Feedback? Correction? This is the kind of thing entrepreneurs focus on every day. These exact lessons – the ones entrepreneurs are forced to experience daily – are the exact model for building a successful generation of leaders.

Trying hard…grinning and bearing it when muscling through the feedback and difficulty… and coming out successful and confident in the end.  We now know that blind praise does not work, and rigor and persistence do. The feedback and correction process is central to success.

But where do we get this feedback and guidance? It’s a large burden to bear for just one parent or one teacher. Let’s look to the world of entrepreneurs again.  Entrepreneurs often operate with a blank slate. What helps them fill it in? What provides their feedback and correction loop so critical for success?

Enter: Mentoring.

January is National Mentoring Month. At its basic level, mentoring is about an exchange. It’s about feedback, and reaction to that feedback for improvement. Mentors are everywhere, it’s just a question of where you look. Entrepreneurs are constantly leaning on each other for advice, and many join formal groups and networks they so value these connections.

But what about the rest of us? And the next generation of entrepreneurs? In celebration of National Mentoring Month,  here are some quick mentoring steps we can all take whether we’re parents, teens, in the workplace, or Gen Y Millenials being mentored, or mentoring, or somewhere in between.

You can be a mentor, or be mentored, no matter what age. So get ready to pay it forward, backward, and sideways.

Where to find mentors.

If you’re in school or just out of school, take the following steps:

1. Take the initiative.Pick an area you’re interested in, or a sport, a school project.

2. Come up with a very specific question about this area, or a series of questions.

3. Then approach a parent, teacher, or relative, and ask: “Do you know anyone I could talk to about this?

4. PARENTS / TEACHERS: Have your game on. Be ready to connect these resourceful young people with someone willing to answer questions.

• A co-worker
• A relative or friend

How to be a mentor

5. Ask a friend “What is are you working on now? With school, or after school activities?

6. Ask if there is a way you could support them, a la: “How can I help you with that?”

7. They may not even know, but, knowing that you are there when you need them will mean a lot.

8. Follow up one week later,“How’s that going?”

Mentoring at Home

9. Turn a family meeting or dinner into a mentoring session. What is everyone working on, and how can you help one another? This is mentoring, reverse mentoring (ages mixed) all in one.

Mentoring at Work

10. End a meeting with a mentoring session-30 seconds each of, “What I need to achieve my dreams/goals” and, “What I can offer/how can I help.” Once again, this is traditional and  reverse mentoring all in one.

Discussion Questions

1. What would you ask a mentor? In Module 2 of the Entrepreneur in the Classroom free curriculum there is a Mind Mapping exercise in which the student takes and area of interest and develops it into a business idea through brainstorming. This could be ANY area of interest (not just business). Use the Mind Mapping exercise for an area about which you’re excited. Maybe you can run your ending ideas by a mentor. It could also be a problem or challenge area (you may want to read #2 first in deciding what to talk with your mentor about). Practice going to find a mentor, and talk to a mentor, so that when you really need one – you know how to do it.

2. About what would you mentor? List between one and three things that you could mentor. Are you good with apps? Are you good not letting kids bother you at school when there is teasing? Are you good at sports? Math? The list can be anything – use your creativity. This is what entrepreneurs do in organizations described at the end Module 3 of the Entrepreneur in the Classroom free curriculum.They find mentors, often in each other. There are no textbooks for real life!

More information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF. The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

National Mentoring Month site

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

Well-known leader of the pack Ashoka has the following thought-provoking statement on its website:

Over the past two decades, the citizen sector has discovered what the business sector learned long ago: There is nothing as powerful as a new idea in the hands of a first-class entrepreneur.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards program was established to raise awareness among the nation’s youth of the critical role that private enterprise and entrepreneurship play in the building of America. Since 2003, the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation has awarded 2,095 scholarships to graduating high school seniors totaling $2,382,000.

Students are encouraged to apply for our awards beginning October 1, 2011. The original application deadline was December 15, 2011. This has been extended until January 4, 2012.

