Most college students have enough trouble properly balancing their social life with their schoolwork. So it's hard for many to believe that there are college students that actually run their own businesses. But, with the help of the Center for Student Businesses, over 140 UMass students having been making believers out of those doubters for over 30 years.
All eight of the UMass student-run businesses assembled inside the Student Union Ballroom yesterday, kicking off the first annual "Student Business Appreciation Week".
Established in 1975, the CSB has provided services and support to student-run businesses while insuring their stability and long-term survival.
The CSB is set in place in order to help students develop the skills needed in order to be successful in running a business. Through their work in the cooperatives, students are given a hands-on approach to learning and understanding the skills needed in order for their business to survive.
Of the eight student-run businesses at UMass, five are located within the Student Union building; People's Market; Tickets Unlimited; Campus Design & Copy; Bike Co-op and Earthfoods. The other three, Sylvan Snack Bar, Greeno Sub Shop and Sweets and More, are located in the residential areas around campus. Collectively, the businesses generate over $750,000 in revenues and employ over 140 students under the guidance of the CSB staff.
All of these businesses are run in the cooperative management style. This means that each employee of the business is given the title of "co-manager", allowing the student to have a real influence on the decisions made in their business. The number of co-managers employed in a certain business ranges anywhere from five to thirty students.
Oddly enough, none of the 140 students that work in these businesses are business majors. But they are not left without help, each of the eight businesses are assigned business majors to consult them in the inner-workings of the company. Nine consultants from the UMass School of Management are spread out between the 8 businesses. While the consultants do not have the final say in how the businesses run, they can advise the co-managers and help push them towards making a profit.
When Ronak Dave, consultant for Greeno's Sub Shop, was first introduced to Greeno's, they were losing nearly $4000 a month.
"I looked at their numbers and I noticed that we were purchasing our products at the wrong price, certain companies had jacked up their prices and we never adjusted to it. We were also selling our product at such a low price that it was nearly impossible for us to make any profit," said Dave. " So during our meetings with the co-managers, I would sit down and show them the numbers and advise them to change their purchasing and pricing. This way we, as consultants, can work with the people that have a direct access to changing the way the business is run.
In order to share the workload and the responsibilities that come with running a business, the students are split up into a long list of committees. These committees deal with a wide array of issues including advertising, bulk ordering, customer service, employee diversity and more.
The common perception would be that eight businesses running in such a small area would create an enormous level of competition. But according to Rosemary Schmidt, director of the CSB, the tight quarters only bring the students closer to each other.
"The People's Market sells certain items like coffee and bagels, while Earthfoods in solidarity with People's Market, sells soups and salads, or basically anything that People's Market doesn't sell. This way they're not in competition with each other, they're actually supporting each other and working together," said Schmidt. "Learning to work with the businesses around you is nearly as important as learning how to run a business itself. By working together, the students get a lot more done than they would by just trying to make their business the best."
Alvin Gonzalez, co-manager of Campus Design & Copy, also thinks its essential for each of the eight businesses to work as one.
"We all try to keep in touch with the businesses in and outside of the Student Union, like Sylvan Snack Bar. Normally it would be difficult for me to keep in touch with a business that's all the way out in Sylvan. But because of our bond with them, I'm able to work alongside them," said Gonzalez. "Because Sylvan, like everyone of all of the other student-run businesses, needs fliers in order to advertise, they come to us. And because we also need to advertise, Sylvan lets us put up fliers in their area. We feed and live of each others success."
Although all of these students gain a enormous amount of satisfaction from working in these businesses, do have feel their share of stress in balancing school and work.
"I think all of us understand that we are students first, but there are times when it's difficult to balance: like finals," said Gonzalez. "All of these jobs are very time consuming. We have to design and produce our own advertising, work the cashiers and in some cases prepare and sell the food."
According to Jen Turner, the CSB's program coordinator, the biggest accomplishments of the student-run businesses is the transformations of students that wouldn't even consider becoming involved in a business, into employees that truly love their businesses.
"I've learned so much from working in our business," said Brad Giguere, co-manager at Sylvan Snack Bar. "This was something I'd never thought I'd do. And it's turned into something that I really enjoy being involved in. I don't know what I'd be doing without it."
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