Starting a new business can be hard, but a new program from the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center is aimed at making the journey of building a business a little easier.

Start Up TCU is a new discussion series on topics related to entrepreneurship and starting a business.

Director of the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center Brad Hancock said the idea came about through discussions between Neeley faculty members, Ann McDonald and Ray Smilor, and students involved in the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization.

“We started thinking about the things we could offer students not just in the business school but across campus that would give them more information about how they might want to start an enterprise,” Hancock said.

Hancock said the purpose of Start Up TCU is to have experts on specific business topics come in and talk about their journey as an entrepreneur and share expertise on subjects such as financial planning or intellectual property and patents.

Start Up TCU is open for students of all majors, not just students in the business school.

Luke Otteson, the president of CEO and senior entrepreneurial management major, said the discussion series can be very beneficial to students who do not have a business background.

“It’s really good for those who aren’t business majors because it’s a crash course in entrepreneurial management and what it means to start your own business,” Otteson said.

Hancock said this is a good time to launch Start Up TCU because he has seen a recent increase in people wanting to start their own business venture.

“There’s an attraction toward being your own boss, toward controlling your own destiny and not working for a big company perhaps more than ever before,” Hancock said.

The first Start Up TCU event occurred Monday and featured David Shepherd, the author of “Your Best Business Plan.”

Shepherd focused on explaining financial projections and budgets that are necessary to keep a new business growing.

Senior entrepreneurial management major Molly Johnson said she is thinking of starting her own business and came to the discussion to gain insight and knowledge from professionals in the field of entrepreneurship.

Johnson said she found the information from Shepherd to be very helpful and being there inspired her to keep working on her business idea.

“Just being in a room full of people who are also excited about starting their own business, you catch that fever and get excited,” Johnson said.

Hancock said he would appreciate any input from students about what topics they would like to learn about for future Start Up TCU events.

The next Start Up TCU discussion is Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. in Smith Hall 212.

Contact the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center with any questions or suggestions.