Business-Entrepreneurship (BENT)

This course is designed for students who are ready to launch a business, have an established business, including a family-owned business. Students will execute pre-launch plans and build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product or Service) prepare and conduct a marketing campaign, file legal documents, obtain start-up funding, select a location, and be ready to operate the business part-time to discover a sustainable business model. The experience learning approach will be used in this course where the students will create and operate their own businesses.

This course introduces the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in entrepreneurship and small business. Students apply AI tools to tasks such as opportunity recognition, customer discovery, content creation, communication, and data-informed decision-making. Emphasis is placed on prompt development and evaluating AI-generated outputs for accuracy, relevance, and bias. Ethical and responsible AI use is emphasized.

This course builds upon the knowledge and skills needed to manage and grow a small business. It emphasizes the fundamentals of management specific to a small business owner. The course will review the financial health of the business. It will explore strategic planning and growth. Case studies will be utilized for insight into both successful and unsuccessful businesses.

This course introduces the student to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. The students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to research and begin a small business. Explores opportunity analysis, startup-expenses, forms of business ownership, site selection, and sources of funding. Student's research and compare buying an existing business, starting a new business and franchising. Also review human resources, marketing, management, accounting and legal aspects of business.

This course will provide the students the skills and knowledge to develop a business plan. This course will draw on knowledge obtained from previous business courses. Students will individually or on a team bases, develop a compete business plan and learn how to pitch it.