Entrepreneur Training

Thought I would make a little post about my first day of class last week. As most know, a lot more to owning, running and maintaining a business than some people think. Evan more so when you have no more back round in it then I do. Have no formal training and is just something I got into as a hobby and as a necessity. With not being able to find a job this opportunity for me to take this FREE course presented itself and thought I would see what it was about. Maybe learn some thing and see if I could get any help.

Went to my first class last week. Was about 40 people in there with several speakers from the Development Center here in Mississippi. I had to fill out an application for this class before being excepted and also had to fill out some more paper work when I entered the building where the first class was being held. Will attend one of these classes in person every other month and also have an online class in between months. I was one of only 4 or 5 people in this class that already had some type of business already in place. After setting in this class for a few hours I felt a small tap on my shoulder. Was asked by one of the speakers to step out in the hall. Was introduced to him and also introduced to a young lady. Was then asked if I minded being interviewed on camera. Seems they were pretty intrigued with my application and the other paper work that I had filled out. Was pretty shocked to say the least and have never felt really comfortable with this type of thing but agreed. Interview lasted about 30 minutes and was asked a series of questions about my backround and how I got into all of this. Was just sent an email from the young lady that did the interview with an article about me and my business. Guess they are wanting to publish it or whatever and thought I would post the article here.

This class will require a lot of extra work and effort on my part. Guess I never realized just how much time it will take and how important a Business Plan really is. Like I told them, really not sure what direction I want this business to take but figure it is about time I come up with something and hopefully by the time this class is over. I have a Business Plan in place and hopefully some type of direction as to where I would like to see this all going in the future.

Anyway, here is the little article they are wanting me to proof read and make any changes I deem necessary before they publish it.




Entrepreneur Training Program Launches in Booneville, Miss.; Inaugural Class of 38 Learning Skills Needed to Sustain a Successful Business
Tammy Craft

Joseph Watts of Byhalia, Miss., has spent a great portion of his nearly 50 years on the water doing what he loves most – fishing. For many, fishing is a hobby. For Joseph, or Joey as he’s known, it’s a way of life.

“Fishing is my background. I’ve been fishing all my life. I’ve finished second place in the state of Mississippi and I’ve qualified to fish professionally,” he explained.

However, without the money or backing available, those aspirations of becoming a professional fisherman never came to fruition. Instead, Joey’s professional background lies in logistics, or shipping and receiving. After working as a contractor for a bank for some time and being assured a position would be created for him, Joey still found himself in the same boat after three years –working as a contractor for the bank and making the same money with no benefits.

“So, I went out looking for a job, and I got hired as a heavy-haul contractor for a company based out of Columbus, Mississippi. They bussed me all the way to New York and put me up in a condo on Lake Champlain. They let me pull my boat up and everything,” said Joey.

However, Joey still maintained a house in Mississippi, as the company was not willing to relocate him to New York permanently. “I’m in New York, and here sits my house with my two dogs, and my daddy’s making two trips a day back and forth managing my house and managing my affairs,” he said.

While the company did agree to fly him home once a month, it wasn’t enough for Joey. “I couldn’t live like that.”

So, Joey retreated from his $50,000 per year job and condo on Lake Champlain, and he headed home to Mississippi, where he accepted a position at a local hardware store making $12 per hour. In order to supplement his income, Joey called upon his fishing background and began making fishing lures at his home in Byhalia.

“This is something I started doing out of necessity to make some extra money,” he said. “I started building a fishing lure, and one lure turned into another, and another turned into another.” Now, two short years later, Joey is the owner of Flatlands Custom Tackle, a primarily web-based business that offers fishermen a variety of fishing lures, all built and painted by Joey.

However, as a first-time business owner, Joey’s still trying to learn the ropes. “Nobody in my family has ever owned or operated a business, so I’m kind of dumb when it comes to that. My strong points are my fishing background and the fact that I build a good product and have good customer service,” said Joey. “But other than that, that’s all I’ve got.”

 

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