More than 120 students packed into the MS building\u2019s first floor auditorium for \u201cBe Your Own Boss: The Basics of Entrepreneurship,\u201d a workshop designed to help San Diego City College students turn ideas into income.<\/p>\n
The March 17 event was hosted by the Career Center in collaboration with the Academic Career Pathways Center, the Undocumented Resource Center, City Scholars and Work-Based Learning.<\/p>\n
It featured a crash course on business structures followed by a panel of faculty members who are also business owners.<\/p>\n
The panel included Patricia Moose Jones, chair of the cosmetology department and owner of The Beauty Haven Salon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n Julius Alejandro, City\u2019s work-based learning coordinator, led the opening session, walking students through the steps to start a business in California.<\/p>\n He explained the difference between sole proprietorships and LLCs, stressing the importance of separating personal and business finances.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you create an LLC, you create a separate entity,\u201d Alejandro said. \u201cAnything that happens, that\u2019s the business that absorbs it, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n Alejandro also warned about California\u2019s $800 annual LLC tax, regardless of profit, and urged students to consult a certified public accountant.<\/p>\n Ahmed Abu Jamal, refrigeration faculty and owner of HX Refrigeration<\/a>, shared his early struggles in business.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t making money the first two years,\u201d Abu Jamal said. \u201cAll the money I made, I was just turning toward the growth of the business.\u201d<\/p>\n Moose Jones, who owned a salon for 23 years, said managing employees was her biggest challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to open a business if you do your homework,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThe challenging part is keeping it open.\u201d<\/p>\n A recurring theme throughout the afternoon was the importance of networking.<\/p>\n \u201cNetworking is a big part of being a successful business owner,\u201d said Yasmin Garcia, a nail technician student who attended the workshop. \u201cNetworking will be essential for building her clientele as a future nail technician.\u201d<\/p>\n Roger Sanchez, job placement coordinator and Career Center<\/a> supervisor, said the event aimed to reach students who face barriers to traditional employment.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are communities that are disenfranchised because they can\u2019t apply to jobs due to a criminal record or because they might be undocumented,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cWe wanted to make sure those students know they have options.\u201d<\/p>\n