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Skills - Entrepreneurship Resources

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What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?

Very simply, an entrepreneur is someone who sees an opportunity to fill a need and takes the initiative to fill it. Entrepreneurs are often associated with business or for-profit examples like that of Pierre Omidyar, founder of e-Bay, who recognized the need for people to buy and sell an infinite number of items in an online marketplace. Entrepreneurship, however, has a broader reach than for-profit ventures as entrepreneurs are also those who recognize and seek to fill a social need. One example is Steve Mariotti, a former business entrepreneur and public school teacher who started a foundation to teach entrepreneurial concepts to low-income
youth. Regardless of the particular venture, the ability to innovate, to handle risk and uncertainty, and to work independently are key characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.

Many entrepreneurs start their first ventures as students, as a sideline to explore an interest or idea. Below are highlighted resources both at and outside Columbia to support entrepreneurial interests.

How do I get started?

In considering pursuing an entrepreneurial idea, you should first ask yourself some questions:
  • What is the product or service I am proposing?
  • Is there a strong need for this product or service?
  • To whom will you market your product or service?
  • What is the industry you are entering? Is it a growing industry?
  • What changes do you foresee in the industry both short term and long term? How will your venture be poised to take advantage of these changes?
  • What factors will make your venture successful? Do you have the resources (financial, human, time) and skills necessary to undertake this new venture? What background experience, skills, and strengths do you personally bring to the venture?

Columbia Resources

Below are a few resources at Columbia that offer opportunities for you to develop the skills and knowledge to get you started on pursuing your entrepreneurial endeavors:
  • Columbia Student Enterprises: For over 70 years, undergraduate and graduate students have learned about and developed entrepreneurship, enterprise leadership, and business skills through Columbia Student Enterprises. You can earn a salary through starting, managing, or working for student-run for-profit and social enterprises that provide valuable products and services to the campus and broader community.
  • Center for Technology, Innovation, and Community Engagement (CTICE), Engaged Entrepreneurship Program: The Engaged Entrepreneurship Program at CTICE provides education and support for SEAS students and faculty, socially engaged entrepreneurs, and members of the Harlem community. SEAS and CTICE have made major progress in developing and implementing a program that will allow students to participate in meaningful entrepreneurship activities across all four undergraduate years.
  • Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs (CORE): CORE runs a series of educational workshops open to all Columbia undergraduate and graduate students and alumni to help them learn about important topics including business plan development, marketing, and entrepreneurial finance. CORE also sponsors an annual business plan competition to grant seed money to students with the strongest business plans.

Additional Resources

General Resources

  • All Business: Information, products, and services for entrepreneurs, small businesses and professionals to start, manage, finance and build a business
  • Entrepreneur.com: Information to help start, grow or manage a small business
  • National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance: Association of colleges and universities that support technology innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education to create experiential learning opportunities for students, and successful, socially beneficial businesses. Offers grants, competitions, courses, and networking opportunities
  • Online Business Advisor: Free business advice on various topics in the form of training segments, articles, manuals/workbooks.
  • Inc.com: Advice, tools, and services, to help business owners and CEOs start, run, and grow their businesses
  • Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE): SCORE is made up of prominent and retired business executives who volunteer their time to advise people on how to start for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises
  • SCORE: Resources for Young Entrepreneurs: Listing of various online resources
  • StartupJournal: The Wall Street Journal Center for Entrepreneurs

Government Resources

Start-up Resources

Resources for Social Entrepreneurs

  • Ashoka: A global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs
  • Social Edge: Global online community where social entrepreneurs and other practitioners of the social benefit sector connect to network, learn, inspire and share resources

Resources for Women

Resources for Minorities