University Entrepreneur Club

[Gaulkin]

My university lacks a entrepreneur/business club, so ive been thinking about starting one myself. Theres only one problem, i know nothing about starting a club at a university. If anyone out there can give me tips and point me in the right direction that would be great, thanks.

[akula]

My university lacks a entrepreneur/business club, so ive been thinking about starting one myself. Theres only one problem, i know nothing about starting a club at a university. If anyone out there can give me tips and point me in the right direction that would be great, thanks.

yes, to do well (after registering the club with your college) you need to

a) print out, read this manual and follow the tips and hints
Successful Experiences of Entrepreneurship Center Directors

b) you need to call up the people in chicago and register your club with the Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization. This is the world's largest organisation for college entrepreneurship clubs with over 110 member universities. They have a yearly conference where thousands of entrepreneurs meet up, network and get shitfaced. The major feature for your club would be to organise a group of students at your college to attend the conference....if you can do that, you pretty much don't need to do anything else...unless you have a lot of extra time for running your club...which you won't, because you're an entrepreneur!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do these two things and you'll be ok!
But if you can't do a) at least do b)!!!

P.S. Your university student guild/union will have the forms for registering your club with the university..it's pretty easy

[Gaulkin]

Sounds good thanks

[Gaulkin]

Should i try and make a profit from this organization or should i make it non profit?

[akula]

it's a club, there's no shareholders, it's not "owned" by anyone, therefore, it's not capable of making a "profit"..and you won't be allowed to set up an llc and operate it on campus...as such, the club can either operate at a surplus, or a deficit. obviously, try to operate it at a surplus...or you'll have to close shop.
- member fees
- sponsorships
- merchandise sales
that's the sort of thing u're looking at
...but really, do it because you wanna have fun and meet as many chics as possible :-)

[JaytheCreative]

I am sure ur organization has professional organizations on campus. Join one or two of them and network with the board and members. All professional orgs. have members ho are business-minded, and an entrepreneurship club would be desirable.

Make friends with them and shoot them the idea, gather support. Talk to ur campus' Student Life directors, they will help u.

My entrepreneurship club was created by our MSOE Business Leaders Association (MSOE is the university) and one of our IT program directors, in conjunction to our entrepeneurship office.

[Gaulkin]

Can i use the club as a promotional tool for my actually business?

[jasaunders]

yes, to do well (after registering the club with your college) you need to

a) print out, read this manual and follow the tips and hints
Successful Experiences of Entrepreneurship Center Directors

b) you need to call up the people in chicago and register your club with the Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization. This is the world's largest organisation for college entrepreneurship clubs with over 110 member universities. They have a yearly conference where thousands of entrepreneurs meet up, network and get shitfaced. The major feature for your club would be to organise a group of students at your college to attend the conference....if you can do that, you pretty much don't need to do anything else...unless you have a lot of extra time for running your club...which you won't, because you're an entrepreneur!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do these two things and you'll be ok!
But if you can't do a) at least do b)!!!

P.S. Your university student guild/union will have the forms for registering your club with the university..it's pretty easy

I wish I had known about this conference. At least so I could show up and get shitfaced.

[akula]

you can still go son, there's always time for youthful misadventure )

[akula]

Can i use the club as a promotional tool for my actually business?

well..yeah, i guess, but that's pretty cheezy
it's a long shot that your members will either have the inclination or the money to buy ur gear...u're talking about 19y.o kids after all...they just wanna live a dream, sleep around, get drunk and feel like they're doing something important in the process

the problem you are solving is in providing members with a relevant SOCIAL atmosphere. if they wanna go learn stuff, they've got lectures...and in a social atmosphere you don't wanna kill the high by sending commercial messages

look...BE LIKE VAN WILDER
nuff said

[jasaunders]

If you do start this club, the goal should be to 'become important' at least in this close circle and to network with others your age and more important/successful people. This club would give you the vehicle to do this.

It will give you the ability to call up virtually any successful businessman and say "I am the president of the university entrepreneur club, I would love to invite you to speak to our group." This is a really great networking opprtunity and gives you the chance to build some bridges and accumulate resources that you can use in your further entrepreneurial pursuits.

You are thinking short-term, how will this club benefit me now. Think long-term, how will the people I meet, experiences I gain, and information I learn help me in the long-run.

[Gaulkin]

Ok thanks guys

[JaytheCreative]

Can i use the club as a promotional tool for my actually business?

Hmmm not directly. Why? Because it is a registered outside business, and any commercial advertising will have to go through the university's marketing departments and/or whatever administrative authority.

However, you can have your company give donations to your organize for special events and have your company as a noted sponsor, and that is good for face value. However, there are greylines and u may want to speak to someone in administration, to even, again your Student Activities staff.

Student orgs. do well only when the ultimate goal is for providing activities and programs for the students. If it is driven by your business, people will catch on and get annoyed, this is a forewarning.

I've ran numerous organizations on campus throughout my years here and am currently on the exec. board of two of them and do work with our Student Gov't Association here.

[JaytheCreative]

If you do start this club, the goal should be to 'become important' at least in this close circle and to network with others your age and more important/successful people. This club would give you the vehicle to do this.

It will give you the ability to call up virtually any successful businessman and say "I am the president of the university entrepreneur club, I would love to invite you to speak to our group." This is a really great networking opprtunity and gives you the chance to build some bridges and accumulate resources that you can use in your further entrepreneurial pursuits.

You are thinking short-term, how will this club benefit me now. Think long-term, how will the people I meet, experiences I gain, and information I learn help me in the long-run.

Excellent advice and this is truely the significance of being involved on campus

[Gaulkin]

Of course spreading knowledge and networking are the reasons i wanted to start a club in the first place, i was just wondering what i can and cannot do.