Participants in Tusculum College’s Help Me Help You entrepreneurial/small business assistance program gathered on Thursday, December 8, to make their final presentations and business plans to mentors, sponsors, students, faculty and staff of the college and other interested community members.
The assembled group totaled 32 at the Tusculum campus, as well as 17 from the United States, Chile and France who followed the presentation through a broadcast of the program through Livestream.
Five presentations were made by the seven participants in the program. This marks the first class to complete the program offered by the college to support small business owners and entrepreneurs. The program is sponsored by the Tusculum College School of Business, as well as the Bonner Leaders program. In addition, the first year has been funded by sponsors Scott Niswonger, Tom Ferguson and Atmos Energy Corp.
Enrollment for the free spring semester program is going on through December 31.
Presentations from each of the groups included key business components such as a general overview of each business, a layout of the goals and objectives for the upcoming year, identification of target markets, description of the products and services and a description of marketing and sales strategies
Eric and Lynette Price, owners and operators of the Creamy Cup, presented their plan to take their business to the next level and be able to further develop their business into a firm with multiple locations that helps create employment for local people while serving quality coffee and other food products.
“If it hadn’t been for this program, our business plan would not be done, and I thank everyone involved for making this happen,” said Lynette Price.
Also presenting was Gene Maddox, who has not let his blindness deter him from a dream of running his own business. The program helped Maddox put his desires into a plan that will result in the opening of an online indoor fruit tree business that will launch in January. The business will allow everyone, including people with physical disabilities, to gain gardening experience and enjoy the benefits of indoor trees in their home and work environments.
“This is a wonderful program, and the monitors are very knowledgeable,” said Maddox. “The whole experience has made me restore the faith not only on the future generations, but also on myself and my personal future.”
Terry Webb, currently a police detective, enrolled in the program after he and his wife, Lisa, purchased Artistic Printers earlier this year. The business has been established for more than 40 years, but the Webbs want to see it develop into a larger scale printing company. Terry told the group during the presentation that the program has helped him realize where his business stands, determine where he wants to see his business sin the future and plan for ways of achieving these ambitious goals.
New to the area are Brian and Kim Ward who own and operate Ward Auction and Appraisals. While they have been in the auction business for 18 years, the Wards are looking to break into the local auctioneering industry and be able to specialize in fund-raising auctions.
“We offer full auction services, but what we want to do, what we really enjoy doing is fund-raising auctions. We love being able to provide our expertise and make a lot of money for these organizations,” said Brian Ward.
Also presenting was Warren Verity of W. Verity Photography. Verity, who has a passion for storytelling, and in particularly, telling stories through photography, presented his business plan that envisions the growth of his current one-stop studio for all of the customers’ photography needs into a franchise operation.
According to Verity, the program helped him successfully define his target markets and determine how to properly appeal to them in order to increase his market share and position in 2012.
“Help Me Help You” is a free small business support program consisting of ten sessions offered through the college’s main campus in Greeneville. The spring semester program will run from January 19 through April 12. The sessions will be held on Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m.
According to Luis Zamora, a junior business and economics major from Santiago, Chile, the program provides a huge opportunity for students and local small business owners to work and grow together both personally and professionally, all this thanks to community partners that have picked up expenses in order to allow the program to become established.
The “Help Me Help You” team, led by Zamora and formed by seven other monitors, has become a team of excelling leaders and students within Tusculum College. As such, their goals and expectations include not only to expand the program’s operations in order to satisfy additional small business community needs, but also help the participants make the most of it by helping them increase their profits, create a business plan, expand their network and improve their practical and interpersonal skills through a variety of unique, globally tested activities.
Through the 10-week program, sessions will focus on market definition, cost administration, pricing, marketing and sales strategies, body language in business, financing, legal issues, negotiation, networking and business presentations.
According to Zamora, in addition to the other benefits, each business person joining HMHU will become connected to a network of thousands of small businesses from all over the world through HMHU’s global network.
The program has the full support of Tusculum College administration, as well as the School of Business, the Center for Civic Advancement and the Office of Institutional Advancement.
Registration and additional information are available by calling 423-636-7304 or by emailing lzamora@HMHU.org.
Front row from left are Suzanne Richey, Dr. Scott M. Niswonger, Kim Ward, Gene Maddox, Lynette Price, Eric Price and Dr. Michelle Freeman. Second row are Dr. Tom McFarland, Kalie Smith, Dr. Antonio Bos, Brian Ward, Terry Webb, Kirstie Gust, Felicia Waters and Robin Shepherd. Third row are Isiah Lymon, Paul Bergvin, Andreas Jarquin, Matthew McKeever, David Talley, Dr. Greg Hawkins, Steven Hollingshead, Julia Newman and Luis Zamora. Back row are Andy Goellner, Samantha Underwood and Steve Gehret.