Entrepreneurial College Food Incubator prepares entrepreneurs for success
September 5, 2024Students learn business and foodservice strategies
Yuma, AZ (September 5, 2024) – Eleven entrepreneurs recently completed Arizona Western Entrepreneurial College’s Food Incubator program to prepare them for success with their food business aspirations.
The four-week, boot camp-style course funded by the Arizona Community Foundation covered topics such as doing a market analysis, making a business plan, advertising, insurance, food safety regulations, finding your food niche, and product presentation. The course also featured several guest speakers and presenters from across the local business community to share their knowledge and advice with the students.
The incubator was co-taught by AWC Professor of Culinary Arts Bob Gedeon and AWC Professor of Accounting Dr. Kristine Duke.
“The students were so engaged with our discussions,” said Professor Duke. “What impressed me is that everybody was there to learn and to glean all this information that we're giving, and we threw out a ton of information to them. They're leaving with some accounting knowledge, some accounting tools, and a lot of the information they need in order to run that side of the business.”
Some of the students have ideas still in the planning or merely aspirational stages, while others have already started their own businesses, ranging from specialty tacos to catering.
“We have some of the students who actually already have a small business in place, and working on trying to improve it is one of the reasons they came into the class,” said Professor Gedeon. “We’re just trying to teach them how to make their business more profitable, how to become more resilient.”
Two of the participants were Maria Ligeralde and Reina Cruz from Spirit Mountain Coffee Roasters, which recently expanded into operating a coffee shop and bakery on the Quechan Reservation.
“We started the business not having any food background,” Ligeralde said. “We love coffee. We were like, let's just do it. We had our feet wet already but I really wanted to go back to the basics and learn about running a business. Everything that they've covered with food safety, accounting, bookkeeping, marketing; all the basic stuff that we kind of just learned on our own but it's really good to just find the resources in one spot over here.”
Veronica Frandsen is still exploring options for a small business but wanted to learn more about the logistics involved.
“The guest speakers that have come in here were great resources,” Frandsen said. “The two guys that work for the health department were, I think, really transparent and so, so helpful with providing not just the information that they gave us, but the fact that they gave us their business card and were like, ‘give us a call.’ They were wanting you to succeed.”
Other guest presenters included Art Morales of National Bank of Arizona and Crystal Mendoza of the AWC Small Business Development Center.
The Food Incubator is an ongoing program, and those interested in being a part of the course or learning more about it can find more information at azwestern.edu/food-incubator, by emailing continuinged@azwestern.edu, or calling 928-317-7674.
Contact:
Travis Mitchell
Entrepreneurial College Marketing Director
Travis.Mitchell@azwestern.edu
928-344-7677