Apply Now

NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards are open to any graduating high school senior entering their freshman year at an accredited (not for profit) two- or four-year university, college or vocational/technical institute. Applicants MUST be running their own small business in order to be considered for an award.

For more information please download the following:

Instructions
FAQ
Letter to Guidance Counselors
Poster

The National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation announced the 2011 recipients of the eighth annual NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards, a scholarship program designed to reward and encourage entrepreneurial talents among high school students. See the full list of winners.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services Inc. This assures complete impartiality in the selection of recipients and maintains a high level of professionalism.

To receive more information or to join our mailing list, please contact the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation at yef@nfib.org

Scott Gerber Welcomes Young Entrepreneurs

The entertainment industry and Washington love each other, but, now it’s starting earlier.  MTV’s Sway Calloway – who started his own record label among other entrepreneurial ventures – moderated a panel of rockstars this past Monday at the White House. But these were young rockstar entrepreneurs Tina Wells, Alexis Ohanian and Nick Friedman sharing their business-building experiences.

In addition social entrepreneur Scott Gerber, founder of  the Young Entrepreneur Council, made welcoming remarks and

Also in attendance were 150 entrepreneurially-minded high school and college students,  Jeff Hoffman, founder of Priceline, and Dina Kaplan, Founder of Blip.tv who emphasized the importance of mentors.

Presidential Proclamation

The event was in celebration of National Entrepreneurship Month.

Discussion Questions

1. In Module 3 of the Entrepreneur in the Classroom free curriculum the last section is “Become familiar with agencies and their relationship to a business and its owner.” In this case, the White House is one such agency. Discuss the way in which the White House is providing a service to current and future small business owners through this event.

2. (Additional / Advanced). Read this article about the event in Portfolio.  As opposed to a “one way” interaction (the White House providing a service or venue to current and future small business owners), what “two way” interaction did director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement Jon Carson hope for? How might this two-way interaction be different than, say, the small business environment of 10 years ago?

Related: MTV Event Link

More information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF.  The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

All entrepreneurs have business challenges. But try being a teenager and taking it on! That takes grit. This “Scary Halloween Story” and fantastic lesson presented to you by the owner of Chelsea’s Eggs.

Name:  Jared T. Schlosnagle

Business:  Chelsey’s Gourmet Pasture Eggs

About: Jared Schlosnagle of Pleasureville, KY,  has been involved in the egg farming business since age 10, and today owns Chelsey’s Gourmet Pasture Eggs, which distributes to retailers and grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

Bragging rights: Jared was selected as a top five finalist for 2011 Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation from among 4,000 nationwide candidates.

Nice! Chelsey’s Eggs  is owned by Jared and his sister Chelsey.

Jared’s “Scary Business Story” (The Challenge):

“By having your own business you face many challenges as your business grows. I have had my own business since I was around nine years old and I have faced many challenges and obstacles that have lead me to my success today. Running your own business can be very frustrating sometimes, but if you learn to deal with the challenges you face, there will always be reward waiting for you later on down the road. I would like to share with you one of the challenges I have faced in my many years of business, and tell you what I learned from this experience.

Last year I was interested in participating in the St. Mathews Farmers Market in Louisville, Ky. So I went on the internet and found the online application for the farmers market. I filled it out and sent it in, later on I got a call from the manager of the market. He said we could get in the market, but only if we cooked our food, since the market was already full of vendors.  My sister and I decided to take a food safety class so we could get a license to cook at the market. We walked in the class and it was a bunch of older people, we stood out like sore thumbs. That is when I realized that having your own business at an early age gives you a huge advantage over someone that starts their business when they get out of college, because you have so much more time to learn and expand your business.

Well the first day of the farmers market finally arrived and I had to wake up at 5:00 am on my saturday morning, that was a challenge itself. But the real challenge came at the farmers market. I set up my two burners and started cooking omelets and within ten minutes  I had fifteen orders up and I was still on the fifth order. Eggs were flying everywhere and I was still trying to get the hang of cooking them. By the end of the day I cooked over sixty some omelets at seven dollars each  and I was exhausted.”

