Shippensburg University students interested in finance attended a lecture Thursday to receive career advice, and hear about an entrepreneur’s strategies for running a small business.

Fergus McCann, a Canadian businessman and entrepreneur, began his career in 1970 when he founded a golf-tour company for American golfers traveling overseas. He is, however, best known for his work with the Celtic Football Club and his success in leading the club away from bankruptcy.

The first question to ask yourself if you are considering a career in business is whether or not you “have an appetite for risk,” McCann said during his lecture, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Starting and Running a Small Business: Lessons Learned.”

“You’re going to make mistakes, I’ve made mistakes,” McCann said. “I’ve learned a lot about people and emotionally driven business.”

The ability to ask for help will be vital in any career path, according to McCann. At the beginning of his career, it took him three years to pay off the loans he had received from family and friends to start his business. He said that deciding who you will be doing business with is just as important as the decision to go into business in the first place.

“The issue is what their strengths are and what you can count on — it’s like a marriage, going into a partnership,” McCann said. “This is even more important if you’re not very smart yourself.”

Additionally, McCann said that providing customers with what you initially promised will have long lasting effects on the success of your business and will turn your customers into advocates for your company.

“It’s important you understand your product and your customer completely,” McCann said. “I understood the mentality.”

McCann ended the event by advising the audience not to let their career setbacks keep them from achieving their ultimate goals.

“The advantage of doing it the hard way is learning the lessons,” McCann said.

His lecture began at 5 p.m. in Old Main Chapel. It was co-sponsored by SU’s Ezra Lehman Library and the department of finance and supply chain management and in congruence SU’s Money Smart Week.

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