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Haas Program Helps Local Entrepreneurs Get on Track

By Lora Lee, Community Relations

Like many entrepreneurs, Henry Young knew his craft of television video production, but didn't know how to promote and build his business. He learned those critical skills through the Fast Trac Program at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

A 15-year Berkeley resident, Young is president of DXI Productions. His Berkeley-based production company offers a full spectrum of services, including commercial production, public service announcements, documentaries, and music videos.

He has worked on numerous electronic media productions worldwide, including projects for all major television networks. But before setting up his own production company, Young enrolled in Fast Trac in 1991.

"Before doing Fast Trac, I mainly did freelance work and didn't know exactly where I was going with it or how I could profit," says Young. "I'd have 50 different ideas before the program finally made me think about things like business proposals and applying for loans."

The Fast Trac program, part of the East Bay Outreach Project at Haas, helps small businesses develop effective business plans, to gain a greater share of the market. "It also gives Haas faculty and students a way to contribute to the economic health of the community by working directly with local businesses," says faculty advsior Rich Lyons.

"One of the most valuable aspects of the Fast Trac program was having professionals in the marketing and advertising fields come in and talk to us," says Young. "You learn a lot more about how to effectively promote and market your business by targeting certain demographics and creating business brochures."

Roberta Joyner, director of the East Bay Outreach Project, said, "Business owners tell us that our program is the best hands-on business development program around. Our entrepreneurial training program is making a difference in their ability to focus their efforts, develop effective business plans, and believe in their products and ideas."

Young says the program helped him fine-tune his business and turn freelance work into a full-fledged production company with state-of-the-art equipment. He says that after graduating from the program his company took a whole different approach. "At first it was just me and one other assistant. Now my business has grown so that I have editing facilities, better cameras, a larger staff, and much more potential to succeed in the market than before."

In the past 10 years DXI's clients have included ABC, NBC, CBS, the Kaiser Foundation, the Haas School of Business, the City of San Francisco, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Young is an active alumnus of the program and has served on several Fast Trac panels. "I think it's important to keep the communication and networking going even after we graduate in terms of services that we can provide for each other. We should still give back to the community by mentoring and sharing our business expertise and experiences."

Beginning this fall, the East Bay Outreach Project will shift its attention from aspiring entrepreneurs to existing women- and minority-owned businesses. Teams of experts, made up of Haas alumni and MBA students, will offer free consultation and coaching to small business owners. The program will involve less classroom time than previous Fast Trac programs and offer more on-site consultations as well as an assessment of local business needs.

For more information about the East Bay Outreach Project, call (510) 643-0923. .

 

 

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