THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996 TAG: 9604180389
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LON WAGNER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Corporate downsizing seems to be the mantra of business in the 1990s, so the Norfolk State University business expo this year aims to teach students how to steer clear of that and set out on their own.
The sixth annual exposition of the NSU School of Business and Entrepreneurship, titled ``Making the Small Business Connection,'' kicked off Wednesday at NSU.
``As a result of corporate downsizing and outsourcing of entrepreneurial opportunity, most students won't be in the same job for 30 years,'' said Joseph Boyd, dean of the business school. ``We're saying, `Maybe you should consider going out and starting your own business.' ''
The exposition's focus today will be to try to educate small businesspeople through workshops such as ``Screening and Evaluating Business Ideas'' and ``Total Quality Management in Manufacturing and Service Organizations.''
The focus of Friday's events will be networking. The expo's organizers hope to marry some of the region's small businesses with some of its bigger opportunities. Small businesses will have a chance to find out about projects being bid on by several of the region's cities and public school systems.
The highlight of Friday's events will be a lunchtime speech by Terrie Williams, whose public relations agency represents clients such as Eddie Murphy, Sally Jessy Raphael, Janet Jackson and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Williams knows a little about starting up a business: She went from counseling terminally ill patients to being one of the top public relations people in the country in less than six years.
On Saturday, the expo will focus on students. Boyd said the idea is to bring in bankers, customer-service experts and diversity experts to show students the breadth of skills it will take to succeed in business.
The success rate of start-up businesses is as low as three in ten, Boyd said, but going well-prepared into a venture can improve those odds.
``I think people still learn things even when a business fails,'' he said. ``A lot of people who are successful failed two or three times first.'' MEMO: For information, call 683-8284.
KEYWORDS: WORKPLACE SMALL BUSINESS by CNB