T e A C H I N G G U I D e o N e N T R e P R e N e U R S H I P

TEACHING GUIDE
ON
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
For the Principals of

Elementary and Secondary
Schools and Vocational
Education and Adult Education
Centres
Research and writing:
Yves Corbeil
Entrepreneurship consultant and instructor
Intervex inc.
Translation:
Direction de la production en langue anglaise,
Services à la communauté anglophone
Production team:
Québec Entrepreneurship Contest

e
Édifice Marie-Guyart, 12 étage
1035, rue de la Chevrotière
Québec (Québec) G1R 5A5
Telephone: (418) 644-4255
Fax: (418) 644-6851
E-mail: cqe@riq.qc.ca
Internet site: http://www.inforoutefpt.org/entrepreneurship/concours
This document was prepared in 1997 as part of the Projet en tête,

under the general direction of Wojtek Winnicki. It was coordinated
by François Michaud.
Publication of this teaching guide was made possible by financial

support from the Ministère de l’Éducation.
Gouvernement du Québec
Ministère de l’Éducation, 1998
ISBN: 2-550-33723-9
Legal Deposit – Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, 1998.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD...................................................................................................................................................................5
INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................................................6
1. WHY IT IS URGENT TO ACT NOW.............................................................................................................7

1.1 THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE AND THE QUALITIES THEY REQUIRE ....................................................... 8
1.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES IN CHANGING ECONOMIES.......... 9
1.3 CHANGES ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.4 ENTREPRENEURS ....................................................................................................................................... 10
INTRAPRENEURS........................................................................................................................................ 10
2. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN THE SOCIETY OF THE FUTURE................................................... 13
2.1 THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PROFILE AT SCHOOL .................................................................................... 14
2.2 TEACHERS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP .................................................................................................... 14
2.3 STUDENTS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ................................................................................................... 15
3. LEARNING BY DOING................................................................................................................................. 16
3.1 HOW TO PREPARE AND CARRY OUT A PROJECT ................................................................................. 17
3.2 PRESENTATION OF VIDEOS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP .......................................................................... 20
3.3 CLASS VISIT BY AN ENTREPRENEUR....................................................................................................... 21
3.4 CLASS VISIT TO A BUSINESS ...................................................................................................................... 23
3.5 PREPARING A MAP OF LOCAL BUSINESSES ............................................................................................ 24
3.6 PORTRAIT OF A BUSINESS AND AN ENTREPRENEUR ........................................................................... 26
3.7 IS THIS A SUITABLE CAREER CHOICE FOR YOU? .................................................................................. 27
3.8 MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF A BOARD OF DIRECTORS............................................................. 30
3.9 A PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT DAY ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP ...................................................... 31
3.10 DO YOU KNOW THE STORY OF…? ......................................................................................................... 32
3.11 HOW TO FIND A GOOD IDEA FOR A PROJECT , A BUSINESS, ETC.: A STUDENT BRAINSTORMING
SESSION ........................................................................................................................................................ 34
3.12 HOW TO START A MICRO-BUSINESS IN SCHOOL ................................................................................... 37
3.13 HOW TO SET UP A COOPERATIVE ........................................................................................................... 40
3.14 A FORUM FOR STUDENT -ENTREPRENEURS .......................................................................................... 45
3.15 A MINI-TRADE SHOW AT SCHOOL........................................................................................................... 46
3.16 SETTING UP AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMITTEE IN SCHOOL ....................................................... 47
3.17 SETTING UP A PARENT -ENTREPRENEUR GROUP ................................................................................ 49
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 50
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................................. 51
BOOKS AND SITES .................................................................................................................................................. 52

T e a c h i n g G u i d e o n E n t r e p r e u r sh i p
FOREWORD
T
he big newspaper stories of the moment are about government budget cuts, the restructuring
of businesses, unemployment, market globalization, new information and communications
technologies (NICT) and the slowing of job creation to a snail’s pace.
Part 1 of this guide, entitled Why It Is Urgent to Act Now, explores the principal implications of
these socio-economic changes and their probable consequences in the future. At the individual
level, being prepared for a constantly changing job market means acquiring the skills characteristic
of entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.
Part 2 considers the role of the school in the society of the future. There is little doubt that
schools will be different, because the conditions under which they operate are already changing. It
may be that the prevailing values will be those of the entrepreneurial world, which emphasize
accountability for all that happens to us, action, creativity, autonomy and leadership.
You will also see that teaching and entrepreneurship or learning and entrepreneurship are not
mutually exclusive activities. On the contrary, there are many similarities and close ties between
them. You may find that some of the younger teachers in your school or perhaps some who aren’t
so young already think this way. You and the teachers, together with parents, entrepreneurs from
your community and leaders of organizations that promote entrepreneurship, can make your
educational institution a centre for learning based on entrepreneurial values.
Part 3 of the guide will present a series of activities that enable participants to learn by doing, by
talking about the neighbourhood, the city and the municipality and imagining the future, showing
the students the skills they need in order to become entrepreneurs, encouraging them to realize
their ideas and their dreams, and finally, giving them all sorts of responsibilities.
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INTRODUCTION
T
his guide is addressed to you, principals of elementary and secondary schools and
vocational education centres.
Are we proposing yet another revolution in the world of education? Don’t worry, we’re not
trying to save the world with the stroke of a magical wand. The purpose of this text is to familiarize
you with entrepreneurship. It can help you create an environment conducive to the development of
an entrepreneurial culture in your educational instution. In short, we want you to become a
supporter of entrepreneurial values, which should be integrated into the instruction students
receive.
This guide is attractive, in part because of its experimental nature, but also because it offers useful
practical advice and adopts a direct approach.
Although the guide is designed to encourage you to take action, we will never tell you what to do or
not do. We don’t believe that’s the way to get people moving. You have probably already glanced
at Part 3, Learning by Doing, which contains sixteen activity sheets. You may have noticed that
they have a variety of goals. Some activities aim to familiarize participants with entrepreneurial
culture, while others, which are designed to involve students directly in entrepreneurial activities,
are more structured and require more support.
You may already think you know which of the activities are most likely to succeed in your school’s
classes. Since these activities are now yours, you can do whatever you want with them; we
suggest that you be bold and adapt them to the people you recruit both within the school and
outside it.
This guide does not offer a detailed plan of action. On the contrary, we hope to inspire you to take
your own initiatives. Instead of seeking to impose a specific scenario, we aim to suggest ideas,
bring people together and offer guidance and support to those who want to put into practice the
suggestions they find here.
We strongly encourage networking between the educational system and the business community.
Networking fosters the exchange of different viewpoints, which favours a gradual change of
attitudes. Change begets change. Pooling the resources and expertise of each contributor makes
it possible to arrive at a more comprehensive vision of the ways by which similar objectives may be
attained. Together perhaps the educational community can sow the seeds of a new paradigm of
entrepreneurial pedagogy.
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1. WHY IT IS URGENT TO ACT NOW
T
he students attending our educational institutions now will probably have four or five different
careers in their lifetime, because work is changing constantly and rapidly. Your students’
toolkit must contain the instruments they need to deal with this constant change. We
believe that entrepreneurship is a basic tool.
What is entrepreneurship? Paul-A. Fortin defined it as follows in his book, Devenez entrepreneur
(1992): Entrepreneurship is the appropriation and management of human, physical and
financial resources for the purpose of creating, implementing and developing solutions
that meet the needs of individuals and societies. 1
Let us recall that at the beginning of this century, more than 85 percent of workers were employed
in agriculture. Today, this economic sector accounts for less than three percent of the workforce.
This does not keep it from developing: over time, farms have become veritable small- and medium-
sized businesses.
By the year 2000, at least 44 percent of all workers will be employed in areas related to
information, such as the input, gathering, processing and analysis of data. And the quantity of
information doubles every five years!
Tasks that previously required days, or even weeks of research, can now be completed in a few
hours. Tomorrow, these same tasks may take only five seconds.
Businesses and individuals now rely on their brainpower.
These observations are entirely accurate. However, it may seem to you that some of them are not
so new or special, while others seem far off in the future. So, let’s take a look at the situation here
and now.
Income security: In June 1996, there were over 81 000 welfare recipients in Québec between the
ages of 18 and 29 who were willing and able to work. Of these young people, 58.6 percent had not
completed their Secondary V, while another 21 percent had continued beyond this educational
level in the adult sector and in vocational education.
Dropping out: According to the Ministère de l'Éducation, in 1993-94, 33 percent of students in

ordinary classes did not obtain their secondary school diplomas.
Unemployment: Unemployment will affect the present generation for many years to come. In
1991, only 34 percent of Quebecers aged 15 and over, with at least nine years of schooling, were
in the workforce. What about the other 66 percent?
1
This is a free translation.
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Percentage of students with part-time jobs:

Ø 46 percent in Secondary I, II and III
Ø 54 percent in Secondary IV and V
Ø 70 percent at the college level
Ø 60 percent at the university level
Conseil supérieur de l'Éducation, 1992
That is why we say it is urgent to act now. Some people may feel that we are being alarmist.
Some, however, will agree that now is the time to take concrete measures, before the situation
gets completely out of hand.
Computers have brought about a cyber revolution. Information and knowledge are now available
outside the schools. The paths of learning are becoming electronic highways. Will cyber-education
turn our schools into museums and playing fields visited from time to time by young people to
update their ideas and play volley-ball?
1.1 The Jobs of the Future and the Qualities They Require
T
he information presently available concerning the job market shows that in all economic
sectors, whether high technology or traditional, the jobs available will require skills and
attitudes that must be acquired early in life and constantly improved. Whether we like it or not,
competition is alive and well in McLuhan’s global village.
Businesses that succeed in the future will be those that pay special attention to hiring. In both
large and smaller firms, employees will have to demonstrate a high degree of creativity and
innovation. They will have to be able to show considerable originality in order to make their mark,
as competition between organizations, regions, cities and countries is growing.
One of the most promising attitudes towards work consists in acting as

though one were one’s own employer, by taking greater responsibility in the
organization for which one works.
In addition to their creativity, the people who succeed in the future will have another quality: their
willingness to commit themselves fully to their work. It will no longer be possible to pretend to work
and demand higher and higher salaries. Businesses will expect greater productivity from a smaller
number of employees.
In this context, people will have to learn to work quickly, to adopt new methods, to correct their
errors rapidly and to retrieve their sense of orientation rapidly as well. The relentless pace of
change will force people to come to terms with uncertainty and ambiguity and heed their intuition.
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Innovation will not only be compulsory for existing firms and their employees; it will also be the
obsession of those who want to start their own small businesses.
1.2 The Importance of Small and Medium-sized Businesses in Changing

