Not only is Middle Tennessee State University the largest university in the state, but it also has a very broad business program. The Jennings A. Jones College of Business offers business administration, marketing, accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, sales—the whole gamut of disciplines one would expect from a business program. Several of the professors have adjunct status, still running their own businesses while teaching part-time.
For the past decade, one of those educators has been Mr. Dennis Gupton, who owns North Meets South Catering in Clarksville. He teaches the class New Venture Creation; Are You the Person for This? It is an entrepreneurial course that asks the valid question of whether an individual is really ready to be a small business owner.
For the past four years, he has run a Shark Tank style of competition in which students present their ideas to a panel of judges. A brief presentation is made, and then the budding entrepreneurs will answer questions from the panel of experts.
And there’s money on the line, too! The intent is to create a real-world stress test to prepare the students for the anxiety of asking for a business loan.
“A passion of mine is in preparing students for what to expect,” Gupton said.
And participating in the competition can be a bit stressful for the participants. The panel is comprised of local commercial business lenders Ronnie Martin and Jamie Harrington from Pinnacle Financial Partners and Leroy Cunningham from First Bank.
Winner, Billy Billy, owner of 911Tarp.com
The topics range from products to price and “what was your inspiration?” to “what profit do you expect next year?” No question is off the table and the students do not know what they will be asked in advance.
“This was an important skill for us to learn because we want to be entrepreneurs in the future, and we are going to have to get investors to want to invest in our businesses,” said Amanda Little, one of the students competing, after the last of three rounds.
“It was an opportunity for us to present our businesses in front of real bankers and to be given positive criticism and things we need to improve upon. I am extremely grateful I was placed top-three because it really made me believe I could do it in the future.”
Second place, Melody Berg, shares her ideas for repurposing furniture / Photos by Blaine Little
Everyone involved in the final round—six university students—received a cash award ranging from $100 to $1,200. The top prize winner was Billy Fryar. Unlike some of the presentations that were theoretical, Fryar’s business is already in existence. 911tarp.com offers professionally installed roof coverings after a storm. Where it may take weeks to get a handyman, Billy’s company can be at a disaster area and have form-fitted protection laid down in just a few days. It is indeed a novel idea that provides a solution for a common challenge.
A lot of people play with the idea of going into business for themselves one day, but not all actually do it. The big questions—“what do I need to know?” and “where do I begin?”—are the ones Dennis Gupton’s class for entrepreneurs is designed to answer.
