Developing this venture plan encouraged a lot of personal and professional growth. I had to approach this idea with a focused goal as well as general knowledge of my idea. As an educator - and not an entrepreneur - the most difficult component was viewing this venture strictly from a business standpoint. My perspective is always from a teacher's point of view but there can be clashing positions between a teacher and an entrepreneur. Overall, this venture project has forced me to expand outside of my comfort zone, learn new concepts, and test my business savvy.
Strengths
My venture plan offers actual solutions to real world problems. I am able to speak to the issue with experience, passion, and knowledge as this is an area that I teach in. The current labour market trends in BC are rapidly shifting due to constant growth and development. In order to keep BC growing and sustainable, changes to the education system need to occur. This can be seen with the brand new BC K-12 curriculum that focuses on skills that will benefit students and future work forces. The growing demands for trades people has resulted in many programs being created by the BC government and partnering organizations such as WorkBC and the Industry Training Authority (ITA) of BC. However, there is still a shortage of people entering the trades. Many programs also offer incentives and grants to women and indigenous people to help encourage them to learn a trade. Everything I presented in my venture plan carries true meaning and purpose.
Weaknesses
The biggest weakness I found was my lack of business and entrepreneurial experience. The world of business is a newer concept and as fascinating as it is, there is a wealth of information that can be learned. It is difficult to learn business in such a short period of time. I approached the venture with an open mind and eagerness to succeed. However, there are still concepts that I do not fully understand. For example, as I present and market the product, I can confuse myself with a seller, investor, and teacher. I can - at times - lose track of my positioning. These are weaknesses that I intend to improve and work on. Overall, I have learned so much and am motivated to continuing my educational, entrepreneurial venture.
Strengths
My venture plan offers actual solutions to real world problems. I am able to speak to the issue with experience, passion, and knowledge as this is an area that I teach in. The current labour market trends in BC are rapidly shifting due to constant growth and development. In order to keep BC growing and sustainable, changes to the education system need to occur. This can be seen with the brand new BC K-12 curriculum that focuses on skills that will benefit students and future work forces. The growing demands for trades people has resulted in many programs being created by the BC government and partnering organizations such as WorkBC and the Industry Training Authority (ITA) of BC. However, there is still a shortage of people entering the trades. Many programs also offer incentives and grants to women and indigenous people to help encourage them to learn a trade. Everything I presented in my venture plan carries true meaning and purpose.
Weaknesses
The biggest weakness I found was my lack of business and entrepreneurial experience. The world of business is a newer concept and as fascinating as it is, there is a wealth of information that can be learned. It is difficult to learn business in such a short period of time. I approached the venture with an open mind and eagerness to succeed. However, there are still concepts that I do not fully understand. For example, as I present and market the product, I can confuse myself with a seller, investor, and teacher. I can - at times - lose track of my positioning. These are weaknesses that I intend to improve and work on. Overall, I have learned so much and am motivated to continuing my educational, entrepreneurial venture.
More Information
Learn more about the trades and how it effects our BC economy:
https://www.workbc.ca/
https://www.itabc.ca/
http://youth.itabc.ca/
https://www.workbc.ca/
https://www.itabc.ca/
http://youth.itabc.ca/