Durrell

Last week I had the honor of meeting not only Jeff Bowers but the city manager, Richard Carmean. Jeff Bowers put many things into perspective. I've always known that a business plan was important but I had no idea of the impact that planning had on not only starting a business but maintaining one. As Jeff talked I noticed how much he stressed his failed attempts to buy his company, and I noticed that he used each failure to his advantage. the fact that he was denied repeatedly and did not fail is inspiration enough not to mention his use of criticism, which very few can use as a professional augmentation. I like that he capitalized on that fact that a smart aspiring business person can use short comings as an advantage. he also gave me the idea of utilizing auctions. this can prove to be very handy. Richard Carmean is a very respectable person, but what interested me was that he is not only good at what he does but he is the best. My goal is to not only be good at what I do but to do it better than anyone else. That is the quality that makes him stand out. and that is the quality that I will soon develop.   

Durrell

Last week I had the chance to meet Ken Anderson, his vivacious personality is quite inspirational. He seemed to demand respect with an assertive yet humorous manner. I couldn't help but notice that Bryan also has this quality. I think this is one of the most important factors that can either make or break entrepreneurs business. The three most important thing that I learned from Mr. Anderson and the other business owners are that I should make sure I am cut out to be an entrepreneur, I should never give up on my goal no matter how much I fail, and that the best thing about being about an entrepreneur is that I don't have to separate my dream and skill from my passion. I can put them together and make my life productive and enjoyable. I can tell that I have much to learn and with this program I can become more than some average business owner, I could become something great. After talking for only a few hours I have learned so much and realized just how little I know.  

Cynthia

The mentoring program has given me alot of information.  Last weeks speaker (Jeff Bowers) was very interesting.  How he started from just an idea, and explained how his business plan was the foundation of his whole company. how he had to beat out at least 3-4 other buyers or customers that wanted the company that he wanted. but what made Mr. Bowers stand out the most was his business plan and how he was going to move that company forward with everything. The way he is with his money how he is so conservative with his money is very good benefit and trait that he has. I need to learn that how to save and not always spend. and once we got to the shop, she explained how the idea got into her head and how she made it into what it is now. that is wasn't suppose to be this big shop but now that customers are wanting more, that now she is expanding and shes only been open a year and getting bigger.

Donique

The speaker we had last Thursday was really helpful with alot of questions I had regarding financial needs. He explained everything we needed to do to save money, get more money, and spend money wisely. Also, what I liked about him was that I could relate him alot. He doesn't like to spend much money if it isn't required. I'm the exact same way, I'm always looking for cheaper prices. Every financial question I threw at him, he answered with an explanation suitable to my understanding. He warned us about the things that could happen if we don't spend and save money wisely. Everything that he said has processed through my brain and written down so that I may remember it when necessary. He made owning a business alot easier for us because of the information he has provided us with.

Jose

Yesterday at Georgia house was great because they showed me around. I got to see up stairs and he said that up to 60-65 people can fit their with tables set up to have a nice party up their or a special acuation. I was surprised because the room looked small, it was its office up stairs also. I learned how to fold napkins which was fun to do. I also learned how to treat the peoples when we ask for their orders. I learned that you have to always serve the ladies first then the gentlemen. The other thing I learned was that the drinking cups for sweet tea and regular tea have their own color cup. I had fun this week and hope this week coming up I learned a lot more.

Rachel

In our class last week we had a really inspiring speaker. He started with not even having the choice of college and turned into a super successful cop/rel estate agent/ business owner. He even had a business plan worth 4.2 million dollars, that's a lot of money. He really showed us how important having a business plan is to get your business up and running and how that's one of the first steps to creating your business. During the mentoring part of the day we went over how she started up her business and what her business plan was it was cool to see how she started up her business.

Jennifer

On our second session I learned about preparing our own business plan. Without a business plan, who knows how your business will go. Also, most banks will probably not give you a loan to be able to start your business up if you don’t have a well prepared business plan. When I arrived at Abbott’s Grill I asked my mentor about his business plan. He told me his whole process and how much time and effort he put into it. All this talk about business plans made me realize how my business plan I made in school was a very short version, if that’s possible. Once I start my business plan for my own business I’ll know how much more effort I need to put into it. Also, that there are guides that can help me prepare it.

Jennifer

As I was on my way to the business that I was assigned to, I did not know what to expect. Once there, the restaurant manager took us on a tour of the place. I learned that there are so many things that make up a restaurant. Also, organization plays a big key on owning your own restaurant. The hostess must jot down any reservations immediately after they are placed. The waitresses are assigned their own section and must take turns. In the back the people must organize their things so they know where it is at and will not have to be running around trying to look for things. So, on my first day I learned that it is important to know where things are at and you have to be responsible.