Economies
O
ver the past ten years it has become apparent that economies with many small and medium-
sized firms are those that handle competition and economic crises best.
Between 1979 and 1989, firms with 500 employees or more lost 130 000
jobs.
Why? Because small and medium-sized firms were responsible for most job creation. Not just low-
paying jobs, either. According to a Canada-wide survey of 18 000 firms carried out by the Canadian
Federation of Independent Business, 47 percent of those hired in Québec were paid between $10
and $15 an hour. Only 19 percent of the small businesses surveyed paid their new employees the
minimum wage.
1.3 Changes
L
ifestyle changes, new consumer trends, the aging of the population, the emergence of new
diseases and the steady growth of environmental problems all create a demand for new goods
and services in North American society and elsewhere.
The first industrial robot was introduced in the 1960s. By 1982, about 32 000
robots were in use in the United States. Today, there are 20 million.
Adapted from After the Merger: Managing the Shockwaves by Price Pritchett
In the last few years, competition and changes in the world’s economic structure have forced
multinationals to restructure and automate their production in order to survive. This has resulted in
job loss, which has prompted recent graduates, especially graduates of vocational education
programs, who had traditionally been hired by big firms, to seek work in smaller firms established
by local and regional entrepreneurs.
The establishment of new businesses leads to job creation. However, it is not enough to set up
small firms if they will be wiped out by international competition: these small businesses can
survive in the new competitive markets only by forming alliances. Thus, the growing importance of
small firms leads to the emergence of new organizations.
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1.4 Entrepreneurs
Intrapreneurs
I f you mention entrepreneurs, chances are your colleagues know what you are talking about. Ask
about intrapreneurs and you’ll probably draw a blank.
Certain character traits stimulate entrepreneurs, alone or with associates, to launch a new
business and take steps to make their dreams come true. They themselves bear the risks of such
an undertaking. Intrapreneurs, by contrast, question and disturb the established order within an
organization, with the aim of persuading the leadership to adopt their ideas. They seek to convince
people in order to introduce changes and attain other objectives. For example, whatever their
organization, they will try to reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary expenses. Their concern for
effectiveness and efficiency resembles that of the entrepreneur, as does their passionate
involvement in innovation.
Let us take a closer look at the respective profiles of the entrepreneur and the intrapreneur.
Entrepreneurs
It is not easy to define the characteristics of a typical entrepreneur. According to the Fondation de
l’entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur is someone who is capable of turning a dream, a
problem or an opportunity into a viable business.
In Vision et relations: clefs du success de l’entrepreneur, Louis-Jacques Filion says that

entrepreneurs are people who imagine, develop and bring their visions into being.
Who are the young entrepreneurs?
From 25 to 33 percent of recently founded firms in Québec were established

by people with a vocational education background.
Ø 63 percent were aged 25 to 30

Ø 41 percent were women
On average, they started their firms 5.4 years after leaving school.
Entrepreneurs are thus people with new ideas, who see alternate ways of doing things. They are
attuned to their surroundings, and find solutions to problems. They are also capable of setting
goals for themselves and attaining them.
Seen from another angle, entrepreneurs are self-employed workers. There are a great many in
Québec. At present, more than half work at home. Self-employment and micro-businesses are
growing in importance in post-industrial society.
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Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey offers the following indications on this group:
The number of self-employed workers rose from 229 000 in 1975 to 459 700, or 14.3 percent of the
Québec workforce, in 1995. This represents an increase of 100.7 percent in 20 years.
After British Colombia, Québec is the province in which self-employment has grown the fastest.
Intrapreneurs
The concept of intrapreneurship apparently originated in Sweden in the 1970s. However, it was not
until 1986 that an American consultant named Gifford Pinchot coined the term. He said that an
intrapreneur is a dreamer who takes action for example, someone who takes responsibility for
carrying out an innovation, of any kind, within an enterprise. Intrapreneurs may be creators or
inventors, but they are always dreamers who imagine a way to turn an idea into a viable activity.
People who present the following characteristics are intrapreneurs.
They:
Ø are ready to take major risks, and go to work every day with the idea that they may lose their
job;
Ø circumvent any orders that could compromise their dream;
Ø do not lose sight of their objectives, but are realistic about how to attain them;
Ø learn rapidly from their failures;
Ø know that it is easier to apologize for doing something than to seek prior permission to do it;
Ø are eager to carry out any task, whether related to their job or not, that may contribute to the
success of their idea or plans;
Ø trust their intuition in choosing colleagues, and work with the best;
Ø work quietly on their project for as long as possible in order to increase the likelihood of
success;
Ø are aware of market opportunities;
Ø are loyal to the enterprise that hired them and the people that help them achieve their
objectives.
In short, intrapreneurs bet only on races in which they themselves are running.
The table below compares characteristics of entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. The differences are
minor, but real.
Do you meet more entrepreneurs outside the education system? Observe your colleagues: you will
surely discover some genuine intrapreneurs among them.
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Comparison of entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs

Based on Pinchot (1996), Hill (1987) and Lavoie (1988)
Entrepreneurs Intrapreneurs
Employment context …work for a small business or are …generally work for a large
self-employed. business or organization.
Motivation …are motivated by empowerment, …are motivated by empowerment,
and also self-motivated. but within the enterprise, and also
by recognition from the organization.
Action …are often doing many things at …have more opportunities to
once, are not afraid of getting their delegate tasks than entrepreneurs
hands dirty, don’t like long do, but are ready to pitch in when
procedures. necessary. Need guidelines for
action.
Decisions …pursue their ideas to their …are skilled at convincing others to
conclusion, make their own support their ideas. Aim for action,
decisions, are dynamic. but can accept compromises.
Attitude toward the …often reject the system and …use the system, without leaving it.
system create their own.
Success …may get rich. … rarely get rich.
Failure …may lose everything if they fail …may pay dearly if their plans do
badly. not work out. However, in the event
of failure, they do not lose
everything.
Skills …use their intuition and learn by …also have good intuition, as well
themselves. as a certain political ability.
The future is promising for entrepreneurs, self-employed workers and intrapreneurs. And this
seems to be a long-term trend: some researchers believe that nearly 50 percent of the jobs
created between now and the beginning of the next century will take the form of self-employment
and micro-businesses.
The entrepreneurs of the future should thus:

Ø demonstrate a strong capacity for personal adaptation
Ø have a good basic education
Ø possess the latest technological skills
Ø be extremely innovative and creative
Ø be good communicators
This trend to entrepreneurship exists in many industrialized countries. In Québec, the following
factors play an important role:
Ø growing unemployment;
Ø promotion of private initiative and enterprise as key elements in economic growth;
Ø shrinkage of employment in the public sector;
Ø increasing resort to sub-contracting in the major public and private organizations.
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One often hears that you’re either a born entrepreneur or you’ll never become one. You either have
what it takes, or you don’t!
Yet not all entrepreneurs were born with magic in their veins. It is true that certain qualities, skills,
attitudes and a particular type of personality are necessary. However, the evidence shows that it is
possible to become an entrepreneur.
As you know, the measures currently being introduced in education are affecting society far more
rapidly than we would have expected. The entrepreneurial culture promotes the acquisition of the
skills required to survive in the coming century.
2. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN THE SOCIETY OF THE

FUTURE
L
ook at the least disciplined students in your classes. Identify those whose behaviour is
agitated. Many will become drop-outs, yet some may have the stuff of future entrepreneurs in
them.
FIVE PROFILES OF DROPOUTS
Disadvantaged students
They grew up in foster homes or dysfunctional families. Their academic problems began very early and
have had frequent contact with social service organizations. Their lacking or unrealistic aspirations
distinguish them from other dropouts.
Creative students
Most come from middle- or higher-income families, with well-educated parents. They feel repressed at
school. They have clear aspirations, usually in the arts or show business. They often come from broken
homes.
Practical students
They want above all to earn high salaries in a skilled trade or start a business. They see school as
useless. Many also have serious reading and writing difficulties.
Minorities
The members of visible minorities constitute a distinct group and some feel strongly that there is no
place for them in the system. They lack role models and complain of discrimination.
Students in critical situations

Their family or personal situations, without being as desperate as those of the disadvantaged, contribute
to the likelihood of their dropping out. Their parents have little education, but these students defend them
on the grounds that they have done they best they could.
________
Adapted from a survey called Leaving School: results from a national survey, Statistics Canada and Employment and
Immigration Canada, 1990.
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2.1 The Entrepreneurial Profile at School
T
he following list of characteristics manifested by future entrepreneurs while they are in school is
based on the book Devenez entrepreneur, by Paul-A. Fortin (1992).
Ø They are rarely at the top of the class, unlike the future executives of major corporations; they
do not seek to become leaders or to participate in groups or committees.
Ø They handle solitude well and avoid routine; they are stubborn and like to find their own
solutions to problems, which is rarely encouraged in either our education system or our large
organizations.
Ø Future entrepreneurs are willing to take risks, without necessarily being reckless; they are not
discouraged by failure and care little about the opinions of other people.
Ø They are focussed on opportunities rather than on problems; their analytical approach is
geared to taking action and getting results rapidly. Very early on, they try their hand at
managing small undertakings.
Ø Future entrepreneurs do not feel the need to control other people and do not seek power; they
are primarily motivated by their need to achieve certain things.
Ø They are in competition more with themselves than with others.
Ø Money and profits are important to them, but as the means to do more.
Ø Immigrants and the children of immigrants are more likely to become entrepreneurs. Children
whose parents are entrepreneurs are also more likely than the average to become
entrepreneurs. So are the first-born children in large families.
Ø Previously reserved for men, entrepreneurial careers now attract more and more women.
Ø Students with vocational and technical education are increasingly choosing to start their own
businesses.
Now, if you were asked what people should do in order to succeed in the current and future job
market, you would probably answer somewhat as follows:
Ø be competent in their chosen sphere of activity