The Scary Story Lesson:

“The lesson behind this story is to never give up when you meet a challenge. No matter how tired you get and want to quit, if you keep on going it will always pay off in the future. If I never faced obstacles in my business, there is no way it would be what it is today. So for young entrepreneurs that have there own business, if you fail, don’t give up. Keep your head up and move on, and prepare for the next challenge.”

Discussion Questions

1. What “scary story” have you experienced that turned out as NOT scary or even – as in Jared and Chelsea’s case – and advantage? Discuss.

2. As a follow on to question 1, consider completing exercises in Module 1 of the Entrepreneur in the Classroom free curriculum. Do you have the traits and mindset of an entrepreneur? Looking at challenge as an acceptable and regular part of life, school, business is a key part of being an entrepreneur. Is this okay with you? Why or why not?

Extra: What other traits can you imagine are necessary to be an entrepreneur?

Extra (for parents, educators, entrepreneurs, and advanced students): Google the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. Find a summary or an article that describe’s the books views on how to take on unlocking the key to viewing challenge.

More information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF.  The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

 “The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in our next generation of business owners,” said Kurt Summers, chairman, NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Board of Directors. “Our first prize winner, Dillon Morgan, was inspired to make custom miniature skateboards, known as ‘fingerboards,’ when he realized few of the products were actually made in America. Today, Dillon has filled over 5,000 orders for his products to 17 different countries, and his company, Z shred, is on its way to becoming the most successful fingerboard company in America. Dillon’s ambition and innovation should be an inspiration to all young entrepreneurs. This year’s finalists all show an incredible drive for success, and I congratulate each of them for their accomplishments.”

Morgan says he was inspired to create his business manufacturing customized miniature skateboards after realizing there were few domestic manufacturers of the products. His business, Z shred, quickly took off when he became one of the first fingerboard companies to offer innovative new features and customizable options, such as polyurethane wheels and colored trucks.

“The memories, the experience, and the knowledge that has come from Z shred is priceless,” said Morgan. “As I move on to college to major in business, my goal is to be involved in a hi-tech company creating Eco-friendly, innovative products that make the world…better.”

Morgan was among five finalists being considered for the $10,000 scholarship. The four other finalists will receive $5,000 scholarships. They are:

•  Jared Schlosnagle of Pleasureville, KY: Mr Schlosnagle has been involved in the egg farming business since age 10, and today owns Chelsey’s Gourmet Pasture Eggs, which distributes to retailers and grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

• Jordan Renda of St. John’s, FL:  Mr. Renda created a haunted house business called Haunted Productions, LLC. His company is in its third successful year with attractions such as the popular Night Terrors Haunted House, a walk-through attraction in Jacksonville, FL.

• Colton Day of Wellington, KS: Mr. Day founded Colton Day Farms, a diverse agricultural company, in 2007. Today, he produces crops on 440 acres of dry land soil in south central Kansas. He also has 20 cows, which he breeds and sells the calves.

• Rohit Agrawal of Plymouth, MN: Mr. Agrawal is founder of Pwn with your Phone, where he develops and sells applications for Android smartphones. His apps to enhance business productivity and user experience on Android phones have been recommended by publications such as PC World, the New York Times, and more.

# # #

Subscribe to the blog on the right column and stay tuned for in-depth profiles of this years’ winners and finalists!

About NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF. The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system.

Related links:

Register for and download the free EITC (Entrepreneur in the Classroom) free Entrepreneurship Curriculum

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

Name.

Coleton Lunt

Status.

(beginning August 26th) Full time Northern Arizona University student majoring in ceramic art.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Salt Lake City and raised in St. George Utah.  St. George is the Southwestern-most part of the state with Zion Nation Park in my backyard.  At the age of 16 I started hiking and exploring the area which helped me develop spiritually and mentally through the beauty of the desert.  Today I am 24, a hiking guide and ceramic artist with a strong love for dancing, drums, and all forms of art.

Tell us about your business.

