People like Casey Mueller make it sound easy to start a new business.

At age 21, he holds down a job, runs a business he started himself and already owns a home.

"I did it because it is always something I've always wanted to do," Mueller said.

Mueller, who owns BYTES Corp., a computer technology company, was one of the speakers at the University of Mary's 2004 Institute for Entrepreneurship on Thursday. The speakers discussed what it is like to start a business or make one successful.

Mueller told of how his experience in college directly translated into to what he does now.

A graduate of the University of Mary, Mueller won second place at last year's Entrepreneurship Fair put on by the school, in which he entered a business plan for BYTES Corp.

"The entrepreneurship fair helped me open a whole new chapter in my life," Mueller said.

Other speakers told of the hard work it took to start a business.

For Ann Hoffert, the success of her business came quick, but it was almost too much for her to handle at times.

Hoffert owns Pipestem Creek, a Carrington business that sells dried flowers, floral wreaths and birdhouses on the national market.

A nurse practitioner, Hoffert started her company with no knowledge of business or marketing, but was soon rubbing shoulders with Martha Stewart, one of the most well-know businesswomen in the world.

Hoffert said successful entrepreneurs have to be persistent and not give up when the going gets tough.

Once she developed her product, Hoffert looked in catalogs for 1-800 numbers and called as many as she could to see if companies were interested in selling her goods.

"For every 'yes' I probably got 100 'nos,'" Hoffert said.

Her efforts paid off. Her products have appeared in national magazines and she eventually appeared on TV with Stewart to showcase her products

For former Gov. Ed Schafer, who is now CEO of Extend America, a successful business is about developing a good team that has clear goals and authority to make decisions.

"You put the right people in place, let them know where you want to go and then stand back and let them go to work," Schafer said.

Leading by example is important, Schafer said, because if you don't know what you want, other people in the team won't know what direction the business is headed either.

Before running for governor Schafer had to figure out a clear path for himself.

"The first thing I had to do was decide who I was," Schafer said.

Thursday's entrepreneur program also included a keynote address by Gov. John Hoeven, a discussion about business ethics in an international business environment and an awards presentation.

Minot businessman Chester Reiten was presented with the Schafer Excellence in Enterprise award.

Reiten is the founder of Reiten Broadcasting Co. and the Norsk Hostfest, a Scandinavian festival held in Minot each year.