Assignment 3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story

My entrepreneurship story started back in high school when our class was given group projects, an assignment that required us to start and manage a new business from the ground up. Our class was divided into teams, and I was selected to be the leader. Each team was tasked with coming up with an idea for a new product, from idea conception, to delivery to the ultimate consumer. The assignment included making a prototype of the item, deciding on pricing, marketing, advertising, and selecting distribution channels. We even had to produce a video commercial to be shown to the entire class!

I am proud, and maybe slightly embarrassed to admit, that I was the one in my group that came up with the idea for our new invention. It was “The Pillow Pan”! The Pillow Pan was a solution for those that drool at night while asleep. People would no longer have to lay on those uncomfortable wet spots when the bedding absorbed the liquid, or have those unsightly drool stains ruin sheets, pillow cases, and pillows. The Pillow Pan was similar to a traditional pillow, but came with a built-in drool-capturing reservoir. The reservoir could easily be removed and emptied in the morning, eliminating overnight sleep discomfort, as well as the unsightly damage that drool previously caused to bedding. Our teacher was not necessarily convinced there would be a market for our invention, but could not deny our ingenuity after identifying a problem that a large majority of the population has experienced, and proposed a solution.

                                                      (image taken from sidesleeper.net)

Enrollment in ENT 3003 Principles of Entrepreneurship was not required for my degree in Business Administration, but an available elective. I chose to take the class because of what I am currently experiencing at my place of employment. The company I work for is going through a cultural transformation. We are shifting from a system of shared responsibility to one of direct accountability. One of the job titles in operations was even changed to “Proprietor”, to help reinforce the fact that the Proprietor for an operation is indeed the “owner” of it. Part of this culture shift toward business ownership is the encouragement of entrepreneurial thinking and action. Or, I suppose since we are company employees, intrapreneurial thinking and action.

I believe that I already am well down the path of thinking like an entrepreneur, identifying problems to be solved and working toward resolutions, at least at work. My expectation is that this class sharpens my skills, adds formal thinking and processes for more effective application of techniques, and ultimately makes me more productive and valuable in my workplace.