Press Releases 2008

U.S. Consulate General Stimulates Discussion on Entrepreneurship

January 16, 2008

Mumbai –  Philip Holland and wife Gertrude, both co-founders and trustees of the U.S.-based non-profit entrepreneurial training organization My Own Business, will share their expertise with young entrepreneurs in western India on January 16-19.  Their trip is being sponsored by the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai.

From what started as a course aimed at rebuilding lives and new businesses after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Holland now runs a successful online and offline curriculum on new business ventures. Most of the curriculum draws heavily on Holland’s personal experience and  the two books to his credit, The Entrepreneurs Guide and How to Start a Business without Quitting Your Job.  Holland works in close co-operation with U.S. Small Business Administration and the World Bank in providing free educational coursework for entrepreneurs.

Holland will share his success in setting up and running demanding businesses, ranging from doughnut retailing to management of shopping malls. He will address varied audiences in Indore, including students and faculty of the Indian Institute of Management and members of the Indore Management Institute. He will speak on “Creating an Exceptional Small Business” and “Secrets of Great Entrepreneurs.” Holland will also deliver a lecture on “Developing Small Business: Evaluating Business Potential” at the Institute of Management Studies (Devi Ahilya University) and also at the IPS Academy.

Holland’s entrepreneurial tips will be particularly appreciated in Indore, which is an emerging industrial hub in western India. The World Bank has just recently translated Holland’s online course material into Hindi. The website (www.myownbusiness.org) will soon have the content in Hindi, the preferred medium of instruction in cities like Indore.

As part of his tour of western India, Holland and his wife will also will interact with young entrepreneurs and management students on the critical success factors of running a business enterprise at two venues in Mumbai: the SIES College of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai on January 16 and at the American Center on January 19 at 6 pm. Both the talks are open to the public and press.  For more details, please contact 022-2262-4590, ext. 2264.