I am just beginning my business while I am the manager of a hiking program at Green Valley Spa.  I make a living guiding people around the red rocks of Southern Utah, which is a sweet gig.  After work, I spend the rest of my day working with clay.  I make functional pottery, things you can use like cups, mugs, bowls, pitchers, bottles and so on.  I also dabble in decorational art but I most enjoy the pieces one can put to use.  I sell pieces out of a gallery here in town but most of my clients are guests I guide through the desert.  It is a great way to sell to the client for a cheaper price while at the same time making a larger profit, it is also nice for the friends I meet to take something home that reminds them of this special place.

My main life goal is to be a great ceramic artist.  I will get a Bachelors degree and maybe even a Masters degree in ceramics.  Those degrees will give me credibility and teach me more, I plan on making a name for myself and putting my work on display in fine art galleries and museums.  The dream is to be able to sell my wares out of my home.  I will have a separate studio on my property where I will be able to create art amongst my family and travel to art shows and workshops on the side.

What were the early signs that you were a future entrepreneur?

The early signs of my future entrepreneurship are happening now.  The more people I meet that want to purchase my pieces, the more I begin to realize that my dream is possible.

What is the most exciting/ rewarding part of your business?

The most exciting part of my business is when I finish a piece I know is good.  Its like Christmas morning every time I open the kiln door and see my finished pieces for the first time.  I feel the style of my work represents my own inner beauty and the way I see the world.  The other great part about it is selling a piece of art I made with my own two hands!  It is amazing to me the things I create are good enough for people buy and cherish, it is an incredible compliment and I am grateful for people that enjoy my work.

What is the most challenging part of your business?

Every aspect is a challenge.  Finding the time to create, finding a studio, constructing the piece, generating original ideas, making a profit, and purchasing resources; clay, tools, studio time, firing costs.  I guess I would have to say the most challenging part is creating work that will truly be accepted by the art community.  You can know it all, but you are nothing if your work doesn’t pop.  Creating worthy art is not something you can learn, it is a gift, one you have to constantly improve to properly portray your vision of beauty.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

I know it is cliche but I know you have to do what you love and love what you do, the rest will follow.

NFIB YEF more information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF.  The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

“How to” Resource for Small Business: www.Web20blog.org

The Web 2.0 Blog focuses on sales and marketing tools and topics that are useful for small business owners and marketing managers. This blog is very much a “how to” and “how we’ve done it” source of information.  I have to admit that I, along with a few of my strategic partners, sponsor and contribute to this blog.

Preferred CRM: www.Batchbook.com

Batchbook, a robust customer relationship management (CRM) software with small business prices, is a good alternative to the incumbent Salesforce.com.  This solution is best for a sole-proprietor, consulting business. This product is marketed as “the social CRM”, but unfortunately, it does not live up to its potential in that arena.

Best Social CRM: www.Gist.com

Gist provides you with the latest news, blog posts, and tweets for anyone in your network delivered where you want it, when you want it.  Gist is better than Batchbook for this purpose because it instantly aggregates all your contacts’ posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc. instead of having to be painfully entered in and uploaded one by one.

Best Microsoft Email Plug-In: www.Xobni.com

Similar to Gist, the Xobni plug-in works automatically following download.  The program allows you to view all correspondence with each of your contacts on one panel.   If connected to the internet, the contact will also be instantly linked with their picture through a Facebook or Linked-In account.  Xobni is less buggy than Gist and integrates well with your normal processes if you use Outlook as your email platform….and there’s a free version.

Preferred CRM with Project Management: www.Solve360.com

Best know your prospects and clients by keeping their all their information integrated in the same program as you manage their projects. Solve360 is a Norada product helping businesses stay organized when multiple people are working on each client project.

Preferred Marketing Manager: www.MailChimp.com

Mailchimp is the most cost-effective, user-friendly marketing manager.  I have experience using iContact, Constant Contact and Vertical Response.

Preferred Web Monitoring: http://www.google.com/analytics/

Google Analytics is a free program allowing for site owners and web-professionals to monitor site statistics including visits, clicks, referral links, traffic sources and time spent on the site.

 Best Accounting Software for working with accountants:

http://quickbooksonline.intuit.com/

There are many accounting programs and not all accountants are well-versed in each, but they all know Quickbooks.

