Class Business

The Grand Gala: CEOnopoly Style

Celebrating Businesses in the Belleville Area

What do you get when you mix the charm of Monopoly with the class of a gala? Belleville CEO’s first Grand Gala! We are hosting an event to celebrate the businesses of Belleville: you! To work into our theme of monopoly, we are looking for sponsorships to recreate the board. Many of us have spent our youth competing for these make-believe properties, but now you can actually be them! We have several packages for you to choose from that not only guarantee you a spot on our life-sized board, but come with additional benefits too! The proceeds will benefit the future businesses of Belleville: the Belleville CEO students’ personal ventures. We would love for you to be a part of this great opportunity so you can get your name out there as one of the pillars of Belleville. If you are interested in this time sensitive offer, please let us know at bellevilleceo@gmail.com, as there are a limited number of spots, rapidly being filled, for each level. Please see attachments for additional information.

To learn more about the program you'll be supporting, please visit us at our website, bellevilleceo.com!

Belleville CEO Students,
Class of 2016

We are proud to announce the addition of six more businesses to our Grand Gala's CEO-nopoly board!

The $400 "Marvin Gardens" spot: Mathis, Marifian, & Richter LTD

The $300 "St. James Place" spot: Memorial Hospital

The $250 "States Avenue" spot: K3 Baseball Academy

The $200 "Connecticut Avenue" spot: Holland Construction Services

The $200 "Vermont Avenue" spot: Huntleigh Securities Corporation

The $200 "Oriental Avenue" spot: Joe Riley Irrigation LLC

Belleville CEO would like to thank the following investors who have already secured a place on our board for sponsorships to our "Grand Gala.

Mr. Joe Riley

Joe Riley Irrigation, LLC - Friend of CEO

On Tuesday, the class was visited by Mr. Joe Riley of ‘Joe Riley Irrigation’. He spoke to the class about his business and how to conduct yourself. He explained the importance of being dedicated, customer service, and the lasting impact of good communication. Everything he had to say was fascinating and very engaging. On behalf of the Belleville CEO class thank you for speaking to us!

Written by Hannah Prindable

The Best of Granite City

Just A Reminder

Our door is always open. Entrepreneurs, visitors, guests, and friends are welcome and highly encouraged to join us. Drop in and share your story with our students or participate in our class discussions. Check out the schedule on the website.

If you are interested in hosting our students for an educational visit about your business operations or would like to speak to the class and share your story, please email the facilitator, Julie Siebers, at jsiebers@bths201.org or call or text her at 618.719.3177.

Working on the Class Business

Friday was a busy workday for the CEO class! We discussed important topics relating to our Grand Gala which is coming up on the 27th of February! We are excited to announce that we have very few sponsorships left to sell. The decoration committee will be meeting with Mr. Thad Payne again at St. Clair soon to discuss the decorations for the evening and other important matters going on throughout the event. On Friday, we switched things up a little bit and we rearranged some of the groups to see if this new system will work. Overall Friday was a prosperous day for CEO.

Written by Alan Plantz

Mr. Patrick McKeehan

Director of Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center at SIUE - Friend of CEO

On Thursday, we had Mr. Patrick McKeehan come in to talk to us about our personal businesses. He went into depth with each of the student’s ideas and gave excellent advice on how to successfully make them thrive. His expertise on creating a profitable business was also helpful to our class because we need to learn how to turn our passions into a money making venture. All of us eagerly took in his advice and will apply it to our personal businesses. Overall, his experience in business and practical advice will continue to help us in this class and beyond.

Written by Stephen Toenjes

Journal Tidbits

On Tuesday, Joe Riley spoke with the class. He owns a business that installs underground water sprinkler systems. His presentation was very different from what I expected. He stressed that public speaking is one of the most important components of owning a successful business. He even went as far to say that public speaking should be a core class like math or English. I agree one hundred percent.

