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Being your own boss takes courage

At age 15, David Hanson was commuting from Plano to downtown Dallas for his first job as an Internet software developer.

At 17, he was running his own custom software business, D.A. Hanson Consulting.


“Being an entrepreneur is all about finding a better way to do things,” says senior David Hanson, who has started two businesses.

Today, as an SMU senior, he’s preparing to focus full time after graduation on his new business, Conduit Internet Systems, in addition to his consulting work.

Hanson, a real estate finance major and political science minor, is the technical director for Conduit, which sells the online shopping, ordering and shipping software system he developed.

Hanson learned the entrepreneurial mind-set as a child from his self-employed father, he says, and his parents always have supported his ventures –– even driving him to that first job interview. “Most parents may see Fortune 500 jobs as safe and entrepreneurial work as risky, but I think risk is putting yourself at the mercy of others. Being self-employed I know that, as long as I am adding value, there is an infinite supply of income out there.”

At the Cox School of Business, he says, he’s learned fundamentals that he’s been able to put immediately into action. “The fact that I can walk into a business and talk about how my software can integrate with existing marketing, sales and accounting practices really sets me apart.” 

Hanson is like more than half of SMU's first-year students, who say they want to become successful in a business of their own. That mirrors national statistics, which show that more than half of university graduates will start a business sometime during their careers.

Many SMU graduates do go on to become entrepreneurs, and some, such as Hanson, choose that path even before graduation. But whether or not a student ever starts a business, the entrepreneurial way of thinking has never been more important, says Troy Behrens, executive director of SMU’s Hegi Family Career Development Center.

“With globalization and technology trends, companies are looking for innovators in all lines of work –– people who can find new ways to grow operations, develop products, save time and money, and build alliances,” he says.

Jerry White, director of the top-ranked Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Cox School of Business, agrees that interest in the field continues to grow – so much so that Cox launched its first Master’s of Science in Entrepreneurship this year. “There is risk in starting a business, but there’s also incredible potential reward,” he says. “This program offers the education and encouragement entrepreneurs need.”

As undergraduates, aspiring entrepreneurs can test the waters in CEOs, a student organization founded by seniors Brian Albrecht and Jonathan Sloan during their freshman year that sponsors speakers, meetings and fund-raisers.

“My peers know it’s exhilarating to be your own boss,” says Albrecht, who’s majoring in finance and English. And with its leaders about to graduate, he adds, “CEOs is looking for a few good entrepreneurs.”

Learn more about the Master’s of Science in Entrepreneurship at www.cox.smu.edu/grad/msie.

Advice from SMU alumni on being your own boss

“Entrepreneurs cannot be shy. You never know whom you’re going to meet, and you have to seize the opportunity.  Also, keep your overhead low; put your product or service first.”
— Kacky Pritchard (B.B.A. ’05), co-owner of the Dallas boutique Kacky & Carl (kackyandcarl.com)

“Take calculated risks, especially now when ingenuity is being rewarded inside and outside companies. Play to your strengths, and surround yourself with talented people. Most important, say what you mean and mean what you say; conduct your business with integrity.”
— Erin Patton (E.M.B.A.’06), president and CEO of the market intelligence and brand marketing consulting firm TMG (themastermindgroup.com)

“Keep your brain churning; don’t stop thinking up ideas, and write them down. Don’t let peers’ negative impressions deter you from pursuing an idea; you’ll be the salesperson, so if you believe in it 100 percent, you’ll get others to buy it.”
— Trey Chappell (B.B.A. ’00), director of the college advising service College X-ing (collegexing.com)

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