www.theotherpress.ca NEws. A Class Act Douglas College Foundation celebrates Oktoberfest in style a Poe figures, socialites, students, and prominent community leaders gathered at Douglas College’s David Lam campus on October 18 to raise money for the Douglas College Foundation, the college’s charitable arm. The Douglas College Foundation assists students in financial need by providing much-needed bursaries and scholarships. A Class Act, the foundation’s marquee fundraising event, drew a huge crowd willing to pull out their cheque books in both a live and silent auction, as well as a raffle draw. Now in its 16th year, this year’s A Class Act had an Oktoberfest theme, complete with a variety of German beers, food, and a live band. While the total amount raised by this year’s event— which includes funds raised by event ticket sales, raffle tickets and the winning bids for items in the silent auction—was not Patrick Vailancourt News Editor news@ theotherpress.ca available at press time, the live auction raised close to $4,000 for the foundation. Organizers at the Douglas College Foundation had been hoping to reach their goal of raising $25,000 by night's end. The Douglas College Foundation, in operation since 1985, gave out more than 1,864 bursaries, scholarships, and awards last year, with $675,000 raised for student aid. The foundation hopes to continue to provide assistance to students in need of financial aid. The event featured samples of various German wines and Photos courtesy of Patrick Vaillancourt beers, as well as a selection of local brews from a wide range of vendors. A buffet of various German foods was also available, included in the $45- cost of admission. Hosts, servers, and cooks working the event were members of the Douglas College hospitality program, giving them some practical experience at a relatively large-scale event. Lisa Collyer, of Douglas College’s hospitality management program, said that students in the program welcomed the opportunity to work such a meaningful event. “Hospitality management students require practical experience and this is sucha great event for our students to be involved in,” said Collyer in a short address to those in attendance. Some of the big names in attendance included New Westminster-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly, Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart, Douglas College president Dr. Scott McAlpine, and Dave Teixeira, who acted as the master of ceremonies. Organizers for the event urged people to be generous, saying that bursaries and scholarships go a long way in helping students achieve their educational objectives. “Support from our donors puts food on the tables, books on the desk, and hope in the hearts of students,” said Darlene Hyde, chair of the Douglas College Foundation. “With every dollar you spend, you are making a difference in the lives of our students.” Creating their own job Entrepreneurs make their own way with Douglas Colleges Self Employment program a Amongst the vast number of programs and courses available to students at Douglas College, one of the most popular and promising opportunities available is the Self-Employment program. The Self-Employment program has helped over 3,000 businesses get started, with students learning things from developing business plans and transitioning strategies to being their own boss. Their track record is quite impressive: 95 per cent of the businesses started through the program are still Patrick Vailancourt News Editor news@theotherpress.ca up and running after one year, and 72 per cent of the businesses opened are still in business after four years. The program has been offered since 1995, and has since become the largest self- employment program in the Lower Mainland. Michelle Jickling, a business advisor with the program and CEO of Hummingbird Translations, says that the self- employment program provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools to get a business off the ground. “Tt’s never been easier to start a business,” she says, adding that, “this doesn’t mean that starting a business is easy.” The first step to any successful business venture, she says, is a “sound business plan”—the fundamental document that is required of entrepreneurs for a number of business issues, such as funding. “When you are starting a business without a good, sound business plan, it becomes difficult to manage your business day-to-day once you get it up and running.” One of the first things participants in the program do is put together their business plan, including a two-year earnings forecast. They then present their business plan to a Dragon’s Den- style review panel, consisting of business owners who are familiar with the business plan, for feedback. The first phase of the 48- week long program consists of intensive theoretical training, including workshops on sales, operational effectiveness, marketing, and social media. After the classroom training, participants run their businesses with coaching and mentoring from the program’s business consultants. The program is accessible to the general public, not only Douglas College students. “The program is open to anybody with a viable business idea. The first step would be to go to an orientation to see if the program is viable. We don’t want people to lose their shirts; we want them to be successful,” says Jickling. The entire program costs $2,750, but Jickling says that it’s an “incredible value” based on the training and mentorship being given to participants. “Our goal is to provide real training for real entrepreneurs. Participants [for most of the duration of the program] are out running their business; it’s not like they’re strapped to a chair in a classroom.” When asked what the biggest challenges are for new entrepreneurs, she said that fear of failure often comes into play. “One of the things they struggle with the most is with perfectionism, and they use it, without really knowing it, as a form of procrastination,” says Jickling. “There is such a huge leap between being managed, be it by teachers, your boss, or your parents, to managing yourself [and it] presents a real challenge for many entrepreneurs.” The program has benefitted a wide range of people: both youth and people in their sixties alike have seen success in the self-employment program. The program’s marquee event, the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, will take place on October 23 at the Executive Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre in Coquitlam. Tickets are $20 and are still available online at eya2013.eventbrite.ca/ “The success stories from the program are far greater than those who start their business on their own. Everyone [at the award gala] would attribute the success of their start to the program,” says Jickling, adding that, “anyone wanting to come to the dinner would likely get inspired and empowered to look at the Self-Employment Program.”