The Applied Entrepreneurship course with Franchise Venture Program option combines a course in entrepreneurship with a competition that has very real stakes: the opportunity to own and operate a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF) franchise store. This course is open to all FLC students with senior standing as well as FLC alumni.
The course provides the foundational knowledge necessary to explore franchise ventures. As such you’ll develop operational and marketing strategies for the RMCF store to be awarded, identify relevant laws and ordinances that affect its functionality, and integrate your knowledge of accounting, finance and marketing to develop financial projections.
The competition to win an ownership interest in a RMCF store is optional. You may enroll in the course without competing. In addition to the topics described above, the course includes direct engagement with the owner of a RMCF franchise store, FLC alumni, and members of Durango’s business community. Additional resources include the Small Business Development Council and the business librarian, as well as SOBA faculty, which serve to build a network of mentors to support their next big venture.
FLC is one of only two schools in the nation to run this program with RMCF—quite possibly the only program of its kind anywhere in the country. To compete, participants spend a semester creating a business plan for the store and then present the plan to a committee of SOBA faculty, RMCF staff, and area business owners. The winner is selected based on the merit of the plan and the presentation.
The store that participants compete for is currently operational and successful, and located somewhere in the United States. The winner must be willing to move to that location, and also willing and legally able to sign an ownership and loan agreement. RMCF is highly invested in the success of the store, as well as the winner of the program, supporting the winner in a variety of ways, from transition expenses to management training (…and a lifetime supply of chocolate truffles?).
Current students can register for BA 368: New Venture Analysis, held Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:35 to 11 a.m., for 3 credits. Plug in the Course Registration Number (CRN) 21013 to make it part of your fall. This class is open to all seniors, not just business students.
Interested alumni can also register! Apply for admission as a non-degree-seeking student, and then register for the course above.
Contact Michael Valdez with questions. email Michael | 970-247-7436