Best Accounting Software for tracking time and invoicing clients:

www.Freshbooks.com. 

The program is most appropriate when multiple employees or contractors are working on a single project and billing for time.  Otherwise, use Quickbooks because accountants like it.

Preferred Social Media Manager: www.Hootsuite.com

Hootsuite allows you to manage multiple social media accounts simultaneously.  It also allows you to schedule posts in advance.

Cool Real-Time Search Engine for FB and Twitter: www.Kurrently.com

 Search any topic of interest and find out what people are saying on Facebook and Twitter.  It’s fun and can help you find quality articles (and lots of junk) on any given topic.

Forming a Legal Entity: www.Legalzoom.com

Do not waste time or money hiring an attorney to assist you in forming some of the more simple legal entities.  Legal Zoom guides you through the business conception process, leaving very little chance for error.  Sadly, Legal Zoom will try to up-sell you at every turn.  Don’t be fooled by the GoDaddy.com –like attempts, prompting you to add services to your cart.  Just form your LLC, or your corp., or whatever, and seek advice from a real professional with regards to the other stuff.

Connect with Grade A Marketing

Email Amanda  

Grade A Marketing  website

Facebook

NFIB YEF more information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF.  The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

Status

I am a student at the George Washington University School of Business and graduating in May 2011.

 Tell us about yourself

As a kid, I always loved the idea of inventing something or coming up with the next big idea.  My degree from GW is in Business Administration with a dual concentration in entrepreneurship and international business.  Through my classes I have written business plans, interviewed entrepreneurs, and pitched ideas to venture capitalists.  While inIndialast summer, I worked at the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI), which develops low-cost technologies for rural farmers inIndia.  Upon returning to theUS, I started designing a system (inspired by what I worked with inIndia) that can convert food and paper waste to energy.

 Tell us about your business

Greenfinity is a sustainable, urban waste management solution utilizing biofuel systems.  I designed a biofuel system based on my experience in India, which uses the anaerobic digestion process to convert food and paper waste to methane gas, which can be used to run a stove.  The ideal client for this product is a restaurant that produces large amounts of food waste and is committed to sustainability.  I am currently looking into a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant through the National Science Foundation, to gain enough funding to test the concept in laboratory space.

 What were the early signs that you were a future entrepreneur?

I played field hockey growing up and loved the sport.  When I got to high school and realized my school did not have a field hockey team, I decided to start one.  Although it was not starting a business, I realized later that starting the field hockey team involved financing, team building, and pitching an idea.  Unfortunately, I graduated before I could actually play on the team.  What I enjoyed most about this project was creating a legacy—the Lauralton Hall field hockey team is now one of the top teams in the state.

What is the most exciting/rewarding part of your business?

I really enjoy talking to people about my concept and selling them on the idea.  Since I do not have a business background, all of the science was very new to me at the beginning, but now I am very comfortable talking to people about how it works from a scientific perspective.

What is the most challenging part of your business?

Initially, understanding the science was my biggest challenge.  I still want to do everything, but I am realizing that I need to focus on the business side of things, and get help for the science and technology aspects.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

If you are young and still in school and you have an idea for a product or service, just go for it!  I was always worried about my ideas failing or not working, but I think if you have an idea you are willing to spend time on, it is probably worth pursuing on some level.

Greenfininty on Twitter

Discussion Questions

1. What aspects of Tricia’s journey to and through entrepreneurship stand out to you? Sports? India? The loan / grant programs? Pick between one and three elements of her profile and explain why they stand out to you.

2. As a follow on to question 1, consider completing exercises in Module 1 of theEntrepreneur in the Classroom free curriculum. Do you have the traits and mindset of an entrepreneur? What other traits can you imagine are necessary to be an entrepreneur? List them without looking at the exercise? What additional traits are revealed after looking at the Module 1 exercise?

3. If you had a business idea, what contests exist where you could pitch your ideas and get feedback and funding? Google them and list three that you find.

