Take a Look-Look at Entrepreneurs and SMU

Our Advanced Marketing Communications class is yet on another mission, to find what strives new entrepreneurs here at Southern Methodist University. Take a look at what I have found for Look-Look!!

How and where have you seen new entrepreneurs in your world?

Students I have seen around Southern Methodist University are shifting from predictable job descriptions to a working life created on their own. This new entrepreneur must realize the need to sell themselves because becoming a new entrepreneur entails self promotion. I have a couple of friends that are in the process of launching their own business. One, a jewelry designer, and two, a picture frame decorator. If there is an opportunity to create your own job, why not do it?

Do you see a shift to a certain type of attitude toward work?

People no longer want to start from the bottom of a company and move up. People aren’t willing to do the “crap” work in order to earn their way up. Through this moving up process, most individuals move from organization to organization in order to move up in a career field and don’t feel that sense of loyalty to stay with the same company. I have been taught that years and years ago, people had loyalty toward their company and knew that staying with them would result positively. Now, it’s all about earning money and being happy with what you do.

I feel that it is all a competition to be successful and the only way to win is to use unique ways of getting there. Along with this idea, people are interested in instant gratification. This idea is now applying to careers and success. A sense of empowerment also ties along with this idea. Entrepreneurs want to be in control and want to be outside of the box. It is getting easier and easier to start a new company everyday. Only now can you start up a .com from your bedroom.

How do you think this will change business in the future, if at all?

The new entrepreneur, because of technology, can be globally active. You don’t have to move somewhere you don’t want to be. Instead, you can do the business you want to do where you want to do it. This reach becomes doable and is a huge impact for the new entrepreneur. Focusing on SMU student entrepreneurs, I believe that Dallas is a great place for a start up company, especially fashion retail. Since SMU is a small private school, networking is a very big tool for anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur. If you wanted to start a retail store, you have many choices to network around the campus.

Examples

Blake Mycoskie is a graduate from the Cox School of Business at SMU. He saw the need for an on campus laundry service. Mycoskie’s business, EZ Laundry launched in the fall of 1997. The business grew quickly as he used sorority women to support him by wearing t-shirts in exchange for free dry cleaning. The company grew and Mycoskie found himself managing 40 employees and eight laundry trucks. The company expanded across seven universities. Mycoskie’s next great invention were TOMS Shoes. Inspired by a traditional Argentinean shoe made out of natural fibers, TOMS Shoes are the most ethical shoe on the market. In fact, for each shoe bought, the company donates a pair to a child. Due to great marketing, 5,000 pairs of TOMS Shoes were sold in the first month. The goal with the company is to give out one million pairs of shoes to children over the next three years. “There are a lot of things that need to be planned out before starting a business, but at the end of the day, if you have a product or service that people want, you can be successful and should just go for it,” Mycoskie said. Mycoskie credits Jerry White’s entrepreneurship course at SMU that helped him get where he is today. Take a Look-Look at Mycoskie's complete success story at wwwcox.smu.edu/aboutcox/success as well as other SMU success stories.