Ø work hard
Ø aim for quality
Ø show initiative and use their imagination
Ø be autonomous and flexible
Ø be eager to learn every day
A closer look shows that these characteristics are the ticket to the success of entrepreneurs and
intrapreneurs. We believe that the students should be encouraged to acquire these characteristics.
2.2 Teachers and Entrepreneurship
T
he public education sector is being forced to acknowledge an important fact: fierce competition
from the market. Teaching institutions used to be the only purveyors of knowledge.
Competition is now a fact of life for these schools. And not just competition from private
schools; the public schools are also competing with specialized high-tech firms, trade or
professional associations, unions, the Internet and businesses that prefer to train new personnel
themselves.
Whether they like it or not, the schools are now active in the continuing education market, where
they compete with numerous other providers of knowledge and where the clients are increasingly
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demanding. To succeed in this market, a new and better approach is required, especially since
the appearance of the new information and communications technologies.
All of these changes require different reflexes. First of all, we must clearly identify the clients the
students. Who are they? How do they learn? Knowing the client better will make you realize two
things: one, that there are doubtless more entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in the schools than
you ever imagined, and two, that you have to change the way you teach, for the good of everyone.
Isn’t one of the goals of education to enable students to attain the three levels of knowledge: to
adopt the right attitudes, and acquire practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge? Can we
change our approach to education? Perhaps, by seeing it from the perspective of entrepreneurial
education.
2.3 Students and Entrepreneurship
T he table below compares the situation of students with that of entrepreneurs. The resemblance
is striking.
Entrepreneurs Students
...always feel responsible for what they acheive, ...are supposed to be responsible for their studies.
whether it is positive or negative. They are
described as having internalized their business
concerns.
...finish what they start. ...must show perseverance.
...know where they are going, and demand that ...derive greater satisfaction from learning when they
what they learn relate to that. can see what purpose it may serve.
...set themselves objectives and meet them. ...have to measure how much they have learned in
order to establish how well they are performing.
...require enormous motivation in order to succeed. ...perform better when they are motivated.
The entrepreneurial approach in education is based on independent learning and peer teaching
(which involves students teaching each other).
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3. LEARNING BY DOING
t has been said that the best way to learn something is to do it. In this spirit, Part 3 of this guide
Ioffers some suggestions. We introduce a tool entitled “How to Prepare and Carry Out a Project”
and 16 activities divided into three categories.
As its name indicates, this is a planning tool that can help you organize and carry out the other
activities and, eventually, your own projects.
Category Title Page
Planning tool How to Prepare and Carry Out a Project 19
Entrepreneurship Presentation of videos on entrepreneurship 22

Activities Class visit by an entrepreneur 23
Class visit to a business 25
Preparing a map of local businesses 26
Portrait of a business and an entrepreneur 28
Is this a suitable career choice for you? 29
Meeting with the members of a board of directors 32
A pedagogical development day on entrepreneurship 33
Do you know the story of . . .? 34
Hands-on Activities How to find a good idea for a project, a business, etc.: A student 34
brainstorming session
How to start a micro-business in the school 37
How to set up a cooperative 40
A forum for student-entrepreneurs 45
A mini-trade show at school 46
Support Activities Setting up an entrepreneurship committee in school 47
Setting up a parent-entrepreneur group 49
These activities can be integrated into the school’s usual activities, whatever the students’ level of
instruction. If you look closely, you will see that they will provide effective means for attaining the
educational objectives of many programs of study, specific courses or extracurricular activities.
On the other hand, these activities are for everyone. No one should be excluded, because they are
likely to benefit all your students: the gifted ones, the resourceful ones, the ones prone to
difficulties, the ones who just don’t care, the carpers and the independent ones. These exercises
will give all of your students a new perspective not only on their neighbourhood, their city or
municipality, but also on their own personality and their future.
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PLANNING TOOL
3.1 How to Prepare and Carry Out a Project
SCENARIO
P
atricia Pitcher’s book, Artists, Craftsmen and Technocrats, offers a clear, detailed analysis of a
major financial institution, which shows how technocrats have destroyed what artists built and
artisans preserved.
She says that craftspeople are dedicated workers, predictable, eager to oblige, human, polite and
punctual; that they work hard: for long hours at a stretch if there is an emergency, and roughly ten
hours a day otherwise. She goes on to say that anything they consider necessary for the business,
they do. She says they can be counted on to be there if they give their word, and to do whatever
they have promised to do.
You want your project to be well-managed? Find a craftsperson!
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this activity is to empower people who are planning to undertake entrepreneurial projects
or projects in any other area of activity.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
For help with your own project, look at the following list of the five main project management phases,
which can be adapted to various situations.
1. Describing the Project
Begin by describing the project or answering the question: What do you want to do? The objectives
must be formulated with care: it must be possible to achieve clear, realistic, measurable results.
2. Defining the Project
The definition of the project follows logically from its description. It makes it possible to better
identify all the elements of the project.
This phase involves specifying and describing the project’s scope and complexity, clarifying the
major variables and setting limits (resources required, risks and constraints, etc.).
The next step is the feasibility analysis, or evaluation of the extent to which the conditions
necessary for success are present. This analysis focuses on three aspects:
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Ø Technical feasibility: the availability of the projected physical premises, materials installation,
transportation, etc.
Ø Institutional feasibility: active support of the political and administrative authorities of the
school board, support of the specialized services, etc.
Ø Financial feasibility: availability of the school’s present budget, other sources of funding within
the school board and outside it, income produced by the project, if any, etc.
Defining the project also involves some planning: estimation of the resources required to carry out
the project and determination of the major steps in the project’s development, according to a
preliminary schedule.
3. Planning the Project
The purpose of detailed planning is to make the project easier to carry out. This phase involves
organizing the project into its major activities.
Detailed planning also means deciding on:
Scheduling
The different component activities of the project must be scheduled according to their relation to
each other.
Resource allocation
Determine the human and physical resources the project requires. Evaluate the utilisation of
these resources in dollars or hours, whichever is appropriate.
Budget planning
Using the resources schedule, establish the budget by calculating in detail the costs associated
with each category of expenses.
Project organization
Here you define the functions, roles and responsibilities of every person who will be involved in the
project.
Contingency planning
Despite careful planning, unexpected factors will arise when the project is actually being carried out.
To handle them, it is essential to foresee a solution for every situation you can think of in which
something could go wrong.
Control measures
You should determine the criteria that will be used to compare what actually happens when the
project is carried out with what was planned. These control measures will help reduce discrepancies
between planned and actual results according to three parameters: quality (the objectives), cost and
time.
4. Carrying Out the Project
Carrying out the project means taking action your project becomes a reality. You should focus on
the following elements.
Human resources management

The person responsible for the project must continually demonstrate his or her leadership and
managerial ability. This may mean defining objectives, clarifying roles, motivating team members
and, of course, resolving conflicts.
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Physical and financial resource management

A good evaluation system makes it possible to follow up on the schedule and costs. It is necessary
to keep an eye on resource availability and be able to compromise on occasion.
Coordination of activities
Availability is key in the coordination of activities. Even with the best planning, it is often necessary
to resolve unexpected problems and fine-tune arrangements. Another major objective of coordination
is to optimize human and physical resources
Control of activities and results

As we said before, quality, costs and time scheduling need control. You should check that the work
done corresponds to what was planned and measure the attainment of objectives for each of the
activities.
5. Conclusion of the Project
Usually, a project has a beginning and an end date. There is thus a conclusion to be drawn. This
final step is often overlooked. It consists in a final evaluation of the following:
The process
This need not be too long and detailed. It might take the form of a report mentioning any problems
that occurred and the efforts that were made to ensure efficient resource allocation.
Attainment of objectives
The measurement of results is based on the objectives that were established at the outset.
Example of a Resources Schedule

Activities
Human resources 1 2 3 4 Total
Teacher
Education consultant
Secretary
Principal
Physical resources
Premises
Equipment
Raw materials
Instructional materials
Transportation
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACTIVITIES
3.2 Presentation of Videos on Entrepreneurship
SCENARIO
M
itch: You know, Carole, being your own boss is something to be proud of.
Carole: I’ll say! Of course, it isn’t always easy, but. . . you begin small, and if you have
good ideas, your business grows over time.
Mitch: Yes you become known. The more I think about it, the more I think it’s for me. How
about you, Carole?
Carole: Well, obviously I’m thinking about it too; that’s why I’m talking about it.
This dialogue between two young people who are considering becoming entrepreneurs is adapted
from the video La passion de bâtir.
This activity consists in watching a series of videos entitled L’entrepreneurship, voie de l'avenir,
which was produced by the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship and the Ministère de l'Éducation du
Québec.
DURATION OF THE ACTIVITY
The duration of this activity is between 30 and 60 minutes.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is:
Ø To show that a career in business is within the reach of students;

