Small Business Owner

1. Small Business Owner Lane

2. Table of Contents • Introduction • Resume • Letters of Recommendation • Locks of Love • Flea Market • 5th Year Plan • Job Shadow • Conclusion

3. Introduction I was born and lived in Detroit for 12 years, I then moved to south Carolina with my dad I came to Tiger to seek a better form of alternative education. Previously, after missing 6 out of the 9 weeks of my first year of high school and being expelled due to various behavioral issues, I was placed in another alternative program. Givhan’s Alternative Program was a jail-like facility that further instilled my hatred of school. I never wanted to go to school again, so I didn’t. I skipped school and made bad choices that ultimately led to my father sending my brother and I to Washington to live with my mother. She sent my transcript to Issaquah and they told her I might be better suited at Tiger. We gave it a try and boy were they right. I have never liked going to school. I gave high school a try, I really did. But the teachers and the students and all the work that was expected of me was all too much. I hated sitting in the huge classes and being patronized by some old lady then leaving and being patronized by some dumb little kids. Then, on top of all that, I had 6 pages of homework from all my classes and I hadn’t listened to a word of what the teachers were saying. I was so focused on hating my environment that it was impossible for me to learn and behave properly. I was getting in trouble every time I came to school for “mouthing off”, or leaving the class or not doing my work.

4. Letters of Recommendation • Hilary Nelson • Lane Helgeson

5. Resume See my resume

6. 10 Most Meaningful Experiences • My grandfather, who shared a birthday with me, dying • Getting my first job at a flea market with my dad • Moving across the country from Detroit to South Carolina • Moving back across the country from South Carolina to Washington • Holding my cousin Natalie when she was a baby for the first time • Getting in a severe accident and spending three months recovering • When I was six my dad gave my a pocket knife • Cutting off my hair and donating to Locks of Love • Finding a bird that fell out of its nest and nursing it back to health • Piercing my lips

7. Locks of Love My cousin Sarah has severe epilepsy. When I was 10 she had to undergo some intense brain surgery. In preparations for her surgery they shaved her head and after her surgery her hair took a long time to start growing back and she had a very large scar. I remember for a while she was self conscious about it and she wore a wig around, she was so upset that I just wanted to give her my hair. As her hair grew out a little she came to accept it and she looked great. One day she told me about the Locks of Love program that makes wigs for kids who are terminally ill and their illness has caused hair loss. I thought it was such a good idea that, that night I had her tie back my long pretty curly hair and cut off my pony tail. Then I told her I wanted to be like her and even have shorter hair. She continued to cut and cut and cut my hair off until I had a short little pixie cut not much longer than hers. All the while telling me about how sad she was when her hair was gone and how she thought everyone looked at her different but when she decided that it was only hair and it didn’t define who she was, it didn’t matter if she had long pretty hair or short hair or no hair, nothing on the outside really matters and it’s the strength and passion that you carry inside you that makes who you are.

8. Flea Market I was 11 when my brother and I moved to South Carolina. We lived with my father and his girlfriend in a town called, Summerville. Summerville had a large flea market with everything from baby alligators to Dutch ovens. His girlfriend owned a jewelry booth and he was running a knife and weapons booth. He though it would be a learning experience to have me come with him every weekend and help manage his booth. It would a way of teaching me some responsibility and the hard work would build my character We had to wake up at 4 a.m. and race down to the market so we could unload our products before other vendors started to arrive. We would spend the better part of two hours wrestling to put up the tent and the set up the display tables. He would assign me a couple of tasks every weekend: to arrange the cases, clean the knives, or check inventory. He let me sell my own items on a small corner of the tables, I made wallets and bracelets. At the end of a nine hour day I was exhausted but always so happy. My dad gave me responsibilities and I always felt accomplished at the end of the weekend for completing my tasks or making a large sale.

9. 5th Year Plan Small Business Owner www.Bridges.com www.bls.gov www.sba.gov

10. 5th Year Plan Tasks and Responsibilities • Responsible for the entire business • Manage finances • Keep track of paperwork • Identify, hire, train and create the best team members • Motivate employees • Set business policies and rules • Handle employees, and consequences of employees actions • Conduct sales • Marketing • Maintain inventory • Delegate responsibilities • Meet the needs of a group • Customer service • Foster a good work ethic among employees • Create and maintain a good work environment

11. Skills and Abilities Leadership Patience Organization Punctuality Communication Skills Flexibility Innovative thinking Perseverance Efficiency Math and accounting skills Decision making Attention to detail Negotiation skills Awareness of changing trends in market 5th Year Plan

12. 5th Year Plan Additional Education • Four year business management degree • Classes offered through SBA • Additional math and accounting classes

13. 5th Year Plan Work Environment • Fast paced • Dimly lit • Loud people, loud music very busy during peak hours • People are having a good time and partying • Employees may need delegation or assistance • Televisions playing sports, rowdy sports fans • Live entertainment and nightly events • Indoor restaurant with an outdoor patio seating area • Many things to maintain, cleanliness, service, and handling any problems a customers has • Large groups of people, sometimes parties or special events • Manager is busy trying to keep everybody happy

