{"id":14060,"date":"2021-01-05T17:22:37","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T21:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=14060"},"modified":"2023-04-24T08:23:43","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T12:23:43","slug":"small-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Small
Kalamazoo College students in the Principles of Marketing class this fall worked virtually with small businesses to boost their marketing plans during the pandemic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs locally and beyond.<\/p>\n

L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of Business Management<\/a> Amy MacMillan challenged her Principles of Marketing class in the fall term to create real-life, actionable business plans that could assist business owners in persevering and even growing through the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping to create a new experience that was right for this particular time, recognizing that the world is just not the same right now,\u201d MacMillan said. Teams of students were randomly assigned to small businesses, some with whom they had existing relationships, and others they were getting to know for the first time. Yet this is the first time one of MacMillan\u2019s classes worked virtually to help several businesses at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes we\u2019ll pick one business and we\u2019ll have different teams competing against each other,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just felt like this moment was right for collaboration.\u201d To re-enforce this, she named the project \u201cPandemiK Partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, students\u2014sometimes meeting remotely across continents\u2014came up with recommendations that could help the businesses grow and presented those recommendations in a 25-minute Zoom meeting with the business leaders to conclude the course. Here are a few stories of their success.<\/p>\n

Energetic Soul<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vanessa Vigier \u201921, a business and international area studies major from West Bloomfield, Michigan, recommended that MacMillan approve her group\u2019s idea to work with Energetic Soul, a business near Detroit that\u2019s close to Vigier\u2019s heart and identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnergetic Soul is a dance studio that focuses on Afro-Cuban dance, movement and fitness,\u201d she said, adding that she and her mom have participated in classes there before. \u201cI\u2019m actually of Afro-Cuban origin, so when I discovered this studio, I thought it was perfect. I was super excited when we were approved to work with them because I\u2019ve always wanted to see it expanded to people my age.\u201d<\/p>\n

That idea to recruit younger clientele sparked Vigier and her group, gathering virtually from as far away as Vietnam, toward surveying young adults regarding what might prompt them to attend a dance class. They also outlined concepts for Instagram advertising and analyzed price models that could allow college students to attend.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seemed like most of the people we surveyed wanted to have a social experience that would allow them to have fun,\u201d Vigier said. \u201cWe used that to create a plan of conducting individual group bonding sessions for student organizations, sports teams, Greek-letter organizations and dance teams. We felt the more Energetic Soul did these group bonding sessions, the more people would get a good taste of it and continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, even a few in Vigier\u2019s group admitted they weren\u2019t thrilled with the idea of attending dance classes themselves before developing their plan, but that soon changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the end, they were interested in taking a class,\u201d Vigier said. \u201cFor me, it was exciting because I really want people to try it, and the more people can learn about the business in unexpected ways, the more we can grow Cuban dance and make it more popular.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honore Salon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joshua Pamintuan \u201922, a business major from California, said he was a little intimidated to hear of a project like this one during a term in virtual learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a little hesitant because I\u2019ve never done anything so real-life oriented, where I\u2019m actually working with someone or a company outside of school,\u201d he said. \u201cProjects have been theoretical, but nothing had been quite so hands-on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet his team of students found a valuable experience working with Honore Salon<\/a>, a team of stylists offering haircuts, styling, hair coloring, wax treatments and extensions in downtown Kalamazoo.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonore Salon has a great team of staff and stylists,\u201d Pamintuan said. \u201cIt seems customers are very loyal and they\u2019re family oriented. That makes them successful with the community and the customers they have.\u201d<\/p>\n

With weekly meetings, Pamintuan and his team developed a plan to highlight those characteristics through social media. Surveys revealed Honore Salon customers typically use Facebook and Instagram, which could be used to develop repeat business.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur big objective for them is to increase comfortability with customers returning to their salon and building their social media presence through Facebook and Instagram,\u201d he said. \u201cTo fulfill those objectives, we recommended creating a COVID-walkthrough video so clients could see Honore is taking the right steps to ensure that safety is a priority. We also recommended turning their social media profiles into business accounts so they can gain analytics about who their followers are and better tailor the content they post, making it more personal. We want to see content that helps customers get to know their stylists, and content that is very digestible about their products.\u201d<\/p>\n