 The CEO program as a whole has shown me how important it is to be a good communicator. It is essential when networking with people or working with your customers. Initially, I wondered how installing sprinklers could require so much communication between the employee and customer. He explained how maintaining a relationship with the customer builds buyer loyalty.

 According to Riley, a customer should be a business acquaintance as well as a friend. He gave a great tip about business partnership. He said, “When going into business with a partner, make sure it’s 51/49.” A lot of the speakers we’ve had so far have warned about partnerships. 51/49 makes sure that one person has a little more control over the business than the other which seems like a great way to keep a few of the partnership frustrations away.

 On Thursday, Pat Mckeehan spoke with the class. I was nervous and excited about his visit. He was going to critique our businesses. He began class by making everyone stand up and do the Superman pose. He wanted everyone to believe in their own idea. Personally, I struggle with this. I consider myself a very optimistic person but my business idea is something I doubted. I wanted an honest opinion. Unfortunately, there was not enough time for him to talk to me about my idea. My passion is to help people. …I really hope he can come back soon! I also enjoyed hearing my classmates’ ideas. I was so surprised and proud! I am looking forward to see how everyone’s businesses turn out.

 On Friday, the class met at Barcom. This day is when a few things were changed. The new structure that Jessica put together sounded great. There was a lot going on before everything was confined. We will get a lot more done with this new system. It’s also very exciting to see almost all of the spots filled up! I become more and more excited about this event as time progresses.

 Written by Melony Allen

 I really enjoyed this week at CEO. Actually, let’s be honest, I enjoy almost every week. However, the difference between this week and others weeks was that we started working on our personal businesses. Up until this past week, I was unsure of really what I wanted to do. I had been trying, with some help, to come up with a new invention. Thinking of something that is completely brand new is a lot harder than most would think. I would get an idea and then be really excited, but then google it and find out it is already a product. Because of this, I was really struggling with something to make. Honestly, I am still hesitant on my idea. I have a couple back up ideas in case my first one does not work out, which I hopefully won’t have to use. This Monday I am meeting with my two mentors and I am excited to talk and get the opportunity to listen to what they think about my ideas. Mr. Lowery is actually interested in talking about the class business also. I am not sure what he is going to tell me, but hopefully it will help us sell more tickets faster.

 The reason I was excited about the personal businesses getting started is because of Mr. Pat from SIUE. He was very helpful in discussing how a business works and what it takes to come up with something that will sell to people. He told us how the four components of a business are: Idea, Customer, Organization, and Operation. Without all of these we will not be as successful. He also talked to each of us individually and gave good feedback with questions we needed to hear that could affect our businesses.

 Something else I really enjoyed this week was one the guest speaker, Mr. Joe Riley. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed hearing everything he had to say about his life and business he started. “A business is hiring people to be your right and left arms” This is interesting because nobody has told us this before. I’m sure something similar has been said, but in order to run a business you have to hire people who you depend on to work and be there for you all the time. Something a lot of people have told us this year is that we should not have a business partner. Mr. Riley said that we should have employees over a partner because we can fire employees if needed. Something that I don’t know if I agree with, but thought was interesting was when he told us to not be afraid to ask for a raise. I feel like that is a touchy subject because you don’t want your employer to think you aren’t happy and fire you for someone who will work for less. I have been working at the same office for two years and I have not asked for a raise because I am in high school. If I had a college degree it would be different I think.

 I am looking forward to the next week of new speakers and working on our businesses.

 Written by Heather Gosebrink

Joe Riley.  A lot of Joe Riley’s presentation was beneficial to me. I don’t really feel like going into a lot of detail. I don’t even feel like writing a journal this week at all but what really stuck out was the importance of communication – to me at least. Right now I’m in public speaking and … really I thought it would help me more than it has but it is still nice to get up there and give “formal” speeches – but I do a lot of that sort of thing in CEO so it’s a little redundant… My problem isn’t getting up in front of people it’s remembering what I need to say, speaking clearly, and I also get dry mouth. I like ‘holding’ meetings just so I can continue to become more comfortable in front of people. I think I need to build up a wall though.

