College of Business to Launch Institute for Entrepreneurship and Family Business

The University of Findlay’s College of Business will launch an Institute for Entrepreneurship and Family Business under the direction of Chris Ward, Ed.D., and Dan Yates, Ph.D.
The Institute will facilitate undergraduate students working on business plans and projects for area entrepreneurs and family businesses enhancing the ongoing collaboration with the Small Business Resource Center in Findlay and the Small Business Development Center in Lima, both of which are affiliated with Rhodes State College in Lima.
This fall, UF students may enroll in a new one-credit hour tandem course that coincides with Business Policy and Strategy, a capstone course in the business program. The experiential one-hour course will offer students the opportunity to be involved with the institute.
UF students have been working with small businesses and prospective entrepreneurs for a number of years under the direction of Ward and Yates. The institute will permit the college to expand the number of students who are able to work on these projects for a greater number of businesses and business owners. Students, most of whom will be in or approaching their senior year, will work in groups under the guidance of faculty members, Findlay alumni and other business owners.
“Entrepreneurship and family businesses are the foundation of economic growth and prosperity in our country, and we believe it is important to expose our students to the rewards and challenges of starting their own businesses,” said Paul Sears, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business. “Working on a business plan with an entrepreneur is a wonderful opportunity for students to get more insight into those rewards and challenges.”
Business owners who are interested in working with the University through the new institute should contact Dan Sheaffer, director of the Small Business Resource Center in Findlay at 419-422-3313 or dsheaffer@HancockSBRC.com or Craig Brown, director of Small Business Development Center in Lima.