Emerging WSU arts entrepreneurs pitch their business plans

There were plenty of sweaty palms in our FPC 5010 class yesterday, and not just because of the sunny, 70-degree weather.

It was Shark Tank day.

As the final project of the special topics course on Entrepreneurship and Art, students from the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts pitched their business plans to a panel of three judges: Gary Shields, an instructor in the School of Business Administration; and Rula Aoun and Chris Banarian, attorneys with the Wayne Law Group.

The students' ideas ran the gamut of creative ventures, including a graphic design service, a nonprofit photography camp for children with cancer, a theatrical set design service, a Web-hosting tech startup, a music venue, an after-school program, and a photographic studio specializing in cloning.

And then there was my own idea for Ovenbird, LLC, a multimedia company focusing on publications and products that support the handmade lifestyle.  I described my plans for launching "Garnished with Pixels," a food blog with a focus on traditional Midwestern comfort food and midcentury vintage kitchenware.

The takeaway

I learned a lot from the experience. For starters, the cute aqua and coral SignPainter HouseScript font I used in my PowerPoint failed to show up on the classroom computer, reminding me that I face a steep learning curve in the design and tech pieces of my business.

And it turns out I'm not very good at following my own advice as a public speaking teacher: My presentation ran over the time limit, and I missed the opportunity to spike my slide show with photos of yummy comfort food--something that might have tipped the balance in a real-life Shark Tank scenario.

There was a lot of synergy in the room:  In more than one case, one startup's strengths offered a potential solution to another's weakness.

The judges offered valuable advice--not only feedback on our individual plans, but also warnings about potential pitfalls for businesses of all types. Shields, who teaches entrepreneurship in the Department of Management, emphasized the importance of doing a break-even analysis. Both Shields and Banarian encouraged us to take advantage of Blackstone Launchpad.

By the way, for classmates who are still working on the engagement log, BLP is hosting one more networking event this semester: 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, at Traffic Jam & Snug.