The most important and overlooked obstacles facing would-be entrepreneurs are lack of confidence in themselves and in their business ideas, a South Campus audience was told Feb. 6.
In addition to such broad observations, Toni Allison, chief executive officer of Knowledge For Success, set out specific details on overcoming entrepreneurial obstacles during her seminar, Owning Your Own Business.
Among her tips were information on how to buy a domain name, how to acquire needed permits and how to do business based on one’s specific market.
She emphasized the importance of business plans, calling them “roadways to success.” One size does not fit all, she said, and each business plan needs to be tailored to the individual.
If everyone in business had a sound plan, she said, the economy would basically fix itself or at least improve significantly.
Allison said she considered a presentation successful if it conveys the idea that owning a business is all about balance.
She listed three things needed to be in perfect balance for success — a business education, an entrepreneurial personality and some “nuts and bolts” business knowledge.
One attendee, student Sheila Johnson, is pursuing her dreams of opening a nonprofit haven for recovering drug addicts and the homeless.
She said Allison’s speech gave her a new perspective on her goals.
The presentation ended with students taking a short test to see if their personalities matched those of successful entrepreneurs. They also received a packet summarizing the information in Allison’s speech.
The seminar was sponsored by the career and transfer center and the Women in New Roles program on South Campus.
—Cody Daniels
