Delta Epsilon Chi, a college division of DECA Inc.

Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management

From new business ventures started by college students to family-owned businesses passed down from one generation to the next, small businesses drive much of the economy. Our philosophy is that the opportunities in the area of entrepreneurship cross all fields of study, and should reach into every building on campus. And from there, we have a responsibility to help them succeed. Any one of these competitive events or other activities help lead to student success as entrepreneurs/small business managers.

Event Name	Event Category	Preparation or Set–Up Time	Presentation Time	Number of Participants	Exam Required	Prepared Report Required	Outside Materials Allowed
Entrepreneurship	Prepared Business Presentation	None	15 minutes	1 to 3	No	Yes	Yes
Entrepreneurship Academy & Challenge	Onsite competition & learning seminars (ICDC)	Defined at Conference	5 minutes Multiple Rounds	1 to 3	No	For Finals Only	Yes
Advertising Campaign	Prepared Business Presentation	None	25 minutes	1 to 3	No	Yes	Yes
Business Ethics	Case Study	1 hour	15 minutes	2	No	No	Yes
Design	Prepared Business Presentation	None	20 minutes	1	No	No	Yes
Human Resource Management	Case Study	30 minutes	15 minutes	1	No	No	Yes

Entrepreneurship (Starting a Business)	If you were representing a financial institution, what would be the single most important factor when deciding whether or not to make a business loan to an aspiring new entrepreneur? The answer is one word: profitability. How does a financial professional determine whether or not the new business is going to make money? The answer to this question is much more complex. The aspiring entrepreneur must enter this business meeting prepared to answer many questions about product/service, marketing plans and finances. Prepare yourself to impress financial professionals and receive the capital necessary to get your idea off of the ground!
Entrepreneurship Academy & Challenge	No matter what event or program a student is attending the conference for as their main focus, they can participate in the entrepreneurship seminars and the Challenge. The seminars include a motivational presentation by a successful entrepreneur, followed by more focused informational sessions on knowing your market, pricing and promotion strategies, financing, and franchising opportunities. For the Challenge, teams of up to 3 students create a concept for a business that would be based in the local ICDC community. The students do not know the exact "theme" for their business until they are at the conference. The teams will then complete multiple rounds of presentations to entrepreneurs. The top teams then compete in a final round of competition, with scholarships and awards for the winning teams.
Advertising Campaign	It's one thing to have a good business idea – but will the right people know about it? The first step in any advertising campaign is to determine the target market. Once you know who they are, then you can study their habits to learn where, when and how to campaign. Now get creative!
Business Ethics	Business ethics has moved from the back of the room to the boardroom to the classroom. More corporations than ever are developing ethics programs and making ethics a higher priority than in previous years. Students with experience making challenging ethical decisions will be prepared to face these decisions as entrepreneurs and small business managers.
Design	When artistic genius and consumer appeal come together what do you have? A beautiful idea that can make you a millionaire! Whether you are an interior designer, fashion designer, package or product designer or web page designer… your design must reach out to a consumer base that will buy it. Discover for yourself what it takes to go from the drawing board to the boardroom.
Human Resource Management	Human Resource Management is a little bit like raising children. As with kids, no two employees are exactly alike - and no two situations will be solved in the exact same way. This is no more true than for an entrepreneur with a unique idea or skill who now has people to manage, or an employee who's now managing the shop. No matter how many books get written about managing human resources, you can be sure that you will encounter something new ever day. Discover if you have what it takes to dissect a situation and plan creative solutions to human resource challenges.