 He stressed communication several times throughout his presentation – in different aspects - really ‘talking’ to people and getting to KNOW your customers, not being afraid to ask for a raise, etc. I just… and you could really tell it was reflected in the way he composed himself.

 Granite City.  I was really happy to go over to Granite City and see what they had to offer – talk with the students (really what I looked forward to most), see what worked, what didn’t, and of course meet Patrick. I really did find him helpful… I honestly wasn’t ready to talk about my business at all yet but you know he drew it out of me.  It was a great night. And I’d never even driven on snow before so I got a new experience like that. My mom would have never let me get that experience just because and now I had to. I like to look at everything like a learning experience. Everything good, bad, or in between teaches me something. If I chose to learn from it…

 Mentors.  On Wednesday I was really disappointed we had a snow day… honestly at that point I didn’t want ANY – because I have really come to hate school but the idea of missing CEO – any chance to learn in there – I didn’t like it. I hope we don’t have any more snow days because I don’t want to miss any more CEO.

 We were both really confused about what we should be talking about but it was fine. I talked a little about my personal business but mostly the class and they gave their suggestions…I think it is an incredibly smart alliance to be paired with them – they are – so great. So knowledgeable. And in the ‘film industry’ kind of – which is where I want to eventually end up. I took about 5 pages of notes.

 Patrick McKeehan.  I of course got my, most of my advice, from Tuesday night but it was so interesting to hear everyone else’s ideas and the relevant issues that came up. I can’t wait for him to come back. It was a great day.

 Written by Jessica Stern

 I thought Joe Riley was a really good speaker and he kept us interested. When a speaker comes in, I not only listen to what they're saying but also how they present. I do that because I'm a terrible public speaker so I try to get tips from our guest speakers.  Both of them this week were really good speakers and they knew how to interact with their audience. I was really surprised when Joe Riley said that he only has one and a half employees. How is that even possible because his work seems time consuming and really hard.

 Pat McKeehan was another great speaker and was very energized. He was really helpful to everyone. He asked all the questions that really got people thinking. I wish I would of had my idea when he came because he could of been a real help. I know you said something to him about maybe rescheduling him and I hope you can because he's very helpful. I took notes on what he was saying to people so that should help me. I'm meeting with my mentor today so she can help me also. I've talked to her about my business and she loves the idea so we're about to get my business started. So excited to see if it works out! 

 Written by Emma Gregowicz

 Why am I did I decide to take participate in the CEO Program?  This question I think has been reoccurring in my mind throughout this week.  I thought about what my strengths and weaknesses are and what have I contributed to the class business and my personal business.   Then, I finally realized what I have been able to offer to the group and why I am taking part in the program.  This week has reassured me that this class will and has changed my life for the better.

 Joe Riley, the owner and founder of Joe Riley Irrigation, taught us that the most important aspect is learning how to communicate well with others.  He emphasized how public speaking should be a significant class to take.  Learning how to public speak appropriately will shed our fears of being intimidated and shy when we are starting our own careers.  Joe Riley also explained the dark side of business.  People will try to screw us over and we really need to consider who will be a good business partner.  With business, the goal is make somebody's life easier.  We need to be able to cater a business for the people and not our own selfish needs.  At the end of the day, we want people in certain places to remember us.  Having a good reputation can go a long way in business and real life.

 Patrick McKeehan of the SIUE Small Business Division gave us helpful tactics on how to approach our own personal businesses.  He presented to us that a purpose of business was not only to make a profit, but to create, expand, and maintain the wealth.  The 4 critical elements for business success are an idea, the customer, organization, and operation.  We were able to hear the ideas our classmates had and let me just say I am quite impressed with all of them.  I am excited on how each of our businesses will turn out like when the Trade Show happens.  With my own business, Pat was useful in the fact with the idea of being with a big retailer.  Sometimes being with a big retailer can be good, yet bad because my earnings may go done while the retailer's will increase.  I am now really trying to be tactful on how to approach certain issues with my business.

