Business lessons from the pros

At 16, Nick Stocchero had such a knack for computers he started making house calls to fix them for friends and family.

Tired of the hurdles other computer repair services made customers go through, the 2007 Naperville Central graduate decided to start a business of his own -- Foxfire PC.

"I want to have a personal relationship with my customers, and I actually want to help them so they won't need to call me anymore," said Stocchero, now a freshman at Bradley University.

Stocchero was one of several business owners who spoke to Naperville North and Naperville Central high school students Wednesday at Naperville Unit District 203's forum on entrepreneurship.

Superintendent Alan Leis said the district wants to help students adjust to the demands of a changing world and expose them to successful role models.

"We are living in exponential times," he told them. "We're trying to prepare you for the world in which you will be productive and allow you to help the United States continue to compete in a global marketplace."

Ida Manning, executive director of the Illinois Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, said entrepreneurs are leaders in change who will recognize a need and find creative ways to solve it.

"You can write a resume to get a job or write a business plan to create your own job," she said.

A panel of local entrepreneurs also discussed the struggles they faced in starting their businesses and their advice to those who want to follow in their footsteps.

"Good entrepreneurs are people who don't fear making mistakes," said Mike Skarr, president and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce. "In fact, they actually relish trying to make things happen."

Karen and Bill Garlough own My Chef Catering in Naperville, which won the 2007 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award. They advised students to find something they feel passionate about.

"Do some soul searching," Karen Garlough said. "Really figure out what you truly like to do because you have to figure that most of your waking hours are going to be spent at work -- particularly if you're an entrepreneur. It's not all that glamorous all the time."

Some of the students already are trying their hand at it.

Naperville North senior Britt Emme and her mother opened a yoga studio and Threads of Grace clothing store. Emme, who designs some of the clothes, hopes to study fashion design after high school and start her own company. She said she enjoyed getting advice at the forum from others who have succeeded in business.

"I love everything (about entrepreneurship)," she said. "The risk, meeting all the new people, I'm a very social person … I just like making my own decisions."

Manning told students there is no limit to what they can accomplish.

"We are seeing young people really making huge strides, changing our world, making it easier for us to live," she said. "There are health issues to deal with, aging issues, technology issues … all of you will be involved in that."