Graduate a CEO: Why College is the Perfect Time to Start Your Business

by James H. Hunter III

Overview

Do you think about how you can make money while you’re still in school or wonder if you’ll be able to find a job in your field when you graduate? If you do, now’s the time to consider becoming an entrepreneur. Collegiate entrepreneurship provides you access to entrepreneurial courses, mentors, funding competitions, and investment opportunities available only to college students — so, don’t wait until after you graduate — become CEO of your own company today!

In Graduate a CEO, James H. Hunter III walks you through the process of building your own business through his own experience as a successful business owner, along with first-hand stories from his entrepreneurial students at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. From discovering and testing your business idea, determining who your customers are and how to sell to them to gaining the confidence of investors and mastering your numbers, Jim is with you every step of the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642252125
Publisher:	Advantage Media Group, Inc.
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

JAMES H. HUNTER III, Bostrom entrepreneur in residence, has taught entrepreneurship courses at the Lubar School of Business since the late 1990s. He is the president/managing member of three companies, CFO of one company, executive vice president of another, and a director of three more. He acts as an advisor to individuals starting and running companies and serves on free-market-oriented nonprofit boards.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOREWORD INTRODUCTION
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP?DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?VISUALIZING AND TESTING YOUR BIG IDEA CUSTOMER DISCOVERYKNOWING WHEN TO PIVOT AND WHEN TO PERSEVERECREATING AND REFINING YOUR BUSINESS PLANMAKING IT REAL—SALESUNDERSTANDING LEGAL AND TAX ISSUESMASTERING THE NUMBERSTHE IMPORTANCE OF A MENTORETHICS: DOING THE RIGHT THING
CONCLUSION
APPENDIX A SAMPLE INCOME STATEMENT, BALANCE SHEET, AND STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
APPENDIX B SAMPLE STATEMENT OF FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS
APPENDIX C STATEMENT OF FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS TEMPLATE
APPENDIX D HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN FOR A NEW VENTURE
APPENDIX E NEW VENTURE IDEATION AWARD—JUDGE’S EVALUATION FORM
APPENDIX F BYGRAVE AND ZACHARAKIS’S OPPORTUNITY CHECKLIST
GET IN TOUCH ABOUT THE AUTHOR

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“More often than not, college students don’t take advantage of their time at university in exploring their entrepreneurial passions. Graduate a CEO provides a great step-by-step approach to launching a new business with an early emphasis on feasibility and customer discovery. Any student that’s interested in launching a business should use this guide to explore their entrepreneurial passions.”

James N. Zebrowski Jr.
Executive Director, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Inc.Tampa, Florida

"Graduate a CEO contains a lifetime of Jim Hunter’s relevant personal experiences, keen insights, and practical advice that will assist aspiring entrepreneurs to conceptualize their business, guide them in developing a strategic business plan, and show them how to rapidly test its validity in the market. Jim can help you get to your business destination faster, cheaper, and smarter."

David Lubar
President and CEO, Lubar & Company

"For many of our students, the best part of their education is learning precisely these out-of-the-classroom applications of the concepts and tools they are learning in their courses. Jim has packaged the essential how-tos of becoming an entrepreneur while in college in a highly readable, useful book that all students should read."
Mark MoneChancellor, Universityof Wisconsin – Milwaukee

“Jim Hunter is the consummate entrepreneur and teacher. His clear, easy-to-apply advice will inspire young adults to become all they can be.”
Alan Katz
Founder, Katz Bagels, Inc.President, Katz ConsultingMilwaukee, Wisconsin

“In his book, Graduate a CEO: Why College Is the Perfect Time to Start Your Business, Jim Hunter gives a clear and inspiring road map for college students to become successful entrepreneurs. The book is based on the author’s distilled practical wisdom gained from his own successful serial entrepreneurship experience and from years of teaching excellence in entrepreneurship courses, insights from judging numerous student new-venture business plan competitions, and guiding scores of entrepreneur interns at a major university. For Jim Hunter, nurturing students’ entrepreneurial spirit and helping them to launch well-planned, high-potential start-ups are an important mission, and his book reaches out to fulfill it very effectively!”
V. Kanti Prasad
Past Dean, Lubar School of Business Universityof Wisconsin–Milwaukee

“Having worked with countless young people interested in starting their own businesses through various programs and academic courses, a proper curriculum or readings have been lacking. With Graduate a CEO, Jim Hunter offers budding entrepreneurs an essential and heartfelt guide to the business start-up as a college student. Students may see themselves in these pages and be inspired to take their ideas and passions to the next step. Thanks for writing this important book.”