Ø To familiarize students with the characteristics typical of entrepreneurs and other factors they
need to know in order to succeed.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
Each box of videos comes with a teaching guide containing inventive scenarios designed to support
the efforts of the resource persons you have chosen to help the students in this activity.
Another approach would be to ask older students who are already interested in starting their own
businesses to form two-or three-person teams to act as resource persons for the younger students.
This activity would have considerable educational value in the context of an oral presentation.
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*
L’entrepreneurship, voie de l’ avenir
Titles of videos Courses or extracurricular activities
Un rêve qui commence aujourd'hui (15 minutes) Career–choice education, Secondary I
Planifier, ça fait toute la différence (18 minutes) Home economics, Secondary II - V
Maître à bord (18 minutes) Economics, Secondary V
Profession: propriétaire d'enterprise (18 minutes) Career–choice education, Secondary V
Apprendre en faisant ce que j'aime (15 minutes) Extracurricular activity, Secondary I - V
La passion de bâtir (30 minutes) Vocational education
Du coeur à l’ouvrage (30 minutes) Vocational education
Un temps nouveau (21 minutes) New
3.3 Class Visit by an Entrepreneur
SCENARIO
E
ntrepreneurship may seem like an abstract concept to the students. Suggest a visit by someone
who has chosen an entrepreneurial career, and can describe all aspects of his or her experience
and answer questions on his or her professional, personal, family and social life.
This interactive method offers an original way of facing the future.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the activity is to encourage students to find out about different aspects of
entrepreneurs and their lives.
This activity can be completed in 45 minutes.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
Entrepreneurs may accept this kind of invitation without payment. You can hold this activity at any
point in the school year, since it may not require a special budget.
Reference
Teaching guide accompanying the video L'entrepreneurship, voie de l'avenir, produced by the Fondation de
l'entrepreneurship, the Ministère de l'Éducation and the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Science, October
1992.
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Choosing a guest speaker. Make a list of people who might be of interest to the students and with
whom they could talk easily. The text in the box suggests certain criteria to guide your choice.
If possible, invite a former student of your school. Your colleagues and resource persons from
entrepreneurship organizations can help you to find an entrepreneur who could serve as a model for
your students.
A preliminary meeting with the person chosen is advisable in order to inform the entrepreneur about
the composition of the class, the objectives of the meeting and the subjects that should be covered
during his or her presentation.
You can suggest that they bring samples of their product, small tools, raw materials or the logo of
their firm. These objects will help the guest stimulate student interest and will convey an idea of the
business.
The success of this visit depends on the choice of entrepreneur and of themes that interest students
at several different levels of instruction.
Factors to consider when choosing an entrepreneur
q Do they have good interpersonal skills?

q Do they express themselves well?
q Will the students be interested in their business?
q Is the business related to the trade or technique that your class is learning (especially in vocational
education)?
q Will the students identify easily with them?
q What is the person’s age, the size of their business, the school they attended, etc.?
q Are they known and appreciated in their own milieu?
q Are they interested in the activity and ready to share their experience?
Suggested procedure for the visit 2:

Ø Before the presentation, explain to the audience the purpose of the visit (5 minutes).
Ø Invite the entrepreneur to make his or her presentation (15 minutes).
Ø Call for questions (15 to 20 minutes).
Ø After the presentation, ask the students to give their impressions (5 minutes).
2
Reference
Several elements of this activity are taken from the guide Sensibilisation à l’entrepreneurship,
Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, Fondation de l’entrepreneurship, Québec, 1995.
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Questions the Entrepreneur May Be Asked
o What is your personal background (family life, school, place where you grew up, jobs you’ve held,
friends, parents)? In what ways did this background influence you favorably or unfavorably as an
entrepreneur?
o What influence did school have on you as a future entrepreneur?
o Who in particular had the most influence on you?
o What factors played the greatest role in stimulating your interest in entrepreneurship?
o What type of work did you do before starting your own business?
o What is your business: what product or service does it provide?
o How did you find the idea for your business, and how did you decide that it was viable?
o What were the main criteria you used to evaluate your chances of success?
o How much time elapsed between the moment when you found your idea and the launching of
your business?
o What were the main steps that you took during this period and what obstacles did you have to
over- come?
o What were your principal sources of help?
o What was your aim in starting your business?
o Do you feel that you have succeeded?
o How do you think success is measured?
o What are your main sources of motivation?
o What role does money play as a motivating factor?
o What are your strengths and weaknesses as an entrepreneur?
o Has being an entrepreneur imposed sacrifices? If so, describe them.
o So far, what has been your greatest achievement? Your worst moment?
o Do you consider yourself a daredevil? A gambler? How do you view risk?
o As an entrepreneur, what gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction?
o What advice would you offer someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?
o Do you recommend entrepreneurship as a way of life?
o Is the business you are telling us about today your first experience as an entrepreneur? If not,
how do you evaluate your other experiences?
o Have you ever failed in a business enterprise? If so, what did you learn from this experience?
3.4 Class Visit to a Business
SCENARIO
E
xploring a new environment also helps us define our own tastes and instincts. Think of all the
times you have heard an actor say: “The first time I set foot on a stage, I knew I was going to be
an actor.”
Perhaps this visit will give certain students that flash of insight that will decide their future.
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OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to enable the students to observe an entrepreneur at work and to become
familiar with the job market.
The visit may last from two to three hours.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
First draw up a list of businesses likely to be of interest to your students: a sporting goods
manufacturer, a company that sells video games, a recording studio, a record store, etc. It is
important to know what your students like.
Meet with the heads of these businesses in order to ascertain that they agree to the visit. Because
some entrepreneurs may try to exploit the situation to their own advantage, it may be easier to
reach a consensus if the business belongs to parents of students in your class.
It is also necessary to prepare for the visit. The students must understand the objectives of the visit.
The two or three hours of the actual visit can be devoted to discussions among the students and
between the students and the employees and the entrepreneur.
Following the visit, the class should return to school and the teacher or activity leader should elicit
feedback on the visit.
3.5 Preparing a Map of Local Businesses*
SCENARIO
hen one first meets someone, one usually asks, “Where do you come from?” Answering the
W question often involves defining oneself in terms of one’s specific region, city, village or
neighbourhood.
But how well do we know our surroundings? What are its main economic and demographic
characteristics? What do we know about local businesses? How many are there in each sector of
activity? What are the employees’ occupations?
Is it possible to draw up a map based on this information?
Reference
Roger BLANCHETTE, Jules DESROSIERS, Pierre TOUSIGNANT. Place aux jeunes. Second edition, 1995,
120 p.
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OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to enable the students to see their environment from a different
perspective. The activity consists in visiting all parts of their neighbourhood to make an inventory of
the businesses in it and the occupations that people practise.
The activity is likely to take several hours in the course of a week.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
The activity has four steps: (1) developing a questionnaire, (2) data collection, (3) creating a map of
businesses and (4) class discussion.
1. A well-designed questionnaire will enable the students to gather a large amount of data.
Here are some suggestions for the questionnaire.
o How many different business enterprises are there?

o How many of the same sort?
o What sectors do they belong to?
o How many employees do they have?
o What kind of work do they do?
o Where are these enterprises located?
o What is the permanent population of the neighbourhood? What is the seasonal
population?
o What is the age pyramid?
2. As far as possible, data collection should be done by going directly from business to
business. This provides a dynamic context in which the students can make contact with
prospective employers and perhaps discover a world they never knew existed.
Chambers of commerce, merchants’ associations, economic development organizations,

young entrepreneur assistance services, the yellow pages and trade directories are all
extremely useful for purposes of identifying businesses and gathering information.
3. After the data has been collected, it is time to create a map of businesses. The students
are to make a map of the area covered by their research, indicating the location of the
businesses they enumerated, and noting various socio-demographic data.
4. In the class discussion the students present the results of their research and indicate the
information sources they consulted.
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3.6 Portrait of a Business and an Entrepreneur
SCENARIO
T
his activity supplements the class visit by an entrepreneur and the class visit to a business by
creating a portrait of an entrepreneur in action.
Since it is up to the students to choose the entrepreneur in question, the portrait will offer a
personal, subjective view of its subject. Student and entrepreneur should already have some
affinities, or even be friendly beforehand.
OBJECTIVES
This activity will enable the students to investigate the characteristics of entrepreneurs in action, to
experience all the steps in a project and to get a close-up view of the business world.
This activity may cover several weeks.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
This activity may be carried out individually or in very small groups (about three students). The
students should take away something tangible from their meeting with the entrepreneur.
The student or small group should follow the steps outlined below:
o Prepare the work schedule and plan the overall project.

o Show the schedule to their teacher who can help them choose or adapt their work method.
o Choose the entrepreneur to interview. This choice is important for the success of the activity.
o Make up the interview questionnaire. Here too, the teacher provides technical support if
necessary.
o Choose the technical means to be used for the portrait of the entrepreneur. It is up to the
student to make a creative choice. Anything is possible photography, video, slides, sound
recording, or written report.
Conduct the interview. The students should:
o Edit the interview for presentation. Try to analyze and summarize the material gathered.
o Present their portrait of an entrepreneur to the class. They must use their best
communication and sales skills.
o Receive feedback from their classmates, and the results of the contest if they decide to
follow the suggestion in the box.
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Suggestion
Why not organize a contest in your school or class for the best portrait of an
entrepreneur? The contest would not be for best choice of entrepreneur, but
would focus on the approach used to obtain the portrait and the student’s
report. There would be prizes of course for results, but also for efforts.
3.7 Is This a Suitable Career Choice for You?
SCENARIO
T
he most important assets we have are within us; it is by means of our personal qualities that we
attain our objectives in life. However, to do this, we must really know ourselves. Both action and
reflection can help people to get to know themselves better. This activity proposes a self-
assessment test that is simple yet revealing.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this activity is to enable the students to recognize and evaluate their own entrepreneurial
qualities.
This activity can easily be completed in 30 or 40 minutes.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
After receiving the initial explanations, the students answer the questionnaire carefully, compile
their answers and discuss their results with the activity leader.
INFORMATION ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Based on several examples, this test comprises 25 statements concerning qualities typical of
entrepreneurs. For each statement, the student checks the appropriate column. It is important to
answer honestly. Obviously there are no right or wrong answers. Only the student’s personal opinion
counts. This test is not scientific, and the results should be used as an indication only.
ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
Add up the check marks you placed in the OFTEN and ALWAYS columns.
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If the total is:
25 You have all the qualities of an entrepreneur. The decision is entirely up

to you now.
Between 20 and 24 Give it serious thought, because you have what it takes.
Between 16 and 19 With perseverance and help from associates, you could become an
entrepreneur.
Between 12 and 15 You may be a future entrepreneur. However, you will have to make enormous
efforts to succeed. To be sure you really want to, make sure that you
answered OFTEN or ALWAYS to items 4 and 22.
Less than 12 You may not have the stuff of an entrepreneur. However, if you really, want
to be one . . . nothing is impossible.
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RECOGNIZING ONE’S

ENTREPRENEURIAL QUALITIES
Statements Never Often Always
1 I readily accept responsibilities. o o o

