Institute for Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurial Education Partner
Eric Benting, owner & operator of Sunset Hills Chick-Fil- A @cfasunsethills spoke to the CICEO and @sangamonvalleyceo students about sales and value, and both truly determine the success of any business.
The students got a crash course in sales which boils down to transactions and sales. Eric also defined value; what you get vs what you pay. The students also learned about COGS, variable expenses, fixed expenses, break even point and ways to increase value.
As an owner and operator of a Chick-fil-a Eric wears many hats. His favorite role in his job is developing leaders however he was drawn to the entrepreneurial nature of running a franchise because he enjoys the challenge of trying to figure out the puzzle pieces of the behind the scenes aspect of the business. These lessons are even applicable to the group & individual business ventures the students will embark on as they will need to evaluate and determine how to increase sales and make a profit while managing labor, cogs, taxes, rent and all other expenses that pertain to all businesses.
Eric also shared his journey of how he got to this point in his career and the lessons he learned while at West Point Academy. He stated “my experience at West Point taught me 2 things…First, it’s hard to teach grit. But hard work and hard times teaches you so much. Do the hard things.” Secondly, he said that his experience taught him how to connect with people with a variety of personalities. The key to this is be genuine & authentic.
It was a great session and we learned so many great lessons. We love collaborating with SVCEO class too! Thank you Eric for traveling to Forsyth to speak to us! We also want to thank Homewood Inn & Suites for their hospitality and allowing us to use their space.
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