Enterprise entrepreneur students learn creatively

ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WTVY) - Young entrepreneurs are in the making at the Enterprise Career and Technology Center.

After learning all semester how to run a small business, Enterprise entrepreneur students got to pitch their ideas in a setting based off the popular TV show “Shark Tank.”

“I give them a list of you have to create a business plan, you have to go over your marketing plan, your financial plan, you have to create a presentation, and then they present it to the shark tank panel,” explains Sabrina Catrett, Business Education Teacher at Enterprise Career and Technology Center.

The panel of seven “Sharks” or investors, are all owners and managers of local businesses.

Erin Grantham, Executive Director at the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce says, “To be able to provide them some mentorship and some guidance and some connections to resources to help nurture what they’ve already started growing, and to help them develop it into a successful business.”

One student says she’s taking the class to grow her photography business.

“I didn’t think that I would get to do it to this level, which is gonna be really great,” says Sydney Stephenson, Junior at Enterprise High School. “I feel like it’s just one of those things that you can tell is gonna set you up for success.”

The project allows students to hear honest feedback from people who understand both the area, and the business world.

Catrett expresses, “They do ask them the hard questions about you need to think about this legality wise, you need to do more in your marketing, you need to do more in your financial plan.”

Giving students like Sydney, advice on how to make her career successful.

“I know that it’s hard when you’re under 18 to really get the business license that you need, and all those permits that you have to get, and so, it’ll probably be a later in life thing, but this class really helping us prepare for when we do want to start the business later in life,” finishes Stephenson.

Students will wrap up the semester by debriefing their projects, discussing what they learned and how they plan to improve their business.

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