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Club members learned that starting a business can be difficult
if one does not know where to begin. The first thing to do,
Brown said, is write a business plan. Unfortunately, he admitted,
people often do this last.
Brown showed the members around the center and encouraged them
to use the facilities as much as possible. It has a resource
library with business literature and materials that provide
information on a wide range of business development topics,
including “E-Business,” “How to do a Business Plan,” etc. Complete
folders on these can be photocopied for a nominal fee.
Use of the center is free, or at a small charge once a person
signs up with them. “The first thing after one develops a business
plan and has it approved is to get a loan,” said Brown. “Usually,
the first business loan is the hardest. After that, the person
must develop a solid track record which leads to productivity
in the business.”
At the SBARC, workshops and seminars are free and conducted
by the economic specialists. What interested the club’s members
was using the computer lab and its programs on how to start
a business and business development. Brown was encouraging:
“Come to SBARC, make an appointment with us. We will try to
help you on your way to starting a business here in the U.S.A.”
One member, Handy Siswanto, a graduate student from Indonesia
majoring in MSIS, is interested in developing an import-export
trading company with his friend from Thailand. “Coming to the
SBARC really encouraged me to fully develop my business plan,”
said Siswanto. “Being involved with the Entrepreneurship Club
at HPU is only the beginning to what will evolve into a profitable
business some day.”
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