2 I like competition. o o o
3 I am stubborn. o o o
4 I find original solutions to problems. o o o
5 I get bored if I do the same thing every day. o o o
6 I’m generally optimistic. o o o
7 I’m in good health. o o o
8 I learn from my mistakes. o o o
9 I accept positive criticism pretty well. o o o
10 I manage my stress well. o o o
11 I am independent by nature. o o o
12 I rarely put off tasks until later. o o o
13 I like to make my own decisions. o o o
14 I find it easy to communicate with other people. o o o
15 I think I have good judgment. o o o
16 I learn easily on my own. o o o
17 I like individual sports. o o o
18 I can handle failure. o o o
19 I like to work on my own. o o o
20 I manage my time well. o o o
21 I’m good at making decisions. o o o
22 I can work long hours. o o o
23 I have confidence in my abilities. o o o
24 If necessary, I seek advice from experts. o o o
25 Success depends more on hard work than on luck. o o o
TOTAL
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NOTES ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ENTREPRENEURS *
Energy and work

Entrepreneurs are recognized as having a great capacity for work. They work hard to attain their
objectives and may be described as givers of energy rather than consumers of energy.
Persistance
Entrepreneurs finish what they start. Always.
Entrepreneurial background
Most of the time, entrepreneurs come from a background that involved contact with other
entrepreneurs, either in their family or among their friends.
Autonomy
Entrepreneurs are autonomous and believe firmly that they are in control of their lives.
Communication
Entrepreneurs have to be good communicators and persuasive, because much of their work
consists in sales: selling a project, selling a product or a service, selling their expertise, etc.
Leadership
Entrepreneurs are leaders. They are good at team leadership, having people carry out work and
getting people to listen to them. People naturally turn to them to make sure that a project or task is
successfully completed.
Decision making
Entrepreneurs like making decisions. They want to have the last word. However, whether the
decision was good or bad, they know very well how to accept the consequences.
Optimism and enthusiasm

Entrepreneurs are eternal optimists. They get excited about new projects and adore what they do.
Self confidence
Entrepreneurs always believe in their own abilities. They know what their strengths are and how to
get the most out of them. They are persuaded they are the best at what they do.
References
S. LAFERTÉ and Y. CORBEIL, (under the direction of Jules Desrosiers). Sensibilisation à
l’entrepreneurship et Fondation de l’entrepreneurship, Ministère de l’Éducation, 1995.
Devenir entrepreneur. Video, 12 minutes. Survey of the main qualities and skills an entrepreneur must
have and develop. Fondation de l’entrepreneurship with the assistance of other organizations.
Éditions autonomie.
Guide démarrage. First edition. The first guide aimed at micro-businesses. Groupe Entreprendre Inc.
August 1993.
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Readiness to take risks

Running a business involves risks. Entrepreneurs are not fazed by that. They are not gamblers, but
they do take calculated risks. They only play when they think they can win.
Creativity and innovation

Entrepreneurs are creative and innovative. They seek and find solutions and new approaches.
Knowledge of business and of their line of business

Entrepreneurs who succeed know the world of business and generally started their business in an
area in which they had experience or training. This knowledge enables them to evaluate the risks
they take in starting their business in a particular line of activity.
Management skills or knowledge

Entrepreneurs have also acquired, by training or experience, skills enabling them to manage their
business effectively.
3.8 Meeting with the Members of a Board of Directors*
SCENARIO
W
ho in the school board established the no-smoking rule for schools? Who in your local CLSC
decided to offer services to families experiencing difficulties? Who set the price of tickets at
the local cinema? In small and medium-sized firms, who made the decisions on the
marketing of new goods and services? Who called for a funding campaign at your neighbourhood
youth center?
With the exception of very small businesses with a single owner, the fate of small and medium-
sized firms and of public and parapublic organizations is not entirely in the hands of one person.
Every one of these organizations has named a certain number of its members to a board of
directors.
These boards have their own rules and procedure to follow at their meetings. The subjects
discussed appear on the agenda.The smooth functioning of these meetings depends on the rigour
with which the president adheres to the rules of order, and on the observance of the agenda.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to attune the students to the existence of boards of directors in most
public and private organizations and to the fact that members of these boards draw up their own
guidelines.
This activity can be completed in 90 minutes.
Reference
F. GIRARD. Les Assemblées délibérantes. L’art de prendre des décisions en groupe, Montréal,
Les Éditions de l’Homme, 1987.
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SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
Ideally, small and medium-sized businesses or a large business should be chosen because they
are likely to have a board of directors. However, you may choose other organizations: one located
near your school, for example, a non-profit organization (youth centre, sports club, or professional
or trade association, etc.), or a public or parapublic institution (school board, hospital, CLSC, etc.).
The student council and the governing board of each school might be excellent choices for this
activity. The members of their boards are often known to the students and, above all, they discuss
subjects that concern the students directly.
The students are invited to observe the meeting of the board of directors and to record their
observations. After the meeting, they return to the classroom and discuss what they have learned.
It will be easier for the students to attain the objectives associated with this activity if they come
away from the meeting with something concrete, such as the agenda, documents explaining the
points discussed or the flow chart of the business or organization. This information and the
students’ own notes will facilitate the feedback session in class.
3.9 A Pedagogical Development Day on Entrepreneurship
SCENARIO
Pedagogical development days constitute unique opportunities for taking stock of educational
practices and philosophies, improving pedagogical methods and introducing new ones.
These days often have specific themes. This activity calls for a pedagogical development day to be
organized on the theme of entrepreneurship.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to familiarize school staff with the many aspects of entrepreneurship and
build bridges between the education and business communities in order to promote learning and
creativity.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
This activity could be integrated into the regular calendar of pedagogical meetings scheduled
during the school year. It may be possible to use the budget that is already allocated for these
periodic meetings to prepare a pedagogical development day on entrepreneurship.
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This activity requires planning at the beginning of the year or even at the end of the preceding year.
After reaching a consensus within your team, choose subjects for discussion and workshop
themes. The text in the box suggests an overall agenda for the day.
Start with a half-day. You’ll see; you’ll want more time.
The Direction de la formation professionnelle and technique of the Ministère de l’Éducation can
help you find resources. There is a great deal of information available.
A Pedagogical Development Day on Entrepreneurship
Proposed agenda
o Introduction.
o Video to stimulate discussion.
o A resource person from an entrepreneurship organization presents an economic profile of the
neighbourhood, municipality or region.
o Description of innovative achievements of other school boards.
o Workshops
§ How to promote entrepreneurial values at school.
§ How to identify the students who might be interested in entrepreneurship.
§ Creating a business plan and participating in the Québec Entrepreneurship Contest.
§ Inventory of instructional materials on entrepreneurship.
§ How to manage a project.
§ How to learn about entrepreneurial pedagogy.
3.10 Do you know the story of…*?
Scenario
I
magine a mixture of crushed pumice and very strong vinegar. What does it remind you of? That
was the first toothpaste, which was invented in Ancient Egypt. Later, wealthy women in the
Roman Empire used human urine for oral hygiene, especially that of Portuguese people, which
was considered the strongest in the world. Still later it was discovered that it is the ammonia
molecules in these preparations that bleach teeth, and ammonia is still a component in tooth
whiteners today.
References
B. ROZENZWEIG. M. ZIEGLER. and P. ZIEGLER. De l’idée à l’entreprise. Fondation de l’entrepreneurship
and Les Éditions Transcontinental Inc., 1995.
Magazines such as PME, COMMERCE, AFFAIRES PLUS, ENTREPRENDRE, L’AUTONOMIE, REALM and
SOLO regularly feature stories on people who have started their own business or created their own job.
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Do you know the story of the Bombardier skidoo, the Venmar air exchange system, Nintendo
games, Band-Aid bandages, the first computer, the automobile, 3M’s pressure-sensitive paper?
Who invented these products? Where did these ideas come from? Were they lucky accidents,
born of necessity or the result of an error? How did these products find their way into our lives?
What transformations have they undergone over the years? What are the names of some of the
great founders of enterprises?
The key to the present lies in the past. This activity involves an exploration of the past.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to enable the students to learn how new ideas arise and what strategies
entrepreneurs employ in order to develop their ideas into goods and services that are useful to
society.
This activity is accomplished gradually over a period of variable length, in the framework of a
research project, for example.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
1. Choosing a subject on the Internet
The Internet offers a vast choice of sites with a wealth of information on a multitude of themes. In
addition, the search engines are more and more powerful and effective.
Out of all this information, we suggest by way of example, the site of Steve Silverman, who
teaches science in an innovative way in a New York secondary school:
http://www.capital.net/users/ssilver/useless.html
On this Web page, the students will find short texts on various subjects including the history of
products used in everyday life, such as batteries, aspirin, vaseline, contact lenses, Teflon and
matches. The texts are full of humourous remarks and anecdotes that both amaze and inform. The
author indicates other sites where the students can find equally fascinating tales of discoveries and
inventions.
The students might create their own Web site telling the story of inventions and products that
originated in Québec.
2. Others sources that can help students choose a subject
Libraries, magazines and professional associations are possible sources to consider. It would be
interesting to see whether some kind of joint project could develop between one of your students
and a student at the HÉC or another university doing more advanced research on a similar subject.
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ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP
3.11 How to Find a Good Idea for a Project, a Business, etc.: A Student
Brainstorming Session*
SCENARIO
D
o you know how Velcro was invented? One day in 1941, George de Mestral, who came from
Swiss mountain country, was walking with his dog in the wooded area of the Jura in France.
He was annoyed by the numerous burrs that stuck to his woolen pants and his dog’s fur.
Working carefully and patiently, he succeeded in learning how the burrs managed to adhere so
well to almost any surface. Some years later he made history with his fasteners, called Velcro
after the vel in velours (velvet) and the cro in crochet (hook).
There is an example of what one person accomplished by observing the world around him and
coming up with an original idea. Now imagine what a whole class can do!
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this activity is to find ideas by means of brainstorming. For example, you might seek
new ideas for fund-raising, an intriguing project that a class would like to do, or an original solution
to a school problem, etc.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
Brainstorming is a technique for stimulating group creativity. It has been demonstrated that people
are more stimulated and have more ideas in a group than on their own.
References
Claude COSSETTE. La créativité, une nouvelle façon d’entreprendre, Montréal, Publications
Transcontinentales, 1990, (Collection Les Affaires).
J.P. BÉGIN and D. L’HEUREUX. Des occasions d’affaires. 101 idées pour entreprendre. Les Éditions
Transcontinental Inc. and la Fondation de l’entrepreneurship. 1995.
PME Magazine. December-January 1995. 30 entrepreneurship ideas. Text by Catherine François.
Sylvie LAFERTÉ. Comment trouver son idée d’entreprise. (second edition). Les Éditions
Transcontinental Inc. Montréal, 1993.
Invention Québec Inc. 2750, rue Einstein, bureau 300, Sainte-Foy (Québec), G1P 4R1.
Internet: http://www.inventionquebec.qc.ca.
Visit the Salon des inventeurs.
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Conditions for a Successful Brainstorming Session:
o No censoring!
o Let your imagination run free!
o Free-associate ideas.
Although this method is usually used to solve specific, concrete problems, it can also be applied
to other situations.
The environment: The setting is informal, the participants relaxed. They form a circle so that they
can all see each other. The tables and desks are removed.
The leader: The choice of a leader is a key factor in the success of the session. The leader must
be someone who is well acquainted with group leadership, yet who usually does not hold a
position of authority in the class. This will enable all the participants to express themselves freely.
A secretary: A brainstorming session requires a secretary.
Let us now take a closer look at the procedure to follow for a brainstorming session.
PROCEDURE FOR A BRAINSTORMING SESSION
The activity leader places in clear view on a large box or table, the four basic conditions for a
successful brainstorming session:
Ø Do not judge;
Ø Unleash your imagination;
Ø Produce as many ideas as possible;
Ø Try to spark ideas from each other to create a continuous flow of ideas.
Next, the leader explains the procedural rules for the session:
Phase 1
Participants must raise their hand before expressing an idea.
Participants can contribute only one idea at a time.
Participants whose idea follows from the idea of another participant have priority and should snap
their fingers when they raise their hand.
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Brainstorming offers an original way to:
o find an idea for a business;

