Scooping up success

When Avian Gerdes signed up for an entrepreneurship minor in the College of Business Administration at Kansas State University, he never imagined that a guest lecture would change the course of his college experience.

One afternoon, Jamie Coones, the owner of pet waste clean-up service Poo Squad, visited ENTRP 435, The Entrepreneurial Experience, to share his story of building a business from the ground up. Coones' tale of turning animal waste into profit, and helping others do the same, sparked something in Gerdes.

After class, Gerdes couldn't stop thinking about his hometown of Champaign, Illinois, and all the four-legged residents leaving "opportunities" in backyards everywhere. Why not scoop up a business idea that was both needed and, as Coones proved, surprisingly lucrative?

Inspired by business course speaker, Gerdes became a student entrepreneur

Gerdes reached out to Coones, who encouraged him not to wait until graduation, but to take the leap while he still had the flexibility of student life.

"Life only gets busier," Coones said. "Start now, learn as you go."

Coones became a key mentor, encouraging Gerdes to take risks and start something new.

Motivated by this support, Gerdes paid his franchise fee and tackled the logistics: setting up an LLC, building a website, creating social media pages and renting a P.O. box for a Champaign address.

Of course, not everything was a walk in the park. Setting up customer apps proved tricky, but with help from Coones and the support team, Gerdes resolved the issues and got his business running smoothly.

Skills gained and stories shared at K-State provide basis for business success

Balancing school and business has been tough, but Gerdes learned to manage his time and prioritize his goals. Skills he developed at K-State, like networking, finding mentors and leveraging social media, have become part of his daily routine as a business owner.

Gerdes' time at K-State gave him a strong foundation, not just in entrepreneurship, but in essential skills like organization, punctuality and self-sufficiency.

"A couple of my favorite classes that gave me confidence and good advice were The Entrepreneurship Experience and the Entrepreneurship Capstone," Gerdes said. "I enjoyed getting to hear the stories of the entrepreneurs and hearing what all they had to go through to get to where they are now.

"It was very inspirational to hear about their hardships and how they overcame them."

Entrepreneurship: more than just a minor

The response from Champaign has been incredibly enthusiastic. Locals were curious to discover a service that would handle the dirty work.

Gerdes landed an interview with the local newspaper, and rave reviews started rolling in.

With a growing customer base and ambitious goals for the future, Gerdes is not only earning a minor in entrepreneurship — he's living it.

As he looks ahead to graduation in a few weeks with a degree in wildlife outdoor enterprise management and dreams of one day opening an upland hunting preserve, he knows that sometimes, success means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands a little dirty.

His advice to current K-State students who might be sitting in class with an idea for a business?

"Go for it! It can be daunting at first, but take the risk, and you might just be surprised as to how far it can take you. Also, find mentors — it's nice to have someone to look up to and talk to when questions come up."