Entrepreneurship

3 Reasons Why You Should Join The AC Biz Entrepreneurship Club

Alex Mahon, Student Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Dave Hunt, Co-Founder of Oak Computing and a few members of the club.

 

Can you imagine being in a room full of veteran entrepreneurs, angle investors and venture capitalists who are eager to write a cheque and join forces with your start-up business?
An opportunity to witness such an incredible and exciting evening was provided to all members of the Algonquin College Entrepreneurship Club. On November 8th, Business – Management and Entrepreneurship students, alumni and faculty travelled together by bus to Montreal to be a part of a sold out audience as we watched eight product pitches made to venture capitalists at the ‘Founder’s Fuel’ Demonstration.

That evening, the Algonquin Entrepreneur’s were further introduced and had the pleasure to network with a wide range of Canadian entrepreneurs and investors at the event, as well as learn about cutting edge technology products that will soon be introduced into the marketplace. The product pitches were amazing and stood as great inspiration for all members to draw upon when it comes time to do their own business pitch.

In addition to the recent field trip, Algonquin Entrepreneurs have had the opportunity to learn from an insightful guest mentor session with startup maverick Mr. Greg Matthews, a seasoned entrepreneur with strong connections to the small business communities in both Ottawa and Silicone Valley. The most recent guest mentor to speak to the group was Mr. Dave Hunt, Co-founder of Oak Computing, a BIT Graduate from Algonquin and one of the youngest recipients of Startup Canada’s 100 Top Rising Stars.

Last of all, Algonquin Entrepreneurs exists to promote collaboration and innovation at Algonquin College through the creation of interdisciplinary teams. If you are looking for a tech, design or business student to work with to get your idea off the ground, then we can help create and foster that relationship.

“I am so glad to be a part of Algonquin’s Entrepreneurship Club. I have gone on to meet like minded people, made new friends, business connections and I have learned about all kinds of different start-ups. I will definitely continue to attend future speakers and A.E. events!”
Samantha McLeod –Business Management and Entrepreneurship and Event Management Alumni.

Keep an eye out for future events by liking our Algonquin Entrepreneurs Facebook group page and by joining our professional LinkedIn group.

Laurie Logan
Professor
Business Management and Entrepreneurship

What Type of Business Person are YOU?

Every organization needs talented business people to succeed. However, not all business people are created equal — or at least, not all business people can perform all jobs equally well! There are a variety of positions within business that favour specific skill sets.

We’ve identified five “types” and the personal traits associated with them. Each type of business person is ideally suited for different roles within the corporate world: leader, outgoing, helping people, organized, and analytical.

business careers

Let’s Take a Look at Leader

Do you usually find yourself in a position of leadership? Are people often looking to you to provide guidance? Do you enjoy leading a team of people?

Here are some traits a leader should possess:

  • Has integrity
  • Able to see peoples’ strengths and know how to use them
  • Is positive and encouraging
  • Good listener
  • Passionate

Of course, traits alone don’t guarantee success. Beyond these personal traits, there are specific skills to master in order to be an effective leader:

  • Communication – A leader must be able to communicate in a manner that gets people to work toward a common goal.
  • Motivation – A leader understands the team dynamic by knowing each person’s strengths and weaknesses and how to motivate them. A good leader will use each person in a position that makes the most of their strengths.
  • Planning – A leader has a plan to achieve the goal. He/she is able to view scenarios from a high level and not get too bogged down by the details.
  • Delegation – A great leader acknowledges that he/she can’t do everything and is be able to delegate effectively.

Check out Ben Yoskovitz’s blog for a list of more leadership skills.

Leaders are concerned with developing others to reach their potential, and use that potential to reach the corporate goal. Here is a great video that helps to explain what leaders focus on: top 10 differences between managers and leaders. Often, leadership traits are most easily recognized in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

SMEs are the fastest growing sector of the economy, internationally and locally. Strong leadership skills are essential for running a successful business, whether as an entrepreneur or part of a senior management team. If you’ve considered owning a business or working for an SME, check out our diploma program in Management and Entrepreneurship.

If you’ve given thought to a career in international business, our graduates find employment opportunities in a wide range of international fields including government, banking, financial services, industry, logistics, supply chain management, marketing, sales, and management consulting.