Students interested in starting their own business may have anopportunity to test their ideas in a real-world setting thisfall.
The Student Technology Incubator Small Business Program, part ofBall State University's Center for Media Design, will allowstudents with technology-based ideas to work with entrepreneurshipstudents in developing their ideas, creating a business plan andultimately launching their new business beginning Sept. 13.
"We're trying to create a holistic program," Program DirectorSuzanne Plesha said at call-out meeting Wednesday night. "Somepeople have ideas and some people have the business sense, but it'soften difficult to find people who have ideas and the businesssense. The Incubator creates teams with all of these skills."
While the Center for Media Design is looking for studentsinterested in starting technology-based companies, the program isopen to all majors, Plesha said.
"If you're a math, English or psychology student and you have anidea that you think can be turned into a digital idea, we'll workon it," she said.
As Incubator clients, students will attend weekly brainstormingsessions or workshops for eight weeks. During the program's finaltwo weeks, they will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas toMuncie business representatives to see whether they are eligiblefor funding.
Plesha said the center can't match what the university'snationally ranked entrepreneurship program is doing, but it doesgive more students the business resources and entrepreneurialexperience they need.
"What we can do is, for students who aren't business people,point them in the direction they need to go to make their idea workand make it profitable, and to put them in touch with resources tohelp make their idea take off," Plesha said.
Josh Colter, senior entrepreneurship major, became a client atthe Student Technology Incubator this summer. Now, he is thedirector of business development in New Standard Media, a videoproduction company he and telecommunications graduate student EricClark started last year. Colter said the resources and mentoringthey receive at the Incubator have helped them to make significantprogress.
"Just to have these guys who believe in us, have been therebefore and have experience helps to guide us through some of theobstacles," Colter said.
Clark said phone, Internet, office space and other expenses atthe Incubator are five times cheaper than what they would find inMuncie.
"We have so much professional support surrounding us and wecouldn't ask for anything better," Clark said.
Junior James Hueston said he attended the center's call-outmeeting to learn how to develop his own business idea for 3-Dmodeling software programs, and he enjoyed meeting with clients andother students.
"I'm more aware of what's available, and that's what the wholemeeting was about, to make sure you have all the resources youneed," Hueston said.
Plesha said she hopes the business program-which is fundedthrough a grant from the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, anorganization that promotes economic development in East CentralIndiana- will be a model for other programs across the country.
The deadline for applications is Sept. 17. Applications areavailable at the Center for Media Design in the Department ofTelecommunications.
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