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Editor's note: This story has been corrected.
Juniors James Newman and James Cooley don't just have part-time jobs. They each run their own business.
Newman has his own clothing line, and Cooley has a graphics design business.
One way or another, these two students have taken their creative talents and molded them into their own businesses.
Newman started his clothing line, Echelon Clothing, in 2006 with his older brother, John. The clothes are available through the company's Web site and are geared toward active men and women who want to "stand apart."
The name Echelon means "the best of something," and Newman wants his clothes to be the best out there, he said.
Since starting the business, Newman has encountered a few obstacles.
"People think that I am only a kid and that I don't know what I'm doing," he said. "But I have worked very hard to get the name out there and make my business legitimate."
Since starting the company, Newman has wanted to stay in the retail business as a career.
He advises students to follow their passions when thinking about starting their own businesses and that they shouldn't be afraid to ask questions, he said.
Cooley started his graphic design company in 2005. He designs signs, decals, banners, digital prints and graphics for vehicles and window displays. Some of his work includes the Chico Snow Club stickers, the Lost On Main window designs and a banner for Wild Oak Records, a campus music company.
"I originally started doing it just for fun," he said. "But I began to really enjoy it, and it turned into a real passion for me."
Cooley plans to stick with his business and hopefully start a new business in the future.
Newman and Cooley both enjoy the freedom associated with owning their own businesses; they make their own schedules and are their own bosses.
Both are business majors and have taken classes that have helped develop the skills to run businesses. Cooley has also attended business seminars in Butte County to learn more about the field.
Cooley has learned that word-of-mouth and advertising are the biggest obstacles in starting a business. When he first started he would give his friends deals if they used his designs. Now he advertises by passing out business cards, promoting his business with a sign on the side of his truck, through his Web site and with an ad in the phonebook.
"Starting a business is not as hard as you first think," he said. "After a while, you really develop a knack for knowing what customers like."
Amanda Ponte can be reached at aponte@theorion.com
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