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B2 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 15, 2003 Graduates launch new careers (C ontin ued from page B 1 ) "Entrepreneurs breathe life into the economy," said Morrison. "The best ideas come from entre preneurs." Two recent SEB success stories are Sean Gobeil, 34, founder of the Toronto School of Dry wall, and Maria Huh, 33, president of FH2. a wholesale company selling false eyelashes to retailers. * Gobeil has found his niche in the drywall industry after graduating from SEB in June. He has a 100 per cent placement rate for graduates of his eight-week career training program at his Mississauga facility. The career training program costs $4,000, "which isn't bad considering you'll land a job that pays on average $65,000 a year." Since launching the Toronto School of Drywall, Gobeil has taught two classes, and a third begins this month. He also offers a three-hour crash course for homeowners and superintendents wanting to do their own renovations for $29, (and a free course for people wanting to finish their own basements - at somebody's home.) For Gobeil, The Enterprise Centre was a god send. After working as a drywall installer for some 15 years, he decided to try his hand in sales, marketing and business development. "It was perfect timing for me." he said. "After about five years, "9/11' ruined my line of work." Having heard about The Enterprise Centre's training program for budding entrepreneurs, Gobeil decided to act on his long-time ambition to run a drywall school. All he needed was the know-how. Huh, who graduated from The Enterprise Centre in August, found the training invaluable, especially in the area of making cold calls selling false eyelashes to retailers, salons, boutiques, bridal shops and dress stores. During her first two months in business. Huh lined up 13 clients. "I distribute imported eyelashes and beauty products," said Huh. "My main product is false eyelashes in a wide variety of styles and colours. "These false eyelashes are becoming a trend. They're big in New York City, in all of the big American cities and in Toronto and Montreal." Huh is the exclusive distributor of her particu lar line of false eyelashes. "They're natural, beau tiful and easy to wear." Prior to coming to The Enterprise Centre, Huh was a quality assurance manager for a software company who found herself out of work after a decade on the job. "I always wanted to start my own company -- software is not for me. I wanted something more creative, something I can put my passion into." The most valuable lesson Huh learned at The Enterprise Centre was marketing and making "those cold calls." "I had no knowledge about sales and market ing, nor how to write an income statement and balance sheet." She found Enterprise Centre's seven-week course to be "intensive, but it taught me every thing I needed to know. I started my business right after graduation. ``1 don't have a sales and marketing back ground, but 1 met people (through the course) who helped me along the way." A fter graduation, the new entrepreneurs remain with the centre for a year for follow-up coaching and peer-to-peer support. The centre has recently launched Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur (E2E), a series of knowledge exchange forums. The next one is tonight from 7 - 9 p.m. The centre also holds E2E chat forums. The next on-line chat will be held on Monday, Jan. 20, from 9 - 1 0 p.m. E-Mentors is a new service that matches recent graduates with successful entrepreneurs to gain additional business acumen. John Derringer, morning man at Q107, and Donald Cooper of Cooper Sports are scheduled to speak at the upcoming E2E Conference on May 15, as part of Entrepreneurship Week, held in conjunction with the Canadian Federation of Executive Entrepreneurs. Also during that week, on May 13, The Enterprise Centre will host its third annual Dine with the CEO contest. The public can enter a contest to dine with 67 `high end' entrepreneurs, including clothier Harry Rosen, an Oakville resident, on May 13. Two winners' names will be drawn from all cor rect entries received. Last year contest winners dined with the likes of Alex Tilley of Tilley Endurables and Mark Breslin of Yuk Yuk's, and in 2001, the first year the contest was held, Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes and John Sleeman of Sleeman Breweries were among the celebrity CEOs entertaining win ners. Other programs include EDGE, training for franchisers; TEC-IT, information technologies workshops designed to take control and reduce costs; Professional Volunteer, effective volunteer ing and building business contacts; Artrepreneurship, business training for artists; and Frantrepreneurship, entrepreneur training for franchisees. Individuals can support The Enterprise Centre by becoming members at a cost o f $40 a year plus $2.80 GST, and benefit from networking, mem bers' only resources, business referrals, directory listing, and a newsletter, among other services. Corporations can join for $200 annually, plus $ 14 GST. The centre has three staff and 300 volunteers. For more information, call 905-825-2345, or visit www.enterprisecentre.com. Barrie Erskine · Oak\'ille Beaver M aria H uh, who g ra d u ate d from T he E n terp rise C e n tre 's Self Em ploym ent Benefits P rogram in A ugust, secured 13 clients d u rin g h e r first two m onths in business as president o f FH 2, a whole saler o f im ported false eyelashes. i ufierience ottr titumx f/iuliun (vimne, oAy«//Z.(inttit/e & iPoof clitU ex in a (xtxi/a/. (imosjthcrc F o r A L im ite d Tim e O tily Restaurant & Lounge M O N D A Y S & TU ES D A Y S : Upcoming Dinner & Show January 25 Elvis & Tom Jones H alf Price O ff the fo o d m enu fro m lunch till 6 : 3 0 p .m . W ED N ES D A Y: $44.99 per ftenon taxes i* gratuities included all day Free Appetizer w ith any pasta or m ain course. TH U R S D A Y S : $24.99 Dinner dr Dance w ith Live Entertainment. 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