Students and community members will get to learn about green business and franchising this week.

This week is the Global Entrepreneurship Week and the Lumpkin School of Business and Applied Sciences is having different presentations for students, faculty and the surrounding communities.

“Which Green Jobs Look Promising for Rural Illinois?” will be held at 5 p.m. today and “The Ins and Outs of Franchising: What You Need to Know” panel discussion will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, both in the Lumpkin Hall Roberson Auditorium (Room 2030).

“Which Green Jobs Look Promising for Rural Illinois?” will be presented by John J. Gruidl, professor of economics at Western Illinois University’s Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs.

Marko Grunhagen, Lumpkin Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and associate professor of marketing, said Gruidl will be talking about green jobs in Illinois.

Some of the industries that Gruidl will be speaking about are wind energy, solar power and biodiesel industries.

Grunhagen said the local survival of local economy depends on the number of local jobs.

“If new green initiatives can provide jobs in a local economy, it increases the prospects of prosperity in economy,” Grunhagen said.

Grunhagen said students can learn different jobs available in the green industry.

“Students may be looking for these jobs and this may help them prepare for a job they would like to start in,” Grunhagen said.

“The Ins and Outs of Franchising: What You Need to Know” will be a panel discussion about the effects of franchising and its relationship with entrepreneurship.

The panelist will include: William Guzik, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Midas International; Cassandra Karimi, assistant attorney general (Franchise Bureau) of the state of Illinois; Kevin Traub, franchisee of Dairy Queen International; Doris Carter, franchise attorney of Carter & Tani Attorneys at Law; and John Inyart, mayor of Charleston and Midas International franchisee.

The panel will be moderated by Steven Michael, a professor of management at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Grunhagen said franchising has many components that have an entrepreneurship.

“Founders of many franchises across America are clearly entrepreneurs, when they started those companies,” Grunhagen said.

Grunhagen said tthis discussion will give students an insight into the business of franchising.

“If you ever want to be involved in franchising or want to start your own pizza stores, the panelist can provide you with the first ideas you need,” Grunhagen said.

Grunhagen said both events are meant to teach the students outside of the classroom and gives them a glimpse at the outside world.

“We see this as a service to our student body and the community around us,” Grunhagen said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].