14. 5th Year Plan Work Schedule • On the job for operational hours • On the job after hours • Schedule for the owner depends on many different factors • Working seven days a week • Some holidays off • Most, if not all, personal time spent improving the business

15. 5th Year Plan Salary • A small business owner’s salary will vary depending on the success of the business and their profit margin • When starting a business I will be taking financial risks that might put me in debt for the first years while I get started • Businesses hit ups and downs, profits will not be always consistent and will change with the market • Small business owners can make anywhere from $60,000 to $120,000 on average

16. 5th Year Plan Employment Outlook • In 2009 there were 627,200 new businesses, 595,600 business closures and 43,546 bankruptcies • With government programs and aid to small business owners it is easier to be successful • Outlook is good for anybody who can find a market for their products and continue to satisfy market with new products or services • The world will always be hungry and by providing a service for basic human needs I think I will never be out of business

17. 5th Year Plan Advancement Possibilities • Advancements such as becoming a corporation or franchise • Success in a small business depends on providing what customers want or need, reasonably prices and easily available • Having a good reputation, becoming a household name • Branching out into other fields or products • Owning multiple locations

18. 5th Year Plan Related Occupations • Business Management • Food Service Management • Hospitality Management

19. Job Shadow Location: Vino Bella Issaquah, WA Mentor: Claude Blumenzweig Job Title: Business Owner Date: March 31

20. Job Shadow Experience • Toured the kitchen • Learned about equipment • Washed dishes • Learned about business plans • Reviewed products appropriate for restaurant business • Started a mockup business plan

21. Job Shadow Questions Q.) How long have you been in a management position or owned your business? A.) “I open Vino Bella 5 years ago and have been operating ever since. Before that I held management positions in construction companies.” Q.) What kind training or education do you have? A.) “I have no formal training or education, I didn’t get a business degree; I started managing young so I have always gotten by on my experience” Q.) What personality traits do you think a good proprietor should have? A.) “Besides obvious leadership skills, I think it is very important to have patience. When you own a business things go wrong, customers can be rude, being the person in charge you are the glue of the company. All your employees and customers look to you to set the tone. If you can’t handle mishaps properly your work environment will not be a comfortable one.” Q.) How much of your life do you dedicate to your job? A.) “I eat, sleep, breath, live this place. There isn’t a moment when I’m not worrying about my business. I spend time fixing any problems, finding new wines and talents to come in. I put my entire life into this place”

22. Job Shadow Conclusion I saw the working dynamics between the business owner and customers and employees. I saw the type of person it takes to be successful and the strong personality, I need to have. I also learned how complicated and important business plans are. I saw that Clyde had made a plan, organized a structure, himself, and his employees. He was a strong leader, but not to forceful though he had control of the situation.

23. In The Future After college I plan on staying in Detroit, hopefully in my home since homes are cheap there. I will have to get another job, as a manager at a store or restaurant until I have saved enough money to start my own business. I think that in the near future Detroit will be the perfect place to start a business, there are a lot of opportunities to provide people’s needs and wants,their just waiting for a smart entrepreneur.

24. 5th Year Plan Education Wayne State University Bellevue Community College

25. 5th Year Plan Possible Degrees: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration Food Service Management BBA Emphasis on Hospitality

26. 5th Year Plan General Education Requirements • Introduction to finances • Communications • Government business ethics • Management and organizational behavior • Principles of marketing • Statistical mathematics • Legal environment of business http://www.enmu.edu/academics/resources/degrees/degrees-09 11/bachelor/business/bba-no-emphasis.pdf

27. 5th Year Plan Wayne State General Fees and tuition http://reg.wayne.edu/pdf-tuition/tuition-fee-chart-spring-2011.pdf http://business.wayne.edu/management/plan.php $32,757 Funding My Education • I currently take half of all my paychecks and put it in a savings account • I will be applying for financial aid and scholarships, including the McScholar scholarship • I receive a settlement

28. 5th Year Plan WAYNE STATE Application Process: Complete application, either online or hard copy Get into contact with a local recruiter Meet with counselor Take COMPASS test Register for classes

29. Thank You For Your Time! 

30. Job Shadow Questions Q.) How much of your life do you dedicate to your job? A.) “I eat, sleep, breath, live this place. There isn’t a moment when I’m not worrying about my business. I spend time fixing any problems, finding new wines and talents to come in. I put my entire life into this place” Q.) What are the shifts like? A.) “I work 7 days a week usually. I can take a day off every once in a while but I spend my time at the restaurant during operation hours from ten in the morning to ten or eleven at night Q.) Does owning a business cause you a lot of stress or worry? A.) “I guess you could call it that, I’m always thinking about how my business is doing or how I could improve. You have to be on top of trends and bringing in business. There are so many things to maintain when you are the owner, but its not a stressful stress, it’s a fun, almost fulfilling stress in my opinion.”