Start a Business

Have you ever thought about owning your own business and being your own boss? Or maybe you’re destined to be a “change agent” in an existing company. If so, a minor in Entrepreneurship is your pathway to success. No matter what major you choose, you’ll learn to think like an entrepreneur…to become a job creator instead of a job seeker. When paired with a B.S.B.A. in fields such as Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Finance, Management, or Marketing, the Entrepreneurship Minor allows students to add unique entrepreneurial skills to the business knowledge gained in their specialized field of study. When added to any other West Liberty University major, from Graphic Design to Music to Psychology, the Entrepreneurship Minor exposes students to just the right amount of business concepts, giving students a modern edge to help launch their dream of business ownership. 

Program Highlights:

• Taught by highly qualified faculty who have owned their own businesses.
• Classes designed to teach students how to write a business plan, obtain funding, hire qualified employees, and market products and services.
• Practical, hands-on training.
• Speaker Series – “real world” entrepreneurs share skills for running small, medium, large, and international businesses.
• Competitive Grant Programs for Entrepreneurs in four categories: Innovator Grants, Community Change Agent Grants, Explorer Grants and Entrepreneur Fellowships.

Dr. Neeley Satzer is the assistant professor of Entrepreneurship, and director of the Business Innovation Center (B.I.C.). The Business Innovation Center (B.I.C.) is a collaborative workspace that fosters creativity and innovation.  It is located in Main Hall 185 and 189, just across the hall from the Student Success Center. 

Business Innovation Center resources include:

• An Advanced technology workspace for holding one-on-one coaching sessions, filming promotional videos, hosting business plan competition meetings, and running free workshops.
• Access to the expertise of professionals within the tri-state area.

Office space is available for six entrepreneurs in the on-campus center to allow students to develop their entrepreneurial ideas and transfer them into a business.

Dr. Satzer has many years of entrepreneurship experience. She owns several of her own businesses. She has also previously worked for the Small Business Development Center as a coach where she was able to help entrepreneurs with all aspects of their businesses. She has been teaching classes in Entrepreneurship for several years. 

WLU’s Entrepreneurship Business Innovation Center Intern is Taylor Scott.  Taylor is available to work with any student, faculty or community member seeking to design and launch an entrepreneurial project.

For more information on how to make use of West Liberty’s Entrepreneurship Business Innovation Center (B.I.C.), please contact  Taylor Scott at tgscott@westliberty.edu or Dr. Neeley Satzer at neeley.satzer@westliberty.edu.

View the Entrepreneurship Major and Minor page for a complete list of courses and requirements.