December 4th Blog

Greetings!

Sincerest Greetings to each of you! I am absolutely delighted to present you with the 27th issue of our Entrepreneurial Alternatives Newsletter. Our theme for this edition is gratitude. As we approach this holiday season, my heart is filled with joy over the numerous letters, emails, phone calls, and many other acts of encouragement and support that we continue to receive. We are overcome with happiness. We have found out that we have many supporters in near and far places around the globe and we are happy to continue to develop professional relationships and alliances that help us to promote more understanding and mutual respect and support mechanisms across time and space.

For those of you who have sent so many wonderful notes to my personal email address or to our gmail address for the newsletter, do not despair, I am working my way through each of them and am trying to respond to them individually. Please, bear with me as I have not forgotten about you. As many of you know by know, I am firmly entrenched in my new role as Public Scholar at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis and I can honestly say that I feel truly energized in this position. All of my colleagues over here have been extremely warm and gracious and I appreciate that very much.

In this edition, we conclude our discussion of the 10 personality characteristics of highly successful entrepreneurs; share information with you about my recent keynote speech at Tuskegee University where I was presented with a beautiful plaque award; provide reflections on my role as Public Scholar at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis; and present you with our Dear Dr. House letters for the week which come from Tuskegee University in Alabama; Chur, Switzerland; and Chicago, Illinois.

Quotes of the Week

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

-----John Quincy Adams-

"Always do what you say you are going to do. It is the glue and fiber that binds successful relationships. "

---Jeffrey A. Timmons---


The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs, Parts 6-10 (of 10)
by Dr. Bessie House

Personality Characteristic Numbers Six-Ten: The following information is an excerpt from Dr. House's fourth book, "The Ten Personality Characteristic of Successful Entrepreneurs." This book is based on research findings of Dr. House's in which she examined the lives of hundreds of entrepreneurs and was able to isolate and identify ten personality traits that they shared in common which contributed to their ability to achieve entrepreneurial success).

Characteristics Number 6: Creativity

By creativity, I don't just mean developing goods or services, but rather bringing in some new twist that makes the product or service uniquely different in some way. A new millionaire is created every day in this country, and the reality is that there are so many areas of the marketplace that still have not been penetrated. But, creativity has another meaning as well: It means that you have the ability to see the big picture as well.

Characteristic Number 7: Risktaking

In order to be an entrepreneur, you must be willing to take risks. There are simply no guarantees in the world of business. Remember that when Michael Dell dropped out of college in the 1970s to start his computer company, he discussed his ideas and vision with his parents and when he finished speaking, his mother looked at him and said, "But Michael, why in the world would anyone ever want to buy a computer?" The rest is history.

Characteristics Number 8: Effective Management

Business owners must manage their own time effectively and their employees' time as well. It is not always how much time you have, but rather how effectively you use it to do the work and delegate tasks in a responsible manner.

Characteristic Number 9: Strong Work Ethic

In order to be successful in business, you have to work long hard hours to succeed and sometimes it can take years for a business to become a profitable enterprise.

Characteristic Number 10: Passion

The results of my data indicate that entrepreneurs who are very happy in their chosen profession as entrepreneurs are more successful than those who are not. This is intuitive and is certainly born out by my research.

If you would like a copy of Dr. House's audiobook, please e-mail minoritybusinesses@gmail.com for instructions on how to purchase a copy.
Dr. House Presents Keynote Speech at Tuskegee University and Receives Plaque Award

Dr. Bessie House recently presented the keynote speech at the Twelfth Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit held at Tuskegee University, October 3-5, 2007. The theme for this year's conference was "Asset Building and Entrepreneurship in Rural Communities and Best Practices, Programs, and Initiatives." The topic of Dr.House's keynote speech was "Prerequisites for Black Business Success in the New Economy of the 21st Century. In her speech, Dr. House discussed practical and insightful strategies that entrepreneurs can use to achieve economic success.

The idea of having the summit developed out of a major conference that Tuskegee University held in 1995 to celebrate the centennial of Booker T. Washington's famous address presented at the International Cotton Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia in 1895. Washington and his supporters argued that economic independence is vital for African Americans to be able to participate equitably in American society. Dr. House was also presented with a plaque award at the event from Dr. Velma Blackwell, Chairperson of the Booker T. Washington Economic Summit.
Reflections on Dr. House's Role as Public Scholar

The term public scholar refers to an individual who is able to bridge the gap between academic institutions of higher learning and the real world. Public scholars are professors who perform teaching and research but they also add an additional unique dimension which is working with the larger world community in the real world which is often located beyond the mere confines and boundaries of the academic ivory towers.

When I first started out as a professor in academia almost 20 years ago, I was performing the traditional role of a faculty member which was to perform research and teach students at the university. I was also performing research for research's sake to get tenure. I had no desire to connect with individuals outside of my discipline, so to speak. Then, somewhere along the way, around 1995, I underwent a metamorphosis where I began to perform interdisciplinary research to solve real world problems. It was a major paradigmatic shift for me and I have never been happier. As I have said before, "the role of an academic at institutions of higher learning is to produce and disseminate knowledge that can be used to solve real world problems." That is why my work on entrepreneurship is so important and vital but it focuses critical attention on many factors that lead to success and failures for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. Being a public scholar allows me to do what I do best, to make critical connections, perform meaningful teaching and research and connect this important work to real world issues, problems, and dynamics. That is truly scholarship at its' best!

