澳门足球博彩官方网址 SET HIM ON PATH OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. NOW HE HELPS SOUTHERN INDIANA ENTREPRENEURS 实现他们的梦想.

When 乔恩·迈尔斯 arrived on Vincennes University’s main campus in 1992, he thought, as a Construction 技术 major, that he was preparing for a career in building 交易.

But Myers soon learned something important about himself as a 澳门足球博彩官方网址 student – and it was a lesson that would change the course of his life.

“My time at 澳门足球博彩官方网址 made me realize I wanted to pursue scholarly pursuits, not just the 交易,” Myers, regional director of the Indiana Small 业务 Development Center, 说. “This was a result of my exposure to 澳门足球博彩官方网址's core classes. 我有一些很棒的 澳门足球博彩官方网址的老师和顾问. My academic adviser was especially impactful. 我经常 try to approach my clients at the Indiana SBDC the way he approached me. 他很善良 and seemed generally interested in helping me achieve my goals.”

Myers eventually transferred to Ball State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, and he later received a master’s degree in Management and 领导 from Purdue University Global.

Myers 说 his studies at 澳门足球博彩官方网址 also prepared him for life as an entrepreneur. In 2001, Myers opened a craft beer-focused restaurant and bar in Columbus.  两年后， he sold the restaurant and turned to managing his real estate holdings.

Then, in 2006, he purchased a restaurant in downtown Columbus, renovated the building, and, with a partner, opened Power House Brewing Co. 和哥伦布酒吧.

“My major in construction specifically helped me with my businesses,迈尔斯说. “As a restaurant and brewery owner, 我有 to be a ‘jack of all 交易’ and was able to make many repairs and improvements myself.”

In 2020, Myers was hired as regional director of state’s Small 业务 Development Center. In that role, Myers assists owners with business startups and expansions, manages training opportunities for business owners, and works with community leaders to raise money to expand services for small businesses in southeastern Indiana.

Along the way, Myer 说 he’s learned how critically important it is for leaders to have a vision for their operations and to constantly communicate that vision to the 团队.

“The leader of an organization needs to communicate to his staff why they are doing the job they are doing, why it is important and valuable, and where the organization 正在前进，”迈尔斯说. “People spend the majority of their time at work, preparing for work or thinking about work. People need to feel good about what they do, and they need to hear that they are having a positive impact on their community. 我有 a restaurant, and waiting tables or washing dishes is difficult, thankless work. 然而, it is extremely valuable to the customer, who can relax and enjoy themselves for a 而. Today we see a trend of workers looking for meaningful work, even it isn't 薪水最高的工作. This is partly because they can see the impact of their work.”

Myers 说 he was reminded of another vital lesson in the past year 而 helping business owners navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Most small businesses are one bad month away from failure,” he 说. “大多数都结束了。 leveraged, and barely breaking even. What I've learned in assisting businesses is to make sure they have a financial cushion to get through lean months. 他们需要访问权限 to capital and a plan to monitor and respond to external threats. 不仅仅是大流行 but natural disasters, political upheaval and regulations that could impact their 行业.

As a business owner and now as an adviser to many entrepreneurs, Myers 说 he’s observed a tendency among owners to focus on day-to-day operations at the expense of the bigger picture.

“Most people get into business because they have a skill and talent, and that skill and talent is something other than managing a business,” he 说. “一定要拿 time to step out of your business, to 看到它 from a distance, as your customer can 看到它. If you look at a mess every day, eventually the mess starts looking normal.”

Asked about advice he would offer current students who may one day start a business, Myer 说 it’s essential for prospective entrepreneurs to understand why they want 启动一个创业公司.

“Is it for them, or for their potential customers?迈尔斯说. “企业应该 solve a problem or enrich someone else's life. If you want your customers to give you their hard-earned money, you will need to provide them with a product or service 这对他们来说很有价值.”