REAL
(Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning)
Local partners: CHC, Cocke County Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention
Funders: OJJDP -secured; Centers for Disease Control - applied for
REAL for Cocke County -- first course began in October 2004 with 8 students.
Classes are held in the Tanner Tech-Media Center at 115 Mulberry Street in Newport.
Next course will begin in the Spring. Check back for dates.
Call Karen at 423-623-9272 for more information.
Tuition is $75.00 (scholarships available)
REAL program desired outcomes are:
SKILLS: REAL Entrepreneurship gives participants opportunities to develop skills which increase their likelihood of success as entrepreneurs and which better equip them for life and the world of work, regardless of their ultimate career choices.
LIFE SKILLS: abilities related to living an effective and successful
life; including:
critical and creative thinking,
working effectively with others,
problem-solving and communication,
understanding the world of work,
operating effectively within organizations,
personal empowerment and effectiveness, and
using numbers, dates, and technology
OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION: the ability to recognize favorable circumstances
OPPORTUNITY EVALUATION: the ability to measure and analyze
opportunities for their feasibility and practicality, including:
self-assessment,
community analysis,
industry analysis,
market analysis, and
financial analysis
OPPORTUNITY REALIZATION: the skills required to seize opportunities
including:
opening an enterprise
managing time and resources,
getting and keeping employees and customers
managing assets, and
operating legally and ethical
KNOWLEDGE: REAL Entrepreneurship seeks to increase participants' knowledge in
the following areas:
SELF: personal attributes, attitudes, needs, goals, and capacities especially as they relate to career choice
PLANNING: effective planning strategies and processes for business
and other undertakings
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: the personal and professional realities of
owning and operating a small business
BUSINESS: marketing, operations, and financial management
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS: permits, licensing, taxes and other necessities
of operating a small business legally and ethically
PRODUCTS: REAL Entrepreneurship students create products, including:
JOURNAL: a documentation and evaluation tool which chronicles
the process of analyzing self and community, planning an enterprise,
and writing a business plan
ORAL PRESENTATION: several opportunities for oral presentations
in class which culminate in the presentation of the business plan to an audience
beyond the class itself
BUSINESS PLAN: a comprehensive and substantive document which
addresses an identified business or community need, is based on research of
the local community, and is written for a significant enterprise, economic in
nature, including for-profit and non-profit ventures and projects
VIABLE VENTURES: businesses, community services, or projects which students implement themselves or offer as completed business plans to other entrepreneurs, agencies, or organizations for implementation