o think up ways to help the students study better;
o invent a new product adapted to the needs of students;
o find the best idea for the contest;
o solve the problem of absenteeism, etc.
When there are too many hands raised at the same time, people should write down their ideas to
avoid forgetting them.
The secretary records in five or six words each idea as it is stated, and numbers the ideas.
Since the objective of this phase is to elicit as many ideas as possible to begin with, the activity
leader can encourage the participants by mentioning the number of ideas already suggested.
Phase 2
Next, the leader gives the floor to people who want to explain their ideas. This is the time to add
details and answer questions to ensure that an idea has been understood.
Phase 3
Individually, the participants rank by priority the five ideas that interest them the most and seem
feasible.
Phase 4
The secretary points out the ideas that come up the most often. The idea with the highest score is
selected. In the case of a tie, a vote is held.
As you can see, brainstorming involves more than just simple group cooperation; it is an effective
technique for stimulating creativity.
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3.12 How to Start a Micro-Business in School*
SCENARIO
Y
es, it is possible to start a business within a school. There are examples of people of all ages
who have acquired experience starting and operating a business.
More and more educational institutions are emphasizing entrepreneurial values. The principals of
these institutions believe that this not only permits learning, but also enhances it. The students
take charge of their learning and feel a responsibility both for their own results and those of their
classmates.
What constitutes the basis of a micro-business? A school activity, a vocational education class,
an extracurricular activity or a whole school… The creativity, determination and conviction of your
team will enable the students to find an idea. By way of example, the hairdressing, pastry and
automobile mechanics programs in vocational education all offer excellent opportunities for
students to acquire experience in starting and managing micro-businesses.The income these
businesses generate will depend on the quality of the goods and services they offer.
Participants will be in the same situation as an entrepreneur with a dream. However, like any good
entrepreneur, they will have to create a business plan, convince people, and perhaps, obtain
funding from the school board before they can get their project off the ground.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to familiarize the students with entrepreneurial values and to make them
understand that adopting such values can enable them to learn more in school.
References
P.DELL’ANIELLO. Un Plan d’Affaires Gagnant, ne partez pas sans lui, third edition, revised and
expanded, Publications Transcontinental inc., Montréal, 1994.
A. SAMSON, with Paul Dell’Aniello. Devenez entrepreneur – PLAN D’AFFAIRES. CD-ROM or diskette.
Interactive software for making a business plan.
Junior Achievement of Québec Inc. very effective support for this activity.
Junior Achievement of Québec, 187, rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montréal (Québec) H2K 1K8, telephone
(514) 285-8944. Internet: http://www.jeq.org/menu.htm.
There are various models for business plans available from caisses populaires, banks, the Canada
Development Bank and economic development organizations.
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Suggestion for Practical Application
The English teachers can design a contest for the best business plan
according to the following criteria:
Ø commercial viability
Ø quality of the research
Ø content
Ø originality of presentation
In addition, the business plan can be used for class presentations, with each student trying to sell
their plan to the group.
The duration of this activity depends on the project selected. The budget year of a micro-business
can cover eight months, from October to May.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
Whatever project is selected, you should plan for tight deadlines. A project like this should be
prepared several months in advance.
Recruitment
You will also need one or more responsible persons who are capable of managing a project and
supervising a work team. You can recruit these people from among your colleagues, the students,
or from outside the school. In this regard, an entrepreneurship committee (which will be discussed
later) would be extremely helpful. You could find with the committee the human resources you
need to set up your micro-business.
Finding the idea
Now that you have an entrepreneurship committee, you need an idea. The simpler it is, the easier
it will be to find the budget to start with. And to find your idea, you can use the brainstorming
technique.
The success or failure of a project depends on several factors. The activity How to Prepare and
Carry Out a Project will help you to understand and analyze these factors.
However, it is still necessary to prepare a business plan. There are a number of models available,
in financial institutions, economic development organizations, school boards and Cegeps, that offer
training in entrepreneurship. Be prepared to adapt these models: you might even wish to create
your own.
You don’t have time to reinvent the wheel? In that case, consult the references given in this guide.
You can also contact the people in charge of existing projects.
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Developing a Business Plan
By way of introduction, let us begin with a comparison. You would not try to build a house without
an architectural plan. Similarly, you should not start a business without a plan. In short, the
business plan contains all the essential information concerning what you want to do and what
you need to do it. It is by drawing up a plan that you can determine whether your clever idea can
become a promising business.
The business plan should be updated and can be used for many years.
Although the model presented here is simplified, it includes all the elements that are usually
included in business plans: a description of the business and the entrepreneurs, the
calendar, the marketing plan, the activities of the business and the financial forecast.
Description of the Business
This first section should make clear to anyone reading it the essence of the project. It describes
the initial idea, the mission, the product or service offered, the sector and field of activity and the
objectives targeted by the entrepreneurs.
What is the mission of the business? The term may seem incongruous in the business context,
but it refers to the raison d’être of the business. The mission statement tells the target clientele
about the product or service and the conditions under which it is offered.
What are the entrepreneurs’ objectives for their business? It is crucial to be realistic in
establishing objectives. List both long- and short-term objectives.
Presentation of the Entrepreneurs
It cannot be repeated often enough that many outside parties, among them, potential backers or
investors, will be reading the business plan. That is why the professional and technical expertise of
the entrepreneurs, their previous experience in a field of activity, their ability to manage a business
and their responsibilities must be set out in the business plan. The strengths of some members of
the team must offset the weaknesses of others.
The Calendar
The calendar gives the distribution of activities over time. Proper planning of the major steps, with
target dates, demonstrates the entrepreneurs’ realism and realism is the key feature of a calendar.
The Marketing Plan
The marketing plan has two sections: the market research and the marketing strategy.
Does the product or service answer a need? Is there a viable market? Who buys or will buy this
product or service? It is important to know your market before opening for business. This is what
the market research enables you to do.
The participants in the activity have to identify as clearly as possible the potential customer base
of the business and the needs to be met. They must also determine the geographical territory it
will be serving.
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Are there competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesss? How will the business establish
its market share? By knowing the competition, the business can offer a better product or service,
lower prices or greater accessibility, which will allow it to distinguish itself from its competitors.
The data gathered on the customers and the competition enable a business to establish its
marketing strategy. This strategy has three objectives: to attract customers, make them buy and
keep them coming back. But how? By developing the characteristics of the product or service,
establishing the sales price, determining the location of the business, having the best advertising
and organizing the best distribution network.
Operating Procedures
This section defines how production will be organized or how the service will be effected. It deals
with physical organization (installation, equipment, etc.), but also hiring (description of tasks,
hours of work, selection of employees, salaries, etc.)
The Financial Forecast
The section on the financial forecast is extrememely important, both for the entrepreneurs and the
backers. The financial aspect, in a business plan, covers the following areas.
Ø Start-up costs: the amount that must be spent before it can begin operating.
Ø The cash-flow statement: a sort of agenda that plans any cash inflow (e.g., sales income,
loans, grants or subsidies received) and any cash outflows (e.g., salaries, suppliers, rent,
loan repayment, interest, telephone.)
Ø Income projections indicating whether the firm expects to earn a profit or incur losses.
Ø An opening balance sheet showing the assets available to the business for its operating costs
and its sources of funding (including any liabilities and the owner’s property).
3.13 How to Set Up a Cooperative*
SCENARIO
Y
ou have decided that your project will involve setting up a cooperative. This is an excellent
choice for developing students’ entrepreneurial spirit and helping them discover the real
meaning of values such as democracy, equality and solidarity.
COOPERATIVE
A cooperative is a voluntary group of people with common needs. To meet their needs, they
establish an enterprise that they own collectively and in which power is exercised democratically.
Ownership
A cooperative belongs to all its members equally, no matter how many partnership shares they
own3. Thus, a member with one share has the same rights and powers as one with several shares.
*
This guide is published by the Vice-présidence au développement coopératif and the Direction des
affaires publiques et communication institutionnelle, Confédération des caisses populaires et
d’économie Desjardins du Québec.
3
Title of ownership is acquired upon providing the financial contribution for becoming a member of a
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Participation in Power
At the annual meeting of shareholders, every member has an equal right to speak, participate and
vote on the proceedings and on the orientations of the cooperative, in keeping with the rule “one
member, one vote.”
Profit Sharing
In order to stay in business, the cooperative has to be profitable. It must earn more than it spends.
The members decide on the distribution or use of the surplus earnings. They may make the
following decisions:
Ø To put a part of the surplus earnings into the reserves of the cooperative in order to
consolidate its financial structure or develop it;
Ø To redistribute them among the members in proportion to their contribution to the development
of the cooperative. This distribution is called a patronage dividend.
Other Advantages
Cooperatives offer other advantages:
Ø They provide jobs for members.