More information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF.  The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

Follow NFIB on Twitter

Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter

Name

Amanda Fischer

Status

President of Grade A Marketing

 Tell us about yourself

I started collecting internships my senior year of high school.   Early on, my priority was gaining experiential, professional knowledge. I had a wide variety of internships ranging from an internet start-up to a mega PR firm. I hold a bachelor’s in Communication from George Washington University.  People usually assume my major was mass communications, but I studied theory-based communication which is actually akin to social psychology.  For example, my senior thesis was a social scientific study entitled Exploring the Correlations between Teasing and Competitiveness within Romantic Relationships.  Since I’m sure you’re dying to know, the study found that teasing and competitiveness are positively correlated, but only in short term relationships less than one year.  

Apart from my business, my husband, my family and my personal relationships are the most important things in my life.

 Tell us about your business

I positioned Grade A Marketing in a unique niche aligning marketing initiatives with revenue production goals.  Marketing efforts should be purposeful and measureable. While marketing and sales are related, one cannot take the place of the other.   Grade A helps businesses grow their revenues by uniting their marketing and sales efforts to reinforce and promote each other.  Networking, which has proven key in building my business, is just one example of sales and marketing efforts in tandem. My company core values reflect my approach to life and interpersonal relationships:

Give

Aiming to build long term, quality relationships in business by taking a “Give First” approach with our clients, vendors & friends.

Own

Taking responsibility for our actions and taking initiative to improve the business for ourselves and our clients

Innovate

Challenging traditional sales and marketing assumptions. Adding value to our client & vendor relationships & our business thru strategic differentiation, critical thinking and problem solving.

Appreciate

Cherishing the people and opportunities in our lives, both personally and professionally.

I started my business in November 2010 and have quickly amassed seventeen clients as a direct result of my networking efforts from the past seven years. 

What were the early signs that you were a future entrepreneur?

There weren’t any!  I have always been a leader and independently motivated, but these qualities do not surely lend themselves to business ownership.  I wasn’t turning a profit while in diapers, reflecting the “born to be an entrepreneur” story of many business owners.  I went into business for myself after consistently being disappointed by my own managers and bosses.  I knew I could do it better, and I now am. 

What is the most exciting/rewarding part of your business?

I love helping business owners rekindle their passion.  I’ve seen how a renewed brand invigorates business development efforts.  When business owners have an image they are proud of and identify with, their entire sales process becomes so much easier. 

What is the most challenging part of your business?

Overall, the most challenging aspect is change as a constant.   Every growing business is consistently in flux, so I’ve had to become comfortable with its ever-changing properties.  For example, in the next few months I will be growing Grade A from a one-person to a multiple person organization.  Anyone who is uncomfortable with change is likely to have a difficult time running a business. 

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

Learn and Connect.  With the goal of entrepreneurship, experiential learning is just as important as graduate school.  You can learn a lot from other people’s successes and failures by reading, but there is even more value in learning by watching those who lead and manage you.  Also, you must seek out mentors and stay in contact with people you like, respect or admire.

More information on Grade A Marketing  and on Facebook

Discussion Questions

1. Comment on Amanda’s “change as a constant” comment. Could you accept this in business?

2. As a follow on to question 1, consider completing exercises in Module 1 of the Entrepreneur in the Classroom free curriculum. Do you have the traits and mindset of an entrepreneur where change is a constant? What other traits can you imagine are necessary to be an entrepreneur? List them without looking at the exercise? What additional traits are revealed after looking at the Module 1 exercise?

3. Do you like Amanda’s four-part values listed above? What would your values be as an entrepreneur? How many would there be? List them.

More information

Know a Young Entrepreneur? Nominate them here.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the importance of small business and free enterprise to the nation’s youth. More information is available at www.NFIB.com/YEF.  The Foundation is associated with the National Federation of Independent Business; NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals.

Entrepreneur In The Classroom. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom (EITC) supplemental curriculum exposes students to entrepreneurship and the necessary steps to take an idea and turn it into a business. The free curriculum can be integrated into classes teaching a variety of subjects including music, art, fashion, business and many more. You must be registered to view the full Entrepreneur-in-the-Classroom curriculum.

Related links:

Follow NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation on Twitter

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Follow blog author Kathy Korman Frey on Twitter