News

January 12, 2006
ECC Instructor Knows Firsthand the Benefits of Her Class

Phyllis Waller, co-owner of Phillips Printing in Tarboro, is teaching a class at ECC on how to start a business. The class begins January 25.

Phyllis Waller knows of what she teaches.

A local business owner, this spring she is teaching a 12-week class at Edgecombe Community College on how to start a business. Waller began her own business after taking the class herself.

The R.E.A.L. (Rural Entrepreneurship Through Action Learning) class begins Wednesday, January 25. It will be held on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Tarboro campus. Tuition is $80.

R.E.A.L. is an international non-profit organization that is in partnership with selected community colleges and high schools in rural and economically distressed areas. The focus of the program is to teach students how to become entrepreneurs. Once students complete the 12-week course, they are eligible to apply for funding through various sources in North Carolina and through the R.E.A.L. organization.

Waller is co-owner of Phillip's Printing in Tarboro. She is a graduate of ECC's R.E.A.L. program and is a certified R.E.A.L. instructor, having completed courses at R.E.A.L. institutes in Asheville, Asheboro, and Georgia.

She has worked in the business world for more than 20 years.

"Considering local job closings, we all must take a look at our skills and see how we can build on those skills and become more self-sufficient," Waller says. "We all have a gift, but we must make the gift work for us."

Phillip's Printing began as a home-based business, and Tarboro was the company's initial service area. Presently, the company serves clients in more than 25 states. Also, the company began printing exclusively on paper and now prints on fabric, signs, and vinyl. Phillips' roster of employees includes three full-time and three part-time workers.

"I appreciate the opportunity to help others start or grow their business," Waller says. "As I teach, I learn. It gives me the opportunity to revisit some areas in my business I need to strengthen. We all learn and grow together."

Waller also is executive director of Project PROUD, a non-profit organization in Tarboro that focuses on community development and training.

For more information on the R.E.A.L. class or to register, call Mary Proctor at 823-5166 ext. 265.

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Tarboro:  (252) 823-5166 2009 W. Wilson St. Tarboro, NC 27886

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