Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Building the Dream

At a price of $24.583333 per hour (sorry, my calculator only goes out to eight figures), this 12-hour course aimed at small business owners and budding entrepreneurs offers--especially in the rarefied stratosphere of business video pricing--excellent value for the dollar. Hosted by Tom O'Malia, Director of the Entrepreneur Program (ranked #1 in the country by Success magazine) at USC's Marshall School of Business, the course defines characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, offers tips for developing successful business ideas, blueprints for planning and minimizing initial capital outlays, suggestions for product/service launch, an overview of distribution channels, guidelines for drafting a business plan, and advice on applying entrepreneurial techniques within an existing corporate structure. Combining commentary from O'Malia with plenty of in-the-field examples (including case studies of companies such as Earthlink, Kinko's, and Subway, among others), the course is not simply a series of regurgitated lectures, but rather an in-depth look at the mistakes as well as the successful strategies of individuals who have decided to be their own boss. People such as Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger--two of the entrepreneurs profiled in the opening hour--a couple of L.A. chefs who opened and ran a flourishing restaurant, added a second, encountered financial trouble and had the courage and wherewithal to ask for advice and make some hard decisions concerning the future of their business. In the entrepreneurial world, as well as life in general, failure is often a learning experience. A top-notch production which is sure to be a boon to aspiring entrepreneurs with a dream, this very affordably priced series is enthusiastically recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)