Questions to ask yourself before applying
Entrepreneurship is conducive to situations that are sometimes difficult. Please take the time to thoughtfully consider the following in your personal situation:
• Do your personal circumstances favor your ability to dedicate yourself to a very time consuming yet low to non paying project should you decide to do so? Considerations might include: health, savings/debt, other current commitments, family circumstances etc.
• Do you have in your history a pattern of goal setting and accomplishment? When you set out to achieve a difficult task are you able to stick to it until completion?
• When sitting down with a group of your acquaintances, would they say that you inspire trust and motivation? That you are a person who can lead? Do you have examples of leadership in your past, such as club leadership roles, team captain, etc.?
If you can honestly answer "yes" to the above questions understanding that they play a large role in the Junto Program and you feel as though you are a good fit for Junto, please go to the Apply Now button.
Step One
Thank you for your interest in the Junto Program. We are excited for this year's program and anticipate a great year. Junto is designed to benefit all who are involved by helping participants understand their entrepreneurial strengths and weaknesses as well as teaching them the necessary tools to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Are you Junto material?
It's very difficult to precisely identify entrepreneurs by personality traits or characteristics. It's even more difficult to predict their ultimate success. The Junto program reflects my belief that these assessments are best made through relevant activity and interaction as opposed to a personality inventory or questionnaire.
Successful entrepreneurs seem to demonstrate a tendency to act. Many times entrepreneurship requires action in the face of uncompleted information. Self-confidence and low concern for the psychological consequences of failure can drive the entrepreneur on. They are less concerned with what others might think if they fail or make a costly decision. They are more comfortable dealing with unforeseen developments and opportunities. They are often required to adapt, to revamp or completely revise their business strategy.
Entrepreneurs generally demonstrate commitment and determination, are beloved leaders, are obsessed with opportunity, are creative and adaptable, exhibit a high tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty, and are relentlessly motivated to excel and succeed.
If these paragraphs describe you, you may be interested in applying for the Junto program where you would compete for the opportunity to start your own business with financial backing and mentoring.
The Junto program will consist of a 4 hour class held once a week for 7-week duration. At the end of the completion of the 7-week process, 5 entrepreneurs and 1 alternate will be selected to launch/buy/build the businesses. As in life, opportunities exist for those who seize them. Sessions start February of each year.
The most important part of the partnership is the entrepreneurs involved. The success of the individual businesses and of the partnership in its entirety is a function of the qualifications of the entrepreneurs and the synergies they create by working together. Significant effort will be made to ensure that the entrepreneurs involved fit the right profile to be involved in the partnership.
Entrepreneurs involved should have the following dimensions:
- Commitment – Integrity, discipline, regularly works long hours, self motivated, willing to work for free or for a delayed benefit, takes failure and disappointment well.
- Interpersonal skills – including the ability to persuade and influence others, strong presentation and personal selling skills, large network of entrepreneurship oriented people, even tempered, works well in groups, articulate.
- Opportunistic – alert to business opportunities, adaptive and flexible, takes initiative, leads often.
- Streamlined – not over-committed, simple life with few distractions, healthy, happy and ready to work hard, enjoys the support of family, friends and significant others, can take some performance related pressure.
If after reading the above information you feel as though you are a right fit for the Junto Program, please follow the link below to submit an application!
