1. It is needed.
It is a reasonable
priority.
Teaching Entrepreneurship in the PR Major:
Two Different Delivery Strategies
Prof. Vicki S. Bagwell, APR, Western Kentucky University
Prof. Betsy A. Hays, APR, California State University, Fresno

2. Business Perspective
Particularly in demand right now:
consultants who can help companies to
save money, minimize financial
losses, and do public relations damage
control. – Inc.com

3. Delivery Strategy: Learning Module
Western Kentucky University
JOUR 358 Public Relations Writing and Production
4-week module in a full-semester course designed to raise initial
awareness of the role of entrepreneurship as it relates to writing in the
public relations industry.
Independent practitioners estimate that 44 percent of their time is spent
in writing activity, such as producing communication tools, e.g. press
kits, creating and monitoring websites and blogs
(Rayburn, Hazleton and Davis, 2008).

4. Module Objectives (included in syllabus)
• Better understanding of opportunities and challenges of
entrepreneurship and how this understanding can be applied to
public relations
• Increased interest in and understanding of entrepreneurship
business opportunities
• Considering PR entrepreneurship as a career option
• Greater awareness of PR skills that lead
to successful entrepreneurship effort
• Enhanced business networking skills

5. Module Topics/Assignments
• Introduction to entrepreneurship as a business model
• WKU Center for Entrepreneurship guest speaker
• Discussions regarding business practices from an independent
practitioner’s perspective (e.g. proofreading, brainstorming, etc.)
• Review/discussion of PRSAY® entrepreneurship blog postings
• http://prsay.prsa.org/index.php/tag/independent-practitioners/
• Research for interview questions
• Blogging with public relations entrepreneurs (project grade)
• One-on-one interviews with public relations
entrepreneurs leading to feature releases
(exam grade)

6. Module/Future Learning Choices
• More information on getting started
• Client service, billing
• Getting new clients
• Working with subcontractors or employees
• Forming partnerships with other
professionals
• Advice for successfully
owning your own firm

7. Delivery Strategy: Stand Alone Course
California State University, Fresno
Public Relations Entrepreneurship
15-week class blending self-employment business
techniques with public relations strategies & tactics
• Elective in the PR major
• Option to all MCJ students as well as
entrepreneurship majors

8. Class Course Topics
• Internal and external components of successful entrepreneurship
• Business plans
• Structure and workings of a public relations/communications
consulting business
• Opportunities and challenges associated with owning/managing a
pubic relations/communications consulting business
• Development of a business mantra & positive organizational culture
• Effective new business development & agency promotion
• Successful client relations
• Agency ethics
• Agency management, staffing, billing &
planning techniques (including partnerships)

9. Class Assignments
• Business planning – name, logo, color scheme, website copy,
mantra, org. structure, services provided, target clients, new
business development plan, etc.
• Elevator pitches – 15 and 90 second
• Speed Selling
• In-depth research project (interviews with PR entrepreneurs)
• New Business Pitch Presentation
• Field Trip
• Creativity
• Guest Speaker Prep

10. Class Texts
• Managing a Public Relations Firm for Growth
and Profit by A.C. Croft – 2nd Edition
• The New Conceptual Selling: The Most Effective and
Proven Method for Face-to-Face Sales Planning by
Robert B. Miller, Stephen E. Heiman, Tad Tuleja,
John Philip Coghlan

11. Feedback: Pre- and Post-assessment
• Interest in entrepreneurship prior to the module
• 2011 – 4/36%*
• 2012 – 2/14%*
• Interest after the module
• 2011 – 4/36%*
• 2012 – 5/35.7%*
*Interested students considered entrepreneurship
after obtaining at least 6 years of experience.

12. Student Feedback
• Talking to Peter Woolfolk helped the world of college learning become
reality for me. I was extremely nervous and timid about entrepreneurship
and talking to a professional in the business helped to open my eyes to the
future possibility and to give me courage. His advice concerning the business
was awesome as well! – Senior
• The entrepreneurship work we did in class made me consider being an
entrepreneur in the future. I like the idea of being hands on and creative in
every aspect of PR work, and I think being an entrepreneur would give me
that freedom. – Junior
• I have always been somewhat interested in
entrepreneurship and having the opportunity to ask a
successful entrepreneur questions and get immediate
answers was a great learning experience for me.
-- Junior

13. PR Practitioner’s Feedback
So many career opportunities for public relations
professionals exist today in the entrepreneurial space
– whether starting their own public relations firms or
working in partnership with other entrepreneurs to
apply their communications skills toward a whole
other type of business enterprise. It’s terrific to see
public relations students being taught some
fundamentals about sparking new business ideas and
then putting those concepts toward an
actual business start-up.
Mary Beth West, APR
Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC
Maryville, TN

14. Entrepreneurship Support Resources

15. Is entrepreneurship a
missing piece of YOUR PR
curriculum?