Economics

Mr.McGee
Report: Entrepreneurship in America
Purpose:Tointroducestudentstotherewards,challenges,andimportanceofAmerican
entrepreneurstoday.Eachstudentwillinterviewtheownerofabusinessinthecommunity,visit
thatbusiness,anddevelopareportbasedonthatinterview.Subjectsinterviewedmusthaveeithera
soleproprietorship,partnership,orfranchise.

Format CoverSheet:Centerthefollowinginformation:
EntrepreneurshipinAmerica
Yourname
Period#
Decoratethecoverpagewithartworkdepictingthebusiness.

Part1(Interview)
Thissectionoftheprojectwillbepresentedasadialoguebetweenthestudentandtheowner.
Eachquestionwillbenumberedandsetupinthefollowingfashion:
1. Q Whatisthenameofyourbusiness?
A TheSpaghettiHouseRestaurant

** Studentsmaywishtotapeorrecordtheinterviewandtranscribeitatanothertimeratherthan
attemptingtotakenotesduringtheinterview.Makesureyouaskpermissionfromtheownerif
youwishtodothis.Ifyoursubject'sanswersarevagueorincomplete,askasmanyquestionsas
necessarytofindtheinformationyouneed.Youmayinterviewwithapartnerorasmallgroup
(nomorethan4students),buteachpersonmustdotheirownreport.

Part2(Reaction/Analysis)
Thesecondpartoftheprojectwillpresentyourreactiontotheinterviewandyourvisittothe
business.Whatdidyoulearn,howhaveyourperceptionsofthebusinesschanged,etc.?What
changeswouldyoumakeifthebusinesswereyours?Thissectionoftheprojectcanbeanoral
presentationtotheteacher(verbalsummary)orinwrittenform.

Part3(EntrepreneurData)
Onthispageincludeonlyyoursubject'sname,businessaddress,phonenumber,andsignature.
InstructtheownerthatImaybecallingtoverifytheaccuracyoftheinformationincludedinyour
report.(Hint:Havethispagecompletedbeforeaskingfortheirsignature!)

Part4(Photograph)
Printaphototakenwithanycamera(cellphonesO.K.)ofyourselfwiththeowner

Duedate WednesdayApril5(ExtraCreditif
 Turnedinbeforethedeadline)
DeadlineforEntrepreneurSelection Thur.March2Per.1;Fri.March3Per.4
Points 100

Nolatereportswillbeaccepted.
IfyouareabsentonApril5,seetoitthatIreceiveyourreportpriortothedeadline.

Gradingcriteria
1. Thoroughnessofanswers(Parts1andII)
2. Organization/depthofyourobservations/insights(PartII)
3. FollowingDirections/IncludingAllPartsofProject

InterviewQuestions

1. Whatisthenameofyourbusiness?

2. Howlonghasyourbusinessbeenoperating?

3.Whataretheproductsorservicesprovidedbyyourcompany?

4. Howdidyougetinvolvedinthis(asopposedtoanother)typeofbusiness?

5. Whydidyoudecidetogointobusinessforyourself(insteadofworkingforothers)?

6. Howlongdidittakeforyourbusinesstoshowaprofitorwhendoyouexpecttodoso?

7. Whatistheorganizationofyourbusiness?(soleproprietor,partnership,orfranchise)

8. Whatarethecharacteristicsofyourcustomersormarket?(age,sex,income,area,etc.)

9. Howmanyhoursperdaydidyouputintothebusinessduringitsinitialoperation?
10. Howmanyhoursperdaydoyouspendinthebusinessnow?
11. Haveyouexpandedyourbusiness(numberoflocations/employees/officespace)?
12. Whatarethemajorproblemsyouhaveexperiencedinyourbusiness?
13. Howmanyemployeesdoyouhavenow?

a. Whatisthebiggestproblemyouhavewithyouremployees?

b. Haveyoueverhadtofireanemployee?Why?

c. Whatarethemostimportantqualitiesyoulookforinanemployee?

14. Howmuchmoneydidittaketostartyourbusiness?

15. Fromwhomdidyouacquirethefinancialcapital($)tostartyourbusiness?

16. Wereyourfinancialestimatestostartthebusinessaccurate?

17. Ifyoucouldchangeanythingaboutyourbusiness,whatwoulditbeandwhy?

18. Whattypeofeducationisnecessarytoundertakethistypeofbusiness?

19. Howhavegovernmentalregulationsaffectedyourbusiness?

20. Whichcompanyisyourbiggestcompetitor?

21. Giveexamplesofhowyoukeepupwithyourcompetition(prices,servicesoffered,etc.).

22. Whatmethodsdoyouusetoadvertiseforcustomers?

23. Howmuchmoneydoyouspendonadvertisingyourbusiness?

24. Howoftendoyoutakeinventoryofpartsorequipment?

25. Whydoyouthinksomanynewsmallbusinessesfailwithintheirfirstseveralyears?

26. Whatadvicewouldyougivesomeonewhoisconsideringgoingintobusinessforthefirst
time?

27. Howhasglobalizationinfluencedyourbusiness?

28. Howhastheinformationtechnologyrevolution(Internet,Twitter,Instagram,Facebook,
Yelp,etc.)influencedyourbusiness?