Entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurship Program at the Baruch Leadership Academy provides talented rising 10th through 12th grade students with the opportunity to learn about how to bring their business ideas to life. Baruch College is ranked #2 on Money’s “Best Colleges in America” 2019 list. In addition, Baruch has been featured on the list of “Top 50 Best Value Undergraduate Business Schools” according to Value College.
The Academy strives to give students a comprehensive overview of how to become entrepreneurs through the following initiatives:
- Classroom lectures and workshops
- Investigation of business careers as well as the start-up process
- An introduction to business law
- Field trips to business sites within New York City
- Creation of their very own business plan
A Selection of Entrepreneurship Topics Covered*
Defining Your Business Plan
Students explore the basic fundamentals of creating and laying out their business plans. The lecture teaches students about five skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur, also known as the 5C’s: Challenge, Connectivity, Creativity, Communication and Confidence. The class then is taught about key factors needed when thinking about potential business ideas such as the primary and secondary target audience of your proposed business as well as the demographic that you are trying to reach.
Product Marketing
During this class, students meet with a marketing communications director who explains different aspects to marketing from social media to demographics and psychographics. The class discusses the significance of researching and understanding a market before marketing a product.
Credit and Financing
Students learn about the importance of managing personal credit for financing entrepreneurial projects. The class examines the role of banks as one of the main sources for financing startup businesses, as well as about credit necessary to acquire loans. Students learn about common credit mistakes to avoid and are given different scenarios that show solid and poor credit.
Professional Business Consulting
Students meet with a digital marketer and professional consultant for business growth. Students are taught about the consulting process and are provided with comprehensive advice about the business plans that they have created as a class.
* Course material is subject to change.