Scott NiederjohnProfessor of Economics and Director, Free Enterprise Center Concordia UniversityWisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin

Moving forward in turbulent and changing times is difficult. Graduate a CEO is a refreshingly easy guide on how to do it well. This is a must-read for any student entrepreneur.
Kauchal ChariDean, Lubar School of Business Universityof Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Jim Hunter and I go back over thirty years when he first asked me to guest lecture his entrepreneur class. His passion and great skill for enlightening students on the art of achieving business success places him in the league of out - standing educators. With Graduate a CEO, Jim again is on the money, as he offers leaders an essential and heartfelt guide to a business start-up as a college student. Enjoy the read!
Paul Stewart Owner, PS Capital Partners Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Graduate a CEO by Jim Hunter is a hands-on practical book on the entrepreneurial journey. Whether starting a business while in college or simply having the mindset of growth that every entrepreneur should have, this book is must-read. It can be argued that one is never fully ready to be an entrepreneur, as the journey most of the time is on roads less traveled. Remember, every challenge is an unforeseen opportunity, and there’s no better way to learn about this journey than through the lens of a proven entrepreneur and teacher of entrepreneurship such as Jim.
Jerry JendusaCofounder, Stuck Breakthrough Strategies Author and serial entrepreneur Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Editorial Reviews

More often than not, college students don’t take advantage of their time at university in exploring their entrepreneurial passions. Graduate a CEO provides a great step-by-step approach to launching a new business with an early emphasis on feasibility and customer discovery. Any student that’s interested in launching a business should use this guide to explore their entrepreneurial passions.
— James N. Zebrowski Jr.
Executive Director, Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Inc.


“Jim Hunter is the consummate entrepreneur and teacher. His clear, easy-to-apply advice will inspire young adults to become all they can be.”
Alan Katz
Founder, Katz Bagels, Inc.
President, Katz Consulting
Milwaukee, Wisconsin


“In his book, Graduate a CEO: Why College Is the Perfect Time to Start Your Business, Jim Hunter gives a clear and inspiring road map for college students to become successful entrepreneurs. The book is based on the author’s distilled practical wisdom gained from his own successful serial entrepreneurship experience and from years of teaching excellence in entrepreneurship courses, insights from judging numerous student new-venture business plan competitions, and guiding scores of entrepreneur interns at a major university. For Jim Hunter, nurturing students’ entrepreneurial spirit and helping them to launch well-planned, high-potential start-ups are an important mission, and his book reaches out to fulfill it very effectively!”
V. Kanti Prasad
Past Dean, Lubar School of Business University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee


“I enthusiastically endorse Jim’s book, Graduate a CEO. For many of our students, the best part of their education is learning precisely these out-of-the-classroom applications of the concepts and tools they are learning in their courses. Jim has packaged the essential how-tos of becoming an entrepreneur while in college in a highly readable, useful book that all students should read.”
Mark Mone
Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee


For many of our students, the best part of their education is learning precisely these out-of-the-classroom applications of the concepts and tools they are learning in their courses. Jim has packaged the essential how-tos of becoming an entrepreneur while in college in a highly readable, useful book that all students should read.
— Mark Mone
Chancellor, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee


“Having worked with countless young people interested in starting their own businesses through various programs and academic courses, a proper curriculum or readings have been lacking. With Graduate a CEO, Jim Hunter offers budding entrepreneurs an essential and heartfelt guide to the business start-up as a college student. Students may see themselves in these pages and be inspired to take their ideas and passions to the next step. Thanks for writing this important book.”
Scott Niederjohn
Professor of Economics and Director, Free Enterprise Center Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin


Moving forward in turbulent and changing times is difficult. Graduate a CEO is a refreshingly easy guide on how to do it well. This is a must-read for any student entrepreneur.
Kauchal Chari
Dean, Lubar School of Business University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee


Jim Hunter and I go back over thirty years when he first asked me to guest lecture his entrepreneur class. His passion and great skill for enlightening students on the art of achieving business success places him in the league of outstanding educators. With Graduate a CEO, Jim again is on the money, as he offers leaders an essential and heartfelt guide to a business start-up as a college student. Enjoy the read!
Paul Stewart
Owner, PS Capital Partners Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Graduate a CEO by Jim Hunter is a hands-on practical book on the entrepreneurial journey. Whether starting a business while in college or simply having the mindset of growth that every entrepreneur should have, this book is must-read. It can be argued that one is never fully ready to be an entrepreneur, as the journey most of the time is on roads less traveled. Remember, every challenge is an unforeseen opportunity, and there’s no better way to learn about this journey than through the lens of a proven entrepreneur and teacher of entrepreneurship such as Jim.
Jerry Jendusa
Cofounder, Stuck Breakthrough Strategies Author and serial entrepreneur Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Graduate a CEO contains a lifetime of Jim Hunter’s relevant personal experiences, keen insights, and practical advice that will assist aspiring entrepreneurs to conceptualize their business, guide them in developing a strategic business plan, and show them how to rapidly test its validity in the market. Jim can help you get to your business destination faster, cheaper, and smarter.
— David Lubar
President and CEO, Lubar Company

From the Publisher