The Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop is a free program at NJII that teaches business fundamentals and best practices to aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. The nine-week workshop focuses on key topics new business owners need to be prepared to manage: validating a good business idea; researching their market; understanding business financials and conducting basic financial analysis; developing a pricing strategy; and marketing their goods and services. To date, the workshop has provided instruction to nearly 100 entrepreneurs and several have successfully launched their businesses.  

In addition to teaching fundamentals, the workshop has connected participants with additional resources, introduced them to potential partners and suppliers, and given them the support they needed to turn their business ideas into real businesses. Libre Jones, founder of Beloved Upcycle, said, “The Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop helped me identify that my hobby is a legitimate business. The assistance I received helped me work through the trepidation with financial statements and creating projections, which always intimidated me. In the past I would get discouraged and stop, but now I am moving full steam ahead!”  

The 5^th cohort of the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop will launch on March 6^th, 2025. The program is free for participants thanks to a generous gift to NJIT from Paul Profeta, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Mr. Profeta launched his real estate business nearly 50 years ago. He enjoys supporting entrepreneurs, noting, “Launching your own enterprise creates a strong sense of independence while simultaneously elevating your self-esteem. I experienced that when I started my own business, and it is evident in the dozens of businesses that I have helped launch in Newark over the past few years. It benefits the entrepreneur, their family, and the community.” Mr. Profeta teaches the workshop classes on understanding financial statements and financial statement analysis. 

Entrepreneurs who successfully complete the workshop are also eligible for free one-on-one mentoring. Mentors guide participants in developing business ideas, creating financial projections, drafting business plans, and outlining marketing strategies. Vincent McDonald, CEO of Mortgage Field Services NJ said, “Thanks to the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop, I transformed a business idea into reality. Over a year later, I am still a beneficiary of the mentorship, as the program was just the beginning.”  

For more details and to register for the 5th cohort of the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop, entrepreneurs can follow this link. Sequoya Carter, founder of Redwood Dog Grooming, enthusiastically recommends the program: “More than anything, I got the confidence to fully commit to being an entrepreneur through the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop,” she said. 

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Sequoya Carter loves dogs. Sometimes she even admits that she loves dogs more than people. So, it’s no surprise that when she learned how to groom dogs over ten years ago, she knew she had found a line of work that she truly enjoyed.  

Over time, Sequoya worked as a dog groomer at a few different places. She became a Certified Dog Groomer and developed good relationships with her human clients who loyally followed her from place to place. Working at different salons helped Sequoya learn about the business and see what worked best for her four-footed clients as well as their humans.  

She started thinking about how she would run her own dog grooming salon, but she didn’t see herself as a businessperson. She thought about the challenges of owning a business AND grooming dogs, and while the possibility of owning her own salon excited her, she wasn’t sure where to start. 

With a bit of encouragement, Sequoya enrolled in the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop, a free program at New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) for people in Newark and the surrounding communities. The Workshop teaches business fundamentals, focusing on key topics new business owners need to be prepared to handle: validating a good business idea; researching their market; understanding business financials and conducting simple financial analysis; developing a pricing strategy; and marketing their goods and services. Sequoya committed herself to attending every session; she achieved that and fully participated, making new friends and gaining confidence. 

During the workshop, participants learn how to create financial projections in order to predict how their business will perform financially and when it will reach breakeven. This lesson helped Sequoya realize that her business would be more successful as a home-based business without the significant costs of rent and utilities if she were to open a storefront. With the full support of her husband, LJ, they remodeled their basement, turning it into the home of Redwood Dog Grooming, which offers a peaceful environment that encourages each dog to remain calm during their grooming. She then went on to set up an online booking system so that clients can schedule their dogs’ grooming appointments. She also opened a business bank account, bought business insurance, and began marketing her services on Instagram and Tik Tok.  

Since taking the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop, Sequoya reports that her clientele has tripled! She is also the go-to groomer for a few area dog breeders who are very particular about who they choose to care for their dogs. She has found additional support for her enterprise through the NJ Professional Pet Groomer Association and the Black Women NJ Sisterhood. She attended both organizations’ annual galas as well as the Sisters Inc. Summit hosted by Black Enterprise magazine.  

Sequoya says, “More than anything, I got the confidence to fully commit to being an entrepreneur through the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop.” She is thrilled to have created a business that allows her to do what she loves, be available to her family, and build financial success.  

NJII is fully committed to the growth, development, and success of small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout New Jersey. Through programs like the Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop and New Jersey Innovation Fellows (NJIF).

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