Ø They provide strength in numbers.
Ø The pooling of ideas can be fruitful.
Ø Responsibilities are divided among the members according to their abilities.
OBJECTIVE
The experience the students acquire in carrying out this project will help prepare them to become
entrepreneurs later on. It will also teach them that setting up a cooperative is a good way to start a
business.
cooperative (for example, the $5 charge for opening an account at a Caisse Desjardins).
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SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
You have an idea. You have formed a group and now you want carry out your project. In order to
maximize your chances of success, you have to take certain steps and analyze certain factors.
1. Quality of Entrepreneurs
Good entrepreneurs have the following characteristics:
Ø Great motivation
Ø Resourcefulness
Ø Great capacity for work
Ø Good personal discipline
Ø Good technical knowledge
Ø Sense of responsibility
Ø Ability to cope with stress
At this point it is important to do an exercise that will give you information about the entrepreneurial
characteristics of each member of the team. It is not essential to have all the characteristics listed
above. The purpose of the exercise is to identify your strengths in order to divide responsibilities
among the group according to the members’ abilities.
2. Dream and Reality: Confirm Your Idea
You have a good idea, but is it feasible? Determining the feasibility of a project is a key step in the
development of a business. To do so, you must obtain various sorts of information and analyze
certain factors:
Ø The market (clientele, competition)

Ø The regulations (e.g., safety standards) that govern the field of activity chosen
Ø Your team’s ability to produce, sell and manage
Ø The budget estimate
3. Feasibility
Supposing Phase 2 helps you determine that your project is feasible and stands a good chance of
succeeding; now you should analyze each element in greater detail, using the available data and
figures.
Ø The market: To whom is your product or service oriented (the target clientele’s age group,
sex, income, occupation, etc.) and where will it be offered (neighbourhood, city, school)? Who
are the main competitors, what are their strengths (e.g., exceptional customer service) and
weaknesss (e.g., failure to respect delivery dates)?
Ø Ability to produce: Are you able to meet your customers’ needs? What human (number of
employees) and physical (computer or other equipment) resources do you require?
Ø Sales potential: What marketing strategy will you employ (e.g., description of the product, its
price, advertising and promotion, and distribution)?
Ø Ability to manage: This is the key to the success of the enterprise. You have to be able to
plan, organize and monitor the activities required for the smooth operation of the business;
Ø The budget estimate: Your project will entail costs: How will it be financed? What are your
earnings and expenses?
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4. The Business Plan
The business plan is very important. Because it sets out the main elements of your project with
the purpose of convincing a partner to support you, your business plan should receive particular
attention. It includes the following elements:
Ø Description of the product or service; including the need the product serves and the target
clientele;
Ø Type of sales (e.g., directly to consumers, on your premises, or through established local
merchants);
Ø Cost of producing and selling the product;
Ø Results of the feasibility study;
Ø Curriculum vitae and personal profile of the entrepreneurs.
5. Legal Advice
This procedure is lengthy. It can be undertaken at the same time as the feasibility study if there is
reason to believe that the likelihood of success is great.
Articles of incorporation and petition
To form a cooperative, you must fill in the forms specified by the Cooperatives Act, which are
available from the Direction des coopératives of the Ministère de l’Industrie, du Commerce, de la
Science and de la Technologie (MICST), at the following numbers:
Ø Québec (418) 691-5978

Ø Montréal (514) 982-2908
Regulation of Internal Operations
To help you understand and prepare the regulations governing your internal affairs, the Direction
des coopératives of the MICST has prepared the Guide pour la préparation d’un règlement de régie
interne d’une coopérative.
You will also need the Cooperatives Act, which you can obtain at any branch of the Publications
officielles du Québec or you may also place an order at the following Internet address:
http://www.doc.gouv.qc.ca/publications/
Organizational Meeting
You are legally required to call this meeting within 60 days of the constitution of the enterprise. It is
at the organization meeting that the founding members can:
Ø Adopt all the regulations necessary for the operation of the enterprise;
Ø Make the financial contribution required for membership in the cooperative;
Ø Elect the administrators, who will serve as voluntary heads of the cooperative;
Ø Name an auditor.
6. The Pre-launch Phase
Your project has reached a crucial step: your cooperative is about to become a reality. You are
entering the pre-launch phase.
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Funding
Business plan in hand, you must now seek financial support for your project. This step requires
time, energy and patience, and may also necessitate a certain fine-tuning of your project. Be
persistent!
Potential sources of funding include:
Ø Entrepreneurs
Ø Family and friends
Ø Support agencies
Ø Government programs
Ø Customary sources of funding
Ø Members of the cooperative
Adjustment Period
Just before beginning to operate your cooperative, it is important to complete your training and
make sure that you understand the following:
Ø How a cooperative functions

Ø Financial statements
Ø Management training
Ø Business accounting
Ø Vocational training
Implementation Period
This is an exciting period when everything must be made ready for the launching of the
cooperative.
Production
Ø Negotiations with suppliers

Ø Location and setting up of an office
Ø Purchase of equipment, tools and raw materials
Management
Ø Training of managers (employees) and administrators (elected directors)

Ø Establishment of the operating structure, the accounting system, auditing procedures and
other necessary procedures
Ø Acquisition of the necessary materials and supplies
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Marketing Strategy
Ø Choice of characteristics and prices

Ø Preparation of advertising and promotional materials and establishment of a sales network
(different sales outlets)
Ø Organization of the sales system
7. Launch
The development phase is complete; you have solved the question of funding. Now it’s time to
begin your advertising campaign, to open the doors of your cooperative and to make your first sale.
You’re in business! BRAVO and GOOD LUCK!
*
AVAILABLE RESOURCES
The personnel of the Mouvement des caisses Desjardins are available if you need help or advice.
In addition, you can obtain help from your Coopérative de dévelopment régional by calling
1-800-975-COOP.
3.14 A Forum for Student-Entrepreneurs
SCENARIO
I
don’t need any help; I can make it on my own.” You rarely hear this in today’s business
“ environment. Why? Precisely because entrepreneurs do need each other, and often they need
businesses that are smaller than their own. Remember, small and medium-sized businesses
receive contracts from larger firms.
Entrepreneurs are eager for opportunities to meet people who share their passion. They get
together to talk about their business, exchange ideas on subjects of common interest, learn about
new developments in other countries, and find out how to improve their products and services.
They congegrate especially at trade shows, chamber of commerce meetings, board of director
meetings, and annual shareholders’ meetings. But they also meet in smaller groups. There is as
much business conducted in restaurants as in offices. These informal networks are ideal for the
exchange of ideas and the signing of contracts.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this activity is to make the students aware of the importance of networks and
networking, not only in business, but in everyday life.
References
Étapes de création d’une entreprise, Coopérative de développement régional, Région de Québec.
Une coopérative qu’est-ce que c’est? Coopérative: l’assemblée générale des members.
Les coopératives… un sens des affaires.
MICST – Direction des coopératives. Lancer son entreprise – document de réflexion.
Confédération des caisses populaires et d’économie Desjardins du Québec. Direction des services aux
entreprises.
See also Bibliography and References at the end of this document.
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SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
The activity consists in setting up a forum for student-entrepreneurs. There are several ways to do
this.
The Internet offers one possibility. Schools in the same school board or in different school boards
could establish (or use existing) Internet links to allow their student-entrepreneurs to maintain
ongoing relationships with each other, sharing their innovative ideas, their enthusiasm and their
projects. They could also communicate with any entrepreneur on the information highway and even
make some business deals.
3.15 A Mini-trade Show at School
SCENARIO
You want to start an entrepreneuship committee in your school? You think that setting up a
parent-entrepreneur group would be helpful? In that case, organizing a mini-trade show will allow
you to kill two birds with one stone.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this activity is demonstrate to students, organizers and visitors to the mini-trade show
that businesses with various legal statuses may be created in all fields of activity: the arts, social
and economic fields, the sciences, recreation, tourism, etc.
A mini-trade show could be held during one afternoon and one evening
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
The project management concepts presented in the activity “How to Prepare and Carry out a
Project” are applicable here too.
Organizing a mini-trade show at school is a major project and will require considerable resources.
Volunteers willing to help out and technical means for organizing such a trade show exist, but you
will have to seek them out and ask for help.
The idea is to bring together business owners and people active in a variety of fields. This means
that it is fine to mix types of businesses: service, retail, producers’ and specialists’ cooperatives,
recycling businesses, etc.
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The trade show might include several activities that have proven successful elsewhere, such as:
Ø Videos on entrepreneurship and local development

Ø Mini-conferences by young entrepreneurs
Ø An exhibition of goods and services developed by students (future entrepreneurs)
Ø An exhibition of goods and services offered by local businesses
Ø A dynamic emcee
Ø Drawings for prizes throughout the day to thank visitors for attending the show
3.16 Setting up an Entrepreneurship Committee in School
SCENARIO
Tell me, and I’ll forget; show me, and I may remember; let me participate, and I’ll understand. As
this maxim suggests, the best way to make people understand entrepreneurship is to put them in
the situation of an entrepreneur.
The entrepreneurship committee could serve as a source of ideas where you discuss, exchange
ideas and plan activities. Your enthusiasm and success will incite others to join the group.
The members could offer simple, practical support for all projects related to entrepreneurship and
its promotion. They could coordinate all sorts of activities, including some of those suggested in
this guide.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this activity is to bring together people who are committed to entrepreneurship and the
promotion of entrepreneurial values in your school or centre.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
You can begin forming a group at the very beginning of the year. The only ingredients you need in
great quantity are time and conviction.
RECRUITING ACTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
You should recruit members both inside and outside your educational institution. The ideal number
is about five or six. The text in the box offers several suggestions on the entrepreneurship
committee.
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*
Composition of the Entrepreneurship Committee
The composition of the committee may vary:

Ø The principal of the school or centre
Ø One or two teachers who are interested in entrepreneurship
Ø One or two students from the student council who have shown an
interest in entrepreneurship and who want to share their enthusiasm
Ø One parent-entrepreneur
Ø One or two partners from among the following :
- Industrial commissioner’s office
- Chamber of commerce
- Society d’aide au développement des collectivités (SADC)
- Société de développement économique (SDE)
- Centre d’aide aux enterprises (CAE)
- Ministère de l’Industrie, du Commerce, de la Science and de la
Technologie (MICST)
- Service d’aide aux jeunes entrepreneurs (SAJE)
- Municipality or MRC
- Carrefour jeunesse emploi
- Conseils locaux de développement (CLD)
- A specialist or representative from the school board
- Another person
CHOOSING A MEETING PLACE
Having its own office or meeting place will enhance the committee’s visibility. If that is impossible,
you will no doubt rapidly find ways to advertise the existence of the committee and convey
information on how to contact its members.
DOCUMENTATION
The government departments with an economic mission, the Direction générale de la formation
professionnelle et technique of the Ministère de l’Éducation, the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship
and many social and economic organizations offer free brochures, folders, posters, videos and
books.
Suggestions for activities will come mainly from the committee members. You will be surprised
at the ideas people who believe in something can come up with. The various experiences and
vision of entrepreneurship of each member should produce some fascinating projects.
Nonetheless, it is important not to call too many meetings, especially with the socio-economic
partners and the business leaders. Their schedules are usually very tight. Your meetings should be
organized efficiently. Don’t forget that this committee’s raison d’être is action.
Reference
Direction générale de la formation professionnelle et technique, Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec,
Entrepreneurship: an Educational Value for Québec, 1992.
Code 16-4959A.
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You have difficulty finding funding for certain educational and extra-curricular activities? Now you
can count on your entrepreneurship committee for help!
3.17 Setting Up a Parent-Entrepreneurs Group*
SCENARIO
N
ow we know! An entrepreneur never makes it alone. The larger and more diversified the
entrepreneur’s network, the more partners and profitable relationships he or she has. That
being the case, surely the school should consider networking with entrepreneurs. Almost all
schools do fund-raising for certain educational and extra-curricular activities. What a good
opportunity to invite some entrepreneurs!
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this activity is to bring together parents and entrepreneurs to work on projects and give
teachers a chance to meet business people. These parents will play a double role, as
ambassadors outside the school, and as promoters of entrepreneurial values within the school.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
First, make a list of all the parents who own businesses or are self-employed workers. The
students are your best source of information.
Call a preliminary meeting with these parents and invite them to participate in an unusual project
that could include their own children. Here again, your best sources in the recruitment process are
the students.
Your invitation should allow the parent-entrepreneurs to influence the outcome of this meeting. You
are calling on them for their ideas, their experience in planning and, above all, their enthusiasm.
Business people are busy, but they are also energetic. They always find the time to get involved in
new and interesting projects.
Reference
The Fondation de l’Entrepreneurship offers a large quantity of books, videos, software and kits. Their
catalogue, Pour préparer l’avenir is free. You can also visit their Internet site:
http://www.entrepreneurship.qc.ca. (Materials are mainly in French).
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Association des travailleurs et travailleuses autonomes du Québec, Étude de marché (Chapitre 2 :

La réalité du travailleur autonome), Montréal, December 1991.
Direction générale de la formation professionnelle et technique, ministère de l’Éducation du

Québec, La formation professionnelle et l’entrepreneurship, February 1991.
COURVILLE, Léon, Piloter dans la tempête : comment faire face aux défis de la nouvelle
économie, Édition Québec/Amérique inc., Collection HEC, Montréal, 1994.
DUPONT, Élaine and H. GAULIN, Se lancer en affaires, Les étapes pour bien structurer un projet
d’entreprise, Les Publications du Québec, Québec, 1986.
FILION, Louis-J., Vision et relations : clefs du succès de l’entrepreneur, Les Éditions de

l’entrepreneur, Montréal, 199l.
FORTIN, Paul-A., Devenez entrepreneur : pour un Québec plus entrepreneurial, Publications

Transcontinentales Inc., Les Presses de l’Université Laval, second edition, revised and expanded,
Québec, 1992.
GASSE, Y., CARRIER, C., Gérer la croissance de sa PME, Les Éditions de l’entrepreneur,
Montréal, 1992.
TOULOUSE, J.-M., Culture entrepreneuriale en éducation. Address presented at the conference of

the Centre d’entrepreneuriat du Cœur du Québec inc., whose theme was Education and
Entrepreneurship. Bécancour, May 1992.
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REFERENCES
Realm. Magazine on entrepreneurship for people aged 18 to 35.

E-mail address: subscriptions @realm.net or call toll free 1-877-REALM-99.
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). Offers financial and management services to small
businesses. Address: 5 Place Ville-Marie, Suite 200, Montréal, Québec H3B 5E7. Call toll-free 1-
888-463-6232. Fax (514) 496-7974. Web site: http://www.bdc.ca
Web Sites
http://www.firstventure.org
- an opportunity for young Canadians to present business ideas and obtain feedback from industry
experts.
http://www.cfee.ca/en/linksnew.shthl
- a cross-section of Internet site links that will interest and help economics teachers
http://www.cfee.ca/en/resplansuccess.shtml
- Planning for Success, a project of the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) and coordinated by
the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE); an interactive multimedia resource to
support student entrepreneurs as well as beginning and experienced entrepreneurs
http://www.ceed.ednet.ns.ca/What/Curriculum.html
- entrepreneurship curriculum for elementary and secondary school
http://opens.org/start-up/teacher.html
- links to groups working with, funding or supporting young entrepreneurs
http://www.d3e.org/english/public/content.html
- an international forum for educators, trainers and practitioners on entrepreneurship and entreprise
education and training programs
http://www.enterweb.org/entrship.html
- electronic resources related to entrepreneurship development
Canada’s Business Information Site – Business Information by Sector, Strategis—Industry Canada

Web site: http//www.strategis.ic.gc.ca
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BOOKS AND SITES
Abrams, Rhonda M., The Successful Business Plan: Secrets and Strategies, The Oasis
Press/PSI Research, Grant Pass Oregon, 1993, second edition, ISBN 1-55571-197-7.
Canadian Bankers Association, Getting Started in Small Business, free publication,

1 (800) 263-0231. E-mail address: cba@minacs.com
CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit Team Business Plans that Work for Your Small Business, ,1998.
1 (800) 248-3248.
Crawford, Charles B., Montreal Entrepreneur’s Guide Book , Youth Employment Services,
Montréal, 1997, ISBN Op9681946-0-5.
Eckert, Lee A., Canadian Small Business—An Entrepreneur’s Plan, Canadian Cataloguing in
Publication Data, 1994, second edition.
Lasher, William, Ph.D., The Perfect Business Plan, Made Simple Books, 1994.
The Computer Room, Business Information/Entrepreneurship

Web site: http://www.equalopportunity.on.ca/resource/business.html
The Virtual Market Place, an international marketing tool that represents companies all around the
world
Web site: http://www.virtualmarketplace.com
Tiffany, Paul, Business Plans for Dummies, IDG Books Worldwide, 1997, 1 800-762-2971.
Touchie, Rodger D., Preparing a Successful Business Plan, Self-Counsel Press, North Vancouver
B. C., 1997. ISBN O-88908-860-8.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), The Business Plan Road Map to Success, a tutorial.
Web site: www.sbaonline.sba.gov./starting/business plan.html
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T e A C H I N G G U I D e o N e N T R e P R e N e U R S H I P

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TEACHING GUIDE

For the Principals of

Québec Entrepreneurship Contest

This document was prepared in 1997 as part of the Projet en tête,

Publication of this teaching guide was made possible by financial

Legal Deposit – Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, 1998.

1. WHY IT IS URGENT TO ACT NOW.............................................................................................................7

BOOKS AND SITES .................................................................................................................................................. 52

1. WHY IT IS URGENT TO ACT NOW

Businesses and individuals now rely on their brainpower.

Dropping out: According to the Ministère de l'Éducation, in 1993-94, 33 percent of students in

Percentage of students with part-time jobs:

Conseil supérieur de l'Éducation, 1992

One of the most promising attitudes towards work consists in acting as

1.2 The Importance of Small and Medium-sized Businesses in Changing

In Vision et relations: clefs du success de l’entrepreneur, Louis-Jacques Filion says that

Who are the young entrepreneurs?

From 25 to 33 percent of recently founded firms in Québec were established

Ø 63 percent were aged 25 to 30

People who present the following characteristics are intrapreneurs.

Comparison of entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs

The entrepreneurs of the future should thus:

2. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN THE SOCIETY OF THE

FIVE PROFILES OF DROPOUTS

Students in critical situations

2.1 The Entrepreneurial Profile at School

Ø be competent in their chosen sphere of activity

2.2 Teachers and Entrepreneurship

2.3 Students and Entrepreneurship

...finish what they start. ...must show perseverance.

Category Title Page

Planning tool How to Prepare and Carry Out a Project 19

Entrepreneurship Presentation of videos on entrepreneurship 22

3.1 How to Prepare and Carry Out a Project

You want your project to be well-managed? Find a craftsperson!

1. Describing the Project

2. Defining the Project

3. Planning the Project

Detailed planning also means deciding on:

4. Carrying Out the Project

Human resources management

Physical and financial resource management

Control of activities and results

5. Conclusion of the Project

Example of a Resources Schedule

3.2 Presentation of Videos on Entrepreneurship

DURATION OF THE ACTIVITY

The duration of this activity is between 30 and 60 minutes.

The aim of this activity is:

Ø To show that a career in business is within the reach of students;

3.3 Class Visit by an Entrepreneur

This interactive method offers an original way of facing the future.

DURATION OF THE ACTIVITY

This activity can be completed in 45 minutes.

Factors to consider when choosing an entrepreneur

q Do they have good interpersonal skills?

Suggested procedure for the visit 2:

Questions the Entrepreneur May Be Asked

3.4 Class Visit to a Business

DURATION OF THE ACTIVITY

The visit may last from two to three hours.

3.5 Preparing a Map of Local Businesses*

Is it possible to draw up a map based on this information?