 I was able to meet up with my mentor, Geri Boyer.  She was able to assist me on changing my perspective on my business and figure out another way to create it.  Geri also said she has connections with other people to help me.  I am really happy my mentor is her because she is how I want to be like when I run my own business one day.  I cannot wait to put the idea into play and start having the idea into something more than it is.

 As the last semester of my high school career is here, the underclassmen are starting to register for classes for the fall. We are beginning to recruit others to take this class next year.  So, why did I decide to enroll in the CEO Program?  Well, I knew business was what I wanted to do in life.  I wanted to be more confident in myself.  I needed to learn to believe that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.  I am able to experience certain factors of the world that I would not learn in the classroom.  Here, I am not perceived as a regular high school student.  I am being taken seriously by some of the big businesses owners of Belleville.  It is something that I will never forget and the foundation of my future endeavors.  I feel like I am already the head of the game.  When I attend college in the fall, I will not be scared to take chances.  I think that is the most important thing to take away from this program.  The idea of believing in yourself can go a long way in life.

 Written by Sandy Amorado

This week was an interesting.   We varied from a guy who owns his own sprinkler business and has only two employees to a college professor who wanted to hear our "superhero ideas".

I liked getting to talk to Pat Mckeehan. He talked to us about having confidence in our business idea and after that discussion you could really tell who believed in their own idea and who didn't. 

Joe Riley was an interesting guy. I think it’s cool how he only has two employees and still gets all the business he does. It shows that customer service is very important because when he split with his partner it showed who stayed with him and who didn't.  I can take a lot of things from his presentation and apply it to my own business.

 Written by Alan Plantz

 This week was really interesting and really fun. Mr. Riley on Tuesday was a really good speaker and a lot of his points were really interesting. I think one thing that stuck out to me the most was when he told us about how public speaking was really important and how dealing with people is a really important part of business. I really liked how sincere and community oriented he was and how employee centered he is. he just seems like a genuine person and his speech was really nice.

On Thursday we had our speaker who evaluated our personal businesses. I was really excited to talk him about my business and I'm really glad he seemed to like it. I liked his critical questions and I think he was really really helpful I’d love to get to talk to him again he was really really helpful. One thing that really stuck with me was when he said we needed to push our businesses from a want to more of a need which makes a lot of sense.

On Friday I really really liked Jessica's ideas about a new structure because it's a really good way to start describing CEO in a more understandable way. I think we finalized on a lot of stuff and I'm really glad we have these weekly progress reports and meetings.

 Written by Hannah Prindable

Mr. Joe Riley taught me some valuable lessons about business. Such as, if one is to have a business partner make sure to own 51% of the business. This way the person that owns 51% has more control over the business. This is if someone has a business partner. Mr. Riley thinks getting a partner should be the last thing someone does. One thing he said in his presentation was “The last thing a person needs is a business partner, one can get rid of an employee, but not a business partner. Another point is to connect with one’s customers. In doing this the supplier builds a special bond with its customers. Due to Mr. Riley building a bond with his customers some of them have given him their combination to their gates as well as their garages. When I start my business I want to have this special bond with my customers. I want them to know they can trust me and my product. In conclusion, these are just two of many points that Mr. Riley taught me.

 Mr. Patrick McKeehan’s presentation was very informational. For example, I never actually knew the real definition of business. The definition of business is to create, expand, or/and maintain a system that generates wealth. In addition to this, I also learned about the four elements of business. Which are idea, customer, organization, and operation. Idea is the ability to create a product or service that customers are willing to purchase. Customer is the ability to identify, engage, and convert prospective customers to paying clients. Organization is the ability to create a product/service and complete transactions quickly and securely. Then we have operation which is the ability to repeat the process while applying continuous improvement. Overall Mr. McKeehan was very informative, and I hope he comes back, because I didn’t get to hear any of the struggles I will have with my product.

 Written by Montez Douglas

I really enjoyed the two speakers that came in this week and I have gained perspective on how our class and my personal business will work. I feel like we accomplished a decent amount of material that will help our class business be the best it can be. Also we talked more about our personal business and I think that all of us have some really good ideas that will hopefully succeed in the future for all of us.

 Tuesday we had Joe Riley come in and talk to us about his business. He puts in irrigation systems which is simply a sprinkler system. I liked that he had past history with having a partner and showed the pros and mostly the cons to it. I think that he is a valuable commodity if one of us were to start a business. He has been through a lot and his knowledge of the "ins and outs" ofowning and running a business. Whenever you can find someone that has that much experience you are going to want to hold on to him and never let go. Also he treats his employees like his family. He really does not have a family to come home too so he treats his business as his family. I liked that he wrote some of his employees into his will, it shows that he genuinely likes them and cares about them. Overall I liked his presentation and his work ethic.

 Thursday when Patrick came I did not think he would get into so much depth on each of our personal businesses. He said some interesting things that will help us out to compete in the business world. He gave us the pros and the cons of what our personal business was. He took every idea and spun it to believe that it was going to work out masterfully. My idea can be done by a lot of people but he told me to find a way that makes it different from everyone else. I thought that was the main concept from his presentation. He gave us ways to make our business stand out and I enjoyed that. I really liked that he talked to us one on one and made sure he made eye contact. Overall I really enjoyed him.

 Written by Stephen Toenjes

On the 18th, the class had Mr. Joe Riley. His business specializes in irrigation. It was refreshing to have him with us because he was very likeable. Joe Riley’s favorite class was public speaking. To be a good business owner, you have to be a good speaker because you’ll do it all the time. He even thinks that there should be multiple speaking classes like advanced speaking for aspiring business owners. What was very new to me, don’t have a business partner. He believes that having one is a bad idea because they can cost you your business. A little funny but truthful joke he made was, “You should own 51 % and your partner 49%.” I like that he said “know your worth.” I think that’s most important when you have a business or are working for someone who has a business. It can take you from an employee to a multi dollar millionaire.

 The best day of the year finally came! I realized where I was headed with my personal business and I got some great notes. I now know what I have to work on, and there’s no stopping me. Pat was one of those people who knows exactly what he’s talking about, so you can’t help but listen to him. The advice he gave me was what I was looking for. His idea of the 4 critical elements to owning a business are having an Idea, Customers, Organization, and Operation. Keeping those 4 key components in mind, I know that I can’t go wrong and if I do, I can always revisit them to see what I missed. My favorite business definition is the one he gave us. He said, “Business is creating and maintaining a system of systems that generate wealth.” I’m looking forward to next week and can’t wait to go further in the class with my personal business.

 I thought that the overall week was productive. Almost everybody has their personal business idea completed and will not have to change it. Our class business has also came on to fruition. Everybody has their jobs and we are all going to complete our tasks. I think that we are going towards the right direction and I cannot wait to see more.

 Written by Malik Marks-McRath

Tuesday we had a great opportunity to hear from Joe Riley. That was very informational. He gave a lot of great information and tips for us to follow as we go through our individual businesses and also in our everyday lives and actual jobs. I loved when he said do not be afraid to ask for a raise. I am not shy but when it comes to that I am. With him saying that it just kind of gave more confidence to ask. He also said that he only gives raises to those who do ask him. I never thought of it like that. He also nailing us saying that public speaking is the most important. I do agree with that somewhat, but I also disagree as well. I agree that public speaking is very important but I got the most learning experience. I especially have learned to speak better though the CEO program. Now I can look people in the eyes and have confidence when I speak, talk loud and clear, and also start conversations.

This time though we had Pat McKeehan came and spoke to us. He gave a ton of great information. I think he gave us a ton to consider when working on our individual businesses. I love how he took time to speak and listen to all of our ideas. With him doing that I believe that we had a better understanding and more things to think about before we jump into our individual business.

 Written by Paige Montgomery