Shown left to right in above picture: Dr. Modupe Labode, Public Scholar in African American History and Museum Studies; Dr. Bessie House; Dr. Monroe Little, Chair, African American and African Diaspora Studies Programs; and Dr. Ronda Henry, Public Scholar in African American and African Studies and Undergraduate Research).
Dear Dr. House

Dear Dr. House:

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to you for taking the time from your busy schedule to be our keynote speaker at the Plenary Session of the Booker T. Washington Economic Development Summit on Thursday, October 4, 2007. Preliminary evaluations show that your speech was very well received by the audience and highly rated. Your presentation was timely and relevant in helping us to meet the needs and expectations of our participants by giving essential information on business entrepreneurships and how to take advantage of networking opportunities.

Again, many thanks to you, and we indeed look forward to your continued support and involvement in the BTW Economic Development Summit and other Extension initiatives in entrepreneurial research and education in Alabama.

Sincerely,
Dr. Velma L. Blackwell, Chairperson
Booker T. Washington Economic Summit
Tuskegee University

Dear Dr. Blackwell:

Thanks for your lovely letter. It was a great honor for me to present the keynote speech at Tuskegee University, one of our great institutions of higher learning. Tuskegee has such a great legacy with such a wonderful history of the wonderful work of Booker T. Washington, the creative genius of George Washington Carver, and the wonderful legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

I look forward to collaborating with you and Dr. Barahanyi on developing a Center for Rural Entrepreneurship at Tuskegee University and surrounding counties.

Sincerely Yours,
Dr. Bessie House

Dear Bessie -

This is very good news. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations.

Over here, we recognize Purdue as a center of outstanding research and practice in the entrepreneurship field.

I am sorry to hear you can't make it to this year's ABEAI conference in Maui.

- Lutz

Dr, Lutz Schlange
Professor of Business Administration and Marketing
Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship
University of Applied Sciences
Chur, Switzerland

Dear Lutz:

It was simply wonderful to hear from you. Thanks for your lovely note. It has been a long time since we have communicated. I trust that you are doing well and that your semester has been good. It seems that this year continues to go by so quickly, that I can hardly catch my breath. (smile) Thanks so much for your congratulatory remarks on my new position at Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis. Yes, Purdue has quite a great reputation and as you mentioned, they have a very well established and renowned entrepreneurship program.

Yes, unfortunately I will not be able to attend the International Applied Business Conference this year in Maui as I had hoped as I have been so busy getting used to my new post over here. I had really hoped to present a paper on technological innovation and the process that I underwent in going from idea to patent to prototype development to venture creation to commercialization. I may have mentioned to you that I have a patent pending with the U.S. patent office for an invention that I came up with several years ago. I am currently working on commercializing my invention. It has been a very expensive and exhausting process, but I am working with some very talented individuals on this project at the moment. I look forward to presenting my paper at next year's conference.

Es freute mich sie kennen zu lernen and ich werde mehr von ihnen zu horen.

Sincerely Yours,
Dr. Bessie House

Hello Dr. House -

Congratulations, on your new position!! I hope you and your family had a smooth transition to Indiana. I'm still working at the University of Chicago, but preparing to enter a doctoral program in Community/Social Psychology. When time permits let's plan a brief chat to catch-up

Best Wishes,
Ranada T. Harrison
Senior Research Assistant/Field Researcher
University of Chicago
School of Social Service Administration

Dear Ranada:

It was absolutely wonderful to hear from you and thanks for your warm congratulatory remarks. I am absolutely delighted to hear the great news that you will soon be enrolled in the Ph.D. program. What a great experience it will be for you. I enjoyed our last meeting at Kent State a few years ago.

I am settling in quite well over here in Indianapolis and all of my colleagues have given me a great hoosier welcome. Hopefully, you and I can have lunch next year in 2008 when I come to Chicago to see the off Broadway production of the Color Purple.

I will give you a call once our final exams are over and we can chat more.

Warmest Regards,
Dr. Bessie House,

President, Founder, and CEO
National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.

Director, Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland
Public Scholar in African American Studies, Civic Engagement, and Entrepreneurship
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Professor, Political Science
Professor, African American and African Diaspora Studies
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In Closing
Finally, we at the National Center for Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland want to make a call out to any former student of our Centers. If you move or have some other method of contact, please notify us! We love hearing about your new businesses, business plans, and any other successes that you might be experiencing. If you could send us a recent photograph and a small description of your success, we will include them in one of our upcoming editions of Entrepreneurial Alternatives.

Our demand pull is high, and we cannot conceivably get everything that we would like done without your aid. We are looking for volunteers for both of our centers. If you are interested in volunteering for us, please call our Cleveland center at 216.731.4426.

There are individuals in our class that we have not heard from since they stopped attending; keep in touch! Contact information is at the bottom of this blog.

Dr. Bessie House
Public Scholar in African American Studies, Civic Engagement, and Entrepreneurship
Professor of Political Science
Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies

Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis
425 University Blvd.
Cavanaugh Hall Room 504 A
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5140

Email: minoritybusinesses@gmail.com
phone: 216-731-4426
web: http://www.eacademy.biz