Manistee YouthBuild students learn entrepreneurship as well as craftsmanship

Usually, YouthBuild students across Northwest Michigan are spending their time on learning skills they need to build a house. In Manistee this summer, some of them also learned how to build a business.

Entrepreneurship classes were offered as part of a series by the Small Business and Technology Development Center, to educate the students on the ins and outs of running a business and marketing products or skills.

"The idea is that somebody who goes through this program can use entrepreneurship as a skill that they could bring another employer," says Chris Wendel, SBTDC regional director. "Or we want these participants to know that self-employment is a viable option."

And as with every YouthBuild program, realism was one of the main lessons. Students wrote a business plan and explored profitability, time management, putting a price on their work, and then marketing it. But the outcome isn't always success.

"Sometimes you go through that exercise with marketing a product and realize this isn't going to work," Wendel says.

Even if that was the case in some instances, the students got a look at the world of business options that are there outside of traditional jobs, and hopefully will be encouraged to consider keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well in Manistee.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Chris Wendel, Small Business and Technology Development Center