Future business owners learn from the experts

How do you beat the competition if you are a small business? Ask Sherman Harris, a sixth-grader at Heather Hills Elementary, and he has the answer. "I would step it up," he said. He already knows that you have to make yourself and your product look different from the competition, or perhaps offer better pricing. (Read the full Gazette article here.)

Sherman was one of several students who took part in the school’s National Entrepreneur Week celebration recently. They hosted Asher Epstein, the director of the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, along with U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, Paul Kappel, vice president of Operations at the Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area program, and county schools CEO John E. Deasy.

Being your own boss is attractive to the pupils, and many raised their hands when asked how many of them were interested in owning their own business. Christopher Perry wanted to know about money and whether you need a lot to start a business. "What if you don’t have a lot?" he asked.

Epstein assured Christopher that most entrepreneurs start with limited funds and gradually grow their businesses. Kappel added that, "Being an entrepreneur is a great opportunity for you to be creative and innovative."

Sixth-grader Alieu Wurie hopes to start his own business one day, and knows just what it will be. He’s a great fan of video games, and said, "If I get to make them I want to be working for myself."

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