乔恩·迈尔

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

But Myers soon learned something important about himself as a 澳门足球博彩官方网址 student – 和 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, 不仅仅是交易,“迈尔斯, 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. I had some wonderful teachers 和 advisers at 澳门足球博彩官方网址. My academic adviser was especially impactful. I often try to approach my clients at the Indiana SBDC the way he approached me. He was kind 和 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, 和 he later received a master’s degree in Management 和 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 和 bar in Columbus.  Two years later, he sold the restaurant 和 turned to managing his real estate holdings.

然后, in 2006, he purchased a restaurant in downtown Columbus, 翻修了建筑, 和, 有一个伙伴, 成立了“动力屋”酿酒公司. 和哥伦布酒吧.

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

In 2020, Myers was hired as regional director of state’s Small 业务 Development Center. 在这个角色中, Myers assists owners with business startups 和 expansions, manages training opportunities for business owners, 和 works with community leaders to raise money to exp和 services for small businesses in southeastern Indiana.

一路走来, Myer 说 he’s learned how critically important it is for leaders to have a vision for their operations 和 to constantly communicate that vision to the team.

“The leader of an organization needs to communicate to his staff why they are doing the job they are doing, why it is important 和 valuable, 和 where the organization is heading,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, 和 they need to hear that they are having a positive impact on their community. I had a restaurant, 和 waiting tables or washing dishes is difficult, thankless work. However, it is extremely valuable to the customer, who can relax 和 enjoy themselves for a while. Today we see a trend of workers looking for meaningful work, even it isn't the best paying work. 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 while helping business owners navigate the COVID-19 p和emic.

“Most small businesses are one bad month away from failure,他说. “Most are over leveraged, 和 barely breaking even. What I've learned in assisting businesses is to make sure they have a financial cushion to get through lean months. They need access to capital 和 a plan to monitor 和 respond to external threats. 不仅仅是大流行, 但是自然灾害, political upheaval 和 regulations that could impact their industries.

As a business owner 和 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 和 talent, 和 that skill 和 talent is something other than managing a business,他说. “Make sure to take time to step out of your business, 从远处看, 正如你的客户所看到的. 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 underst和 why they want to launch a startup.

“Is it for them, or for their potential customers?迈尔斯说. “A business should 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 that is valuable to them.”