem said, his legs stretched out onto his desk from the chair where he was sitting. "It didn't seem like something I would be interested in teaching or that students would be interested in learning."

Haslem came up with the idea of students having their own on-campus businesses. Students write reports, learn how to write memos, resumes, small business plans and commercial bank loan applications.

"Especially they learn about how to conceptualize, implement, develop, run and evaluate an actual business which they conduct here on campus," Haslem wrote in an e-mail explaining the course.

Haslem is enthusiastic about support he receives from the Galesburg community. Dick Johnson of the Galesburg Entrepreneurship Center visited this term to talk about entrepreneurship. Cat Garza of the GEC talked about how to write small business plans. Brad Clark and Bonnie Cox of First Bank evaluated loan applications, then came to class to talk with students about the evaluations and to answer questions.

On Tuesday, the four finalists made formal presentations to Bob Maus, Dick Dickson and Tom Mooty of the Galesburg Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.

"People may not think of Galesburg being a business resource-rich environment," Haslem said, "but I've found Galesburg has many resources."

The 15 students in this year's class, along with teaching assistant Andrew Caplan, dined at Jalisco's Wednesday to celebrate their accomplishments.

Maus said Thursday Heister and Becque impressed him because "they went out and got pre-orders for their merchandise. What they did was get their customers to capitalize their business."

Maus said the strategy also was good because it gave Heister and Becque an "early understanding" of who their customers might be.

"And then they went after them," Maus said.

B.L. Fan Ts targeted the Knox-Monmouth rivalry. In big letters, the shirts said "Monmouth blows," while in smaller letters was the word "bagpipes."

"We sold about 80 T-shirts and made a $270 profit," Heister said.

As they ate chips and salsa, the winners of the $100 prize said they looked for a business that wouldn't take much time.

"We only spent about eight hours total on our business," Heister said. "It was good because we were going to classes."

Rusty Coon of Knoxville and Becque's twin brother, William Becque, said they were going to make T-shirts until B.L. beat them to it. Instead, they made sweatshirts.

William Becque said they never really got their business off the ground because of "time constraints." Both agreed the class was a good learning experience. They talked of how Bill Gates and Steve Jobs started out as entrepreneurs. Coon says that's the only way to become rich, as opposed to working a 9-5 job.

Lula Hannes of Chicago and Emily Ewers ran a laundry business, Laundry-Made L-ADE. The business picked up students' laundry, then delivered the finished product within 24 hours "cleaned, fluffed and folded to the customer's specifications."

One of the lessons Ewers learned about small business was "I think it's risky. There's a lot more that goes into it than I thought."

Caplan said he and his twin brother, Michael, ran a DVD rental business last year, using their own collection of more than 1,000 DVDs.

"It gives you a chance to learn some of the trials and tribulations of starting your own business," Caplan said.

After everyone was done filling up on Mexican food, Haslem said the judges deliberated for 70 minutes before choosing the winners.

"They found a lot of strengths in all the presentations," he said. "B and L Ts was the strongest, in large part because of its portability."

Haslem said the bottom line, the profit the T-shirt company earned, also entered into its victory.

Showing his grasp of capitalism, Coon joked as Haslem handed Heister the $100 check, "I bought rights to their business."