Entrepreneurship (AAB)

Eastern Gateway Community College has articulation agreements with colleges and universities including programs offered by Lorain County Community College’s University Partnership. A short-term certificate program is also available.

For additional information on the program, click here.

An entrepreneur risks his own capital, services, and skills in a company (or in several companies). Entrepreneurs exemplify the American dream – working without a boss and using their own hands to build a livelihood. Successful entrepreneurs seem to have a number of similar qualities. First, they know business, either from their own experience or through extensive research. Second, they are extremely motivated. The average number of working hours per week of a successful starting entrepreneur is seventy. This catches the typical American dreamer by surprise. Third, successful entrepreneurs become obsessed with – or at least fascinated by – all parts of their chosen area of expertise. Entrepreneur careers involves an in-depth study of how to manage and run your own personal business. Entrepreneurship is not limited to just small companies, as Bill Gates himself is an entrepreneur. It specifically entails creative thinking and imagination. Clever new ideas are the model for the success of any entrepreneur.

No aspect of the business is too large or too small to consider. The best thing about being an entrepreneur is that they control their own destinies to a greater extent than if they were working for someone else. Unlike working for someone else who judges their work and assigns a value to their services, every stitch of work they do goes toward their betterment. This puts immense pressure on the entrepreneurs, but it can also be the source of immense pleasure. The most important entrepreneurial concerns should be thought about long before the person starts her own business. This person must know how to run the company and when to reassess management strategies. Also, this person must be on top of issues of cash flow, expansion (or consolidation), liquidity, and corporate governance. Being an entrepreneur means thinking about the business all the time, accepting its responsibilities and its failures. But being one’s own boss, owning a business, and reaping all the rewards are powerful enough forces to attract people.

Eastern Gateway Community College's Student Success Plan/Assessment is available for view in PDF format.

This information is presented as a general program overview. Students are advised to follow the more detailed college catalog for program requirements.