Resource: University of Cincinnati Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research

Want to learn about making music, and then how to sell it? The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music and the Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research have just the program for you. The directors of both programs came up with a combined major for commercial music production – realizing the need for both musical and start-up business skills. And it is this kind of cross-campus partnership that entrepreneurship center director Chuck Matthews says is the program’s strength. The program has been around since 1997, and Matthews has been there every step of the way. Now, the center routinely consults with area businesses, and has about 125 students majoring in entrepreneurship. “But entrepreneurship can come from anywhere,” says Matthews, a  professor in entrepreneurship and strategy. “Entrepreneurship is nothing more than an economic phenomenon combined with a certain set of tools. And you don’t need to be a business major to learn those skills.” In addition, Matthews has been director of UC’s Small Business Institute since 1982. He says the institute has done over 500 faculty-guided student based consulting projects for local businesses, and the results have created a 99 percent customer satisfaction rating. “And 80 percent of our companies will implement at least one of our recommendations within the first few weeks,” Matthews says, adding that the services are free (although he is considering a sliding-scale fee model). And finally, the center is heavily involved in research. The UC entrepreneurship center is a Division I Carnegie-funded doctorate program as well as teaching undergraduates. That means that UC routinely publishes both theoretical and applied research in academic journals. Information on the UC Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research, 513-336-7133 By James Pilcher