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An entrepreneurship class in Saranac Lake. Photo provided
Aug 01, 2023 —
For the last six years, Clarkson University’s Shipley Center for Innovation has been bringing its business expertise to entrepreneurs across the North Country.
Free workshops from Ticonderoga to Carthage to Ogdensburg have taught practical skills to start or grow a business. They’re part class, part networking mixer.
This year’s workshops are in Malone on August 2, Saranac Lake on August 16, Potsdam on September 6, and Lowville on September 13. The workshops are a partnership with Point Positive. Click here to register.
Shipley Director Jamey Hoose told David Sommerstein the focus this year is on basic business financial skills. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
JAMEY HOOSE: I think what we find in our world is that a lot of people that want to start a business or to own a business are rightfully very focused on the product that they’re delivering. But what they need to understand is that they may have the greatest product in the world, but if you’re not doing a good job balancing your books, understanding where you are in your financial position, scheduling your payments, those types of things are critically important, and they’re the reasons a lot of businesses fail.
So we want companies, we want entrepreneurs, we want small businesses to continue focusing on that core product and making an excellent product, making their customers very, very happy, but also understanding the application of the bottom line, understanding what a balance sheet is, what a cash flow statement is, understanding the tools that you can use to help manage your finances, and understanding the problems that can be created when you don’t manage your finances. That will be a big part of this, with case studies of why we think it’s so important for people to have a better financial awareness of what their business is doing.
DAVID SOMMERSTEIN: You’ve been doing this for six years, like you said, with different focuses in different years. But what have been the results? What’s been the impact of going out into the community and bringing business and entrepreneurship training to people? Has it created more businesses? What do we know?
HOOSE: I think in a lot of cases, there have been new businesses. I don’t have precise data to share with you today. But what we’re finding is that it’s giving people more confidence. And it’s also letting people know of the resources.
One of the big pivots that we’ve done in the last couple of years is we’ve partnered with our local resources, the chambers of commerce, the industrial development agencies, the other universities in our region. And we’ve tried to make them aware of this. And we bring them to these events, so that when when we have participants there, they’re not only learning about the particular curriculum that we have for that program, but they’re also learning about the wealth of other resources that our region has. I think it’s that piece that really helps people move forward.
In terms of what to bring, just bring questions, bring a positive attitude that you’re going to come and you’re going to talk about the struggles that you may be facing amongst your peers and amongst some subject matter experts. And hopefully, you leave with a lot more confidence and a lot more resources at your fingertips.
SOMMERSTEIN: Explain just briefly why is it important to go out to communities? You know, you have great facilities at Clarkson, there are other universities that have them, too. Why are you bringing all this stuff out to people where they are?
HOOSE: The reason that we want to be in communities around the North Country is that we don’t believe that every business needs to be in one location. And we want to be able to set the standard that if you have a successful business, or a great business idea, that’s going to be working in Ticonderoga, or in Tupper, Lake or Long Lake, or in Malone, we want to support you where you’re at.
We want your businesses to thrive in your home community because if all of our home communities have thriving small businesses and industry and, hopefully. startup companies, then we’re all going to be better as a North Country community. And that’s what we’re after. We’re not after making Potsdam [where Clarkson is located] a business powerhouse. We’re after making the entire North Country a fun, safe, and really economically vibrant place to live. And we believe that by going into these communities and supporting people in those communities, that’s the best way to do it.
SOMMERSTEIN: Great. Anything else you feel like is important to add?
HOOSE: You asked about the experience. This is an evening event. It’s meant to be fun. There’s going to be drinks and a bite to eat, and it is you know, it’s not meant to be a networking event but there’s gonna be a chance to meet other great people there and really get a chance for one-on-one help as well to kind of talk through and meet people where they’re at and help them with whatever their situation is for their business.
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