A third of the American workforce is comprised of freelancers, according to Sara Horowitz, founder of the Freelancers Union.

  Many of those are entrepreneurs.      “Entrepreneurs are innovators who use a process of shattering the status quo of the existing products and services to set up new products, new services,” said Joseph Alois Schumpeter, Austrian-American economist and political scientist, back in 1934.

  That definitionseems more pertinent than ever.

  Plumas County high school seniors are continuing to learn about entrepreneurship in their business and finance classes.

  Seniors attended a college and career fair in September and an idea creation workshop in November.

  Now they have the chance to present their business plans to a panel of “judges,” who will select finalists for the first-ever Plumas County and California business plan competition.

  Laurie Wann, marketing and outreach coordinator for Feather River College’s Business and Entrepreneurship Center, is hoping that community members will step up and volunteer to observe student presentations and give feedback and encouragement regarding the business plans.

  These “judges” will evaluate student business plans and determine which students have the best, most innovative and feasible plans.

  Winners will work with a coach, and will utilize Live Plan software to develop their business plan to present in a countywide competition at the Plumas Business Summit.

  This year, the summit will be held March 22 at the Nakoma Lodge in Clio. Finalists will present their plans at the summit and the winners of the three categories — 14 – 17 years of age, 18 – 27 and 28 and older — will win $500 and a chance to compete in the state competition for $5,000 in seed money.

  Pools of approximately 10 – 20 judges in the Chester, Greenville and Quincy communities are needed to evaluate the five-minute presentations that seniors will give near the end of January in their respective school classrooms. Portola High is not participating in the competition.

  For more information about the competition, or to volunteer, contact Wann at 258-9405 or lwann@frc.edu.