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27 centralight spring '14 27 centralight spring '14 Giving away your product might not seem like a smart business move, but Flickinger says it has helped to create loyal customers who purchase newer varieties of seeds she off ers each year. "I really believe you have to share knowledge," she says. "There's a lot to learn about seeds." Flickinger and her husband are looking to purchase a small farm where they can grow the business and realize Katie's dream of raising goats and chickens. "We want to produce enough so that we can get into local restaurants," Flickinger says. "I come home every night covered in dirt, but I love it." > Provide a solid educational foundation in the business world. CMU's entrepreneurship program begins immediately in the freshman year with a course on Discovering the Entrepreneur Within and Entrepreneurship Launch Pad. Seniors complete a course on Launching a Venture. Inspire innovative thinking and problem solving. A consulting course in CMU's entrepreneurship program provides a training ground for students, challenging them with real world business problems that require team- based problem solving for clients. Give them ample opportunities to get their feet wet. Internships are one of the best educational tools – all CMU entrepreneurship students are required to complete one before graduation. Invest in good ideas. CMU's popular Make-a-Pitch competition, off ered four times a year, off ers $500 to the student team that pitches the best startup idea (in two minutes) to judges. The New Venture Competition is the culmination of an eight-month period of coaching, workshops and networking, awarding more than $65,000 in startup cash and capital last year. Gather expertise across many fi elds. CMU's proximity to the CMU Research Corp. and the Center for Applied Research and Technology (also known as the Mount Pleasant SmartZone) means resources and expertise are available for incubating, researching, funding and growing a business from scratch. to grow an entrepreneur Five ways (and why CMU does it well) 01 02 03 04 05 27 centralight spring '14

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