How can I successfully start and grow my company?
This spring, Brock University entrepreneurship professor Dirk De Clercq is teaching a business course for non-business students that will answer this question.
In an era when local economies strive to diversify by nurturing more small- and medium-sized enterprises, De Clercq’s course ‘Entrepreneurial Basics’ (Entrepreneurship 2P51) teaches people the necessary elements for starting a new business.
Launching a business can be a daunting proposition, but this course covers the basics of the startup phase and encourages students to make sound decisions, even when faced with uncertainty. By the end of the course, students will have completed a feasibility study and know whether their business idea has legs.
“The course could be a starting point, in which the feasibility plan is ready to take a business further,” De Clercq said.
In many ways, the course is atypical when it comes to business studies, and the competitive advantage it offers for entrepreneurs is evident. They learn what’s available to help them achieve their entrepreneurial dreams while mastering the art of teamwork.
Dirk De Clercq
“It does not talk about established organizations. Rather, it’s all about gathering resources and transforming a novel idea into an actual business opportunity,” De Clercq said.
Taking the course in the spring offers further advantages. Students can more easily distribute their workload, potentially graduate earlier and benefit from smaller class sizes.
In catering to non-business students De Clercq appreciates the diversity of interests of those taking his class.
“It’s great to have such a wide interaction from so many different backgrounds,” he said.
With the opportunity to create a viable feasibility study, gain a business credit and study in the spring it’s evident that the course is a ‘can’t miss’ for any aspiring entrepreneur.
