Welcome to 2021 and the first MOBI quarterly newsletter of the new year. We hope 2021 brings brighter days and hopeful horizons to our students and readers around the world.

Each quarter we reach out to our alumni and readers to share important highlights from Santa Clara University’s MOBI program. We hope you will enjoy these updates and continue your relationship with MOBI on your path toward entrepreneurship!

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Thank you from MOBI!

MOBI’s 2021 courses are live and ready for enrollment, and we’ve added a new bonus session for you as well. Microfinance is a rapidly growing category of funding to provide capital for entrepreneurs who need less money or who don’t meet the qualifications of traditional banks and lenders.

This new session provides an overview of microfinance, types of microlenders, how to choose a microfinance loan, understanding microlending methodologies, and more. Readers will also learn about high-interest rates, fees to watch out for, and ways to estimate the total cost of your loan.

This session was written by Long Le, Ph.D., Lecturer in Management and Director of the International Business Minor at the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University and co-founder of Zero Interest Bank (ZiM).

View the new Microfinance for Entrepreneurs session here or by clicking “Browse 36 topics” on our Home page.

Starting your own business requires bravery and ambition. It demonstrates a deep belief in yourself and your purpose. At the same time, being an entrepreneur can be lonely. Most new entrepreneurs begin as a company of one, accepting all of the risks and making all of the decisions. As you go through this incredible, challenging, and sometimes daunting process of creating and building your business, how do you care for yourself? How do you ensure that the whole you does not become overshadowed by the entrepreneur in you? 

In this new MOBI blog post, life coach Karyn Holl provides three strategies for entrepreneurs along with ideas for how to make each one happen.

We are so proud of the accomplishments of our MOBI students around the world. Each quarter we will share the story of one MOBI entrepreneur. This quarter we feature Marta Sisman of Marta Sisman Photography.

MOBI partners are an important part of the MOBI program!  By forming partnerships with diverse communities of students around the world, MOBI can inspire entrepreneurship in ways that best meet the specific opportunities of each group, and always for free. 

This quarter MOBI features Porter County Career & Technical Center located in Valparaiso, Indiana. Porter County Career & Technical Center is attended by high school students from ten surrounding schools who seek to earn dual credit and learn skills in the business area. Students study all areas of business including Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Management, and Economics. In the program Porter County Career & Technical Center uses Sports and Entertainment topics as well as hands-on projects such as a “Shark Tank” capstone project to apply lessons. Beth Ammonds, Business & Marketing Teacher at Porter County Career & Technical Center, provided some insights about their program and partnership with MOBI.

Why you chose MOBI?

In previous years, the students have operated a store on campus. With COVID, it became apparent that we needed another way to dig down into running a business and entrepreneurship. MOBI has been an amazing opportunity to go in-depth into the topics it takes to open and run a business. The students also created a “truck business” as we progressed through the lessons so they could apply what they have learned.

How is MOBI making a difference for your students?

Over half of my students work in an internship throughout the year. MOBI helps them to understand the businesses they work in better and also prepares them for their futures. Some students work in their family businesses and take these lessons straight from the classroom to their workplace. Others have their own side businesses and have used it to revamp and improve these current businesses. Many other students have used the MOBI course to define the area of business they want to pursue in college. Over the course of a quarter, it has been a meaningful project for everyone.

Anything else?

By creating custom worksheets that blend my lesson plans with the MOBI curriculum, I can engage with my students more directly on the topics as they relate to local and current contexts and my overall curriculum and course. With the “truck business” as a capstone type project, students can apply each lesson to their own creative ideas. 

Beth adds, “Honestly, it's the best written and informative set of materials I have seen in almost 20 years of teaching.”

Do you know an organization or school that might be interested in partnering with MOBI?

Here are a few events from the past few months.

MOBI highlights one theme every week on our social media platforms. We post blogs, videos, lists, and articles on a variety of topics relevant for aspiring entrepreneurs. Based upon reader activity, here are some top stories from the past quarter. Be sure to also check out #MOBIPartnerFriday each week and our #WinterofWellness posts from this quarter.

We wish you good health and all the best in business success!

The MOBI Team