JEFFERSON CITY -- You can say the students in the entrepereurship class at Jefferson City High School aren't just planning for their future, they are making it happen.
Heather Stephens and Taylor Karr are just some of the students who sell sweatpants at Jefferson City middle schools before the bell rings to start class each morning.
The girls are part of an class at the school district's Nichols Career Center that creates a business from the ground up.
"We learn how to put a company together, how to finance a company, how to work with customers, business etiquette and we go and actually sell stuff.." says Stephens a senior.
The class has got the girls thinking about their future.
"I want to own a tanning salon,” says Karr a junior. She became interested in the business while working at her grandmother's salon.
They along with their classmates planned every detail of this start-up from surveying fellow students to see what they would buy, to cold calling sponsors to help finance their product.
"It's training students to be future business leaders. Essentially we'll be the new generation running the community." says the company's vice president of marketing and sales Bryan Meeker, a senior.
He interviewed for that position
"I was the only one who applied, but I have leadership experience. I am qualified,” he says with a laugh.
So do his classmates. They were hired after being interviewed by volunteers from Central Bank.
They work as president and several vice presidents were selected for managing different areas like production and public relations.
Just like the today's world, the budding businessmen and women learn managing a small business is not without its struggles. Like rejection and dealing with a tough economy.
"We had business owners say they don't have the advertising expense left for the month,” says Meeker.
He will take that with him to the real world, but before he gets there it's college where he will study non other than business.
Proceeds for the sweatpants go to Jefferson City High School student scholarships and some money even goes to the business students for their work.
They will be selling the sweat pants through this month.
To buy a pair, contact teacher Lauren Winemiller at (573) 659-3090.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG