Think every day. It’ll make your work that much better, and that much easier.

Develop relationships. For that is what business is really about.

Do the right thing. It’s always better in the long run.

Commit yourself early to give back. God will honor your efforts.

Jim Ryffel ’81 (MBA ’84, RM ’98) outlined his four-point approach to business at the March press conference announcing the $6 million gift to establish TCU’s entrepreneurship center and related venture capital fund.

“I think the James Ryffel Entrepreneurship’ Center could have real value if we do it the right way,” agreed Fort Worth entrepreneur David Minor ’80, the center’s director. “In my little world, being an entrepreneur is not just about making money, it’s what you do with that money.”

And though the Ryffel Center is still in its infancy, Minor and others have already crafted a rough blueprint they hope will place the entrepreneurial think and study tank among the top five in the country.

A state-of-the-art facility will be created, containing the Ryffel Center and the student-run Venture Capital Program and the Educational Investment Fund. Approximately 40,000 square feet will house classroom and meeting space, including newly wired lecture halls, office space and a multi-purpose meeting facility.

Students will be exposed to entrepreneurship at both the undergraduate and MBA level. Core offerings will guide students through the entire process of becoming an entrepreneur from venture recognition, feasibility analysis, business plan creation, to starting and managing the emerging enterprise.

Additional courses will focus on venture financing, sales and marketing for the emerging enterprise, entrepreneurial skills and behavior, and family business. Curriculum will include experiential learning similar to TCU’s nationally recognized Educational Investment Fund.

Other offerings include a monthly speaker series, mentoring and incubator programs and an internal business plan competition. High school students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, through various youth groups, will be introduced to entrepreneurship, its benefits and rewards from personal, economic development and social perspectives at the high school level.

An annual Young Entrepreneur Conference and Awards Program for high school juniors and seniors from across the state will also be started, with winners receiving scholarships to TCU.

Research will focus on the latest entrepreneurship trends and changes, with hopes to become the source of entrepreneurship knowledge in the Southwest.

Funding for an endowed professorship will be located, as well as for top field experts.

In addition, the center may also develop strategic partnerships with SMU, Baylor, North Texas, and Texas Wesleyan, and form a venture capital forum for entrepreneurs.