Camden, NJ – On Thursday, June 20th, 10 talented individuals gathered in-person at the LAEDA office building on the corner of 5th and Market street to attend the summer session of Introduction to Entrepreneurship. The jam packed seminar covers the attitudes and mindsets an entrepreneur needs, the obstacles an entrepreneur encounters, and how LAEDA can assist every entrepreneur along every step of the entrepreneurial journey. In the history of this seminar (circa January 2024), there have only been one offline session because of timing and scheduling difficulties. However, due to recent client feedback and community surveys, starting this summer, we will be mostly using an in person format for this seminar.

Sure, the pandemic has forced us all to become more accustomed to online communications – for work or school. And sure, virtual communications of course has its benefits. However, due to the nature of the Introduction to Entrepreneurship seminar, our clients are able to benefit much more from face-to-face interaction. In this one seminar, a major part of the discussion is centered around the challenges that entrepreneurs will face, the difficulties that they will overcome, and the sacrifice that they will make. It is very much an intimate conversation, and as such, it needs a more human touch. This evening, aspiring and early stage entrepreneurs from industries such as food, retail, and wellness came together to share their thoughts, experiences, and anecdotes about starting a business. Together, we explored the journey of entrepreneurship, discussed the personality traits that lend themselves to success, and the many personal roadblocks that we will encounter.

Through the entrepreneurial personality assessment, the attendees were able to get a clearer understanding of all the personal characteristics that are tantamount to success in any business. By talking about their business ideas (conceptual or operational), the students were able to have a better grasp of the feasibility of their concepts. The final part of the evening was dedicated to ourselves, to LAEDA. Everyone in attendance received a step-by-step guide of what LAEDA offers, and how everyone can take advantage of it. The night concluded with an explanation of the next steps with LAEDA for each person, and everyone left with an assignment in mind to establish a SMART goal for their existing or future business.