AESHM 474: Entrepreneurship in Human Sciences

Rationale: Family and consumer Sciences curricula provide many opportunities for entrepreneurship and small business ownership in various product and service areas. In this course students will explore issues, challenges and opportunities related to entrepreneurship in areas such as apparel retailing, restaurants, hotel operations, and childcare. Issues related to family owned businesses, home-based businesses, and rural based enterprises will also be addresses. Independent business owners and industry representatives will serve as resources for panel discussions.

Course objectives:

• Identify characteristics of entrepreneurs, environmental conditions which foster entrepreneurship, and the role of entrepreneurs in the broader economy.
• Understand contributions of the family and Consumer Sciences profession to small business and entrepreneurship opportunities.
• Assess motivations for starting a small business, success factors and failure rates associated with independent business ownership.
• Evaluate personal and financial resources needed for starting a small business and sources of assistance for business start-ups. Identify funding sources that contribute to the capital base required for entrepreneurship.