Entrepreneurs Reveal what it Takes to be Successful

Four entrepreneurs agreed that owning your own business means you will gain freedom, job security and flexibility, but you also must be willing to make sacrifices during a panel presentation on entrepreneurship at a recent meeting of the NVC Business Student Organization.

Panelists included Kendra Lewis, JJMP Closing Services; Gilbert Rico, Rico Electric Systems; Shelah Simmons, Ph.D., Genesis Professional Solutions and chair-elect of the NVC Business Council; and Michael Garcia, PWI Construction.

Javier Olivera-Horta, who organized the speaker panel and served as moderator, is president of the Business Student Organization.

Panelists started their businesses in a variety of ways ranging from getting involved in a family business to determining that “I was getting tired of working for someone else.” They emphasized the importance of doing research, building an infrastructure for the business and treating employees well.

“If you have a product and a vision, you can make a lot of money,” said Rico of Rico Electric Systems.

Contributed by Lynne T. Dean, NVC Director of Institutional Advancement