A final presentation to the business included a video with a short skit of a business walk-through, slides and templates making social media content easier to create, and advice regarding data analytics to measure their success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe technical skills I gained from this experience\u2014like coming up with a business proposal, collecting and analyzing data, and learning how to give a professional presentation\u2014will help when I transition into the business world,\u201d Pamintuan said.<\/p>\n

Jaded CBD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alexis Petty \u201923, a business and psychology double major from Otsego, Michigan, made her project a family affair by working with her peers on her sister\u2019s business, Jaded CBD<\/a> in New York City.<\/p>\n

That, however, didn\u2019t mean that coming up with a marketing plan for the business was easy. CBD oil is a product of a cannabis plant. It\u2019s different than THC and creates no high, but the Food and Drug Administration regulates what businesses can say about such products.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be careful and disciplined with what you say and the claims you make,\u201d Petty said. \u201cSo much of the advertising for CBD oil is through personal stories using social media channels and social media influencers. It\u2019s non-addictive and there\u2019s no high. You don\u2019t get overly drowsy, and it\u2019s an anti-inflammatory that can help relieve stress and provide a better night\u2019s sleep, although you can\u2019t necessarily make these claims on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petty and her group limited their talking points to CBD oil being non-GMO, vegan, cruelty-free, lab tested and safe for a consumer\u2019s body, although a survey of Jaded CBD clients nurtured other ideas for the business including a subscription plan for clients and a new product.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, they only have a bigger bottle with 30 milliliters,\u201d she said. \u201cWe implemented what we found in the survey by recommending a bottle being available at a third of the size for a third of the price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaded CBD is in the process of implementing the smaller size, along with some advertising concepts recommended by Petty and her partners, and a chewable product of the business\u2019s own development. Despite some challenges, including one group member being in China this term and another consistently traveling between Chicago and Kalamazoo, Petty and her partners received positive feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarketing is definitely an attractive field,\u201d Petty said. \u201cI was blessed with the group we had and I was happy to work with a small business to develop it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bilbo\u2019s Pizza<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mackenzie Maiorano \u201922, a business major from Commerce Township, Michigan, approached MacMillan about allowing her group to work with Maiorano\u2019s employer, Bilbo\u2019s Pizza<\/a>. The Kalamazoo restaurant is known for handmade pizzas and craft beer, and is named for the character in J.R.R. Tolkien books.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous about working with the place where I\u2019m employed,\u201d Maiorano said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to overstep any boundaries. It was kind of intimidating at first. But when we started talking with the team, it was easier than I anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her group made three primary recommendations to her manager including revamping the business\u2019s social media presence toward more frequent and personal posts, re-centering its marketing messages toward college-age students, and conducting a College Night at the restaurant. Restaurant closures forced by the pandemic have paused efforts to implement those suggestions, although Maiorano is ready to recommend that she serve as a social media intern for Bilbo\u2019s when it reopens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this project was intended to benefit the community by helping college students and helping Bilbo\u2019s get more business,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I talked to people about my project, they said, \u2018we love Bilbo\u2019s and we\u2019d love to see them get more business.\u2019 We\u2019re hoping after they reopen and we do the College Night, we\u2019ll have a spike in the sales from having more college students go. The manager loved our ideas and I think we impressed him. He wanted me to present it to everyone who works there. I told him that\u2019s kind of scary, but I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roche Collection Winery<\/strong><\/p>\n

Baylee Bacheller \u201922, a business and history major from Constantine, Michigan, overcame some early hesitation with her group to create a plan for Roche Collection Winery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely thought this class would be more about reading text books and lectures,\u201d Bacheller said. When Professor MacMillan told us we\u2019d be in groups, it was kind of scary, but it quickly turned into something really cool. It was exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The winery is in the process of opening a tasting room in downtown Kalamazoo. The business\u2019s website says it develops contemporary, delicious and luxury Michigan wine collections.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur objective was to try to bring exposure to the tasting room and making it an environment where customers feel welcome,\u201d Bacheller said. \u201cWe have recommended they do Facebook advertising so she could hone in on target audiences with different demographics, a billboard in Kalamazoo, and specialty nights that target women age 30 to 50. The one we were really suggesting was Ladies\u2019 Nights.\u201d<\/p>\n

The business was receptive to the survey students conducted through people in the Kalamazoo area, who could be prospective clients. The winery could have some stiff competition, although the students were able to help develop a plan for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see how the tasting room opening goes,\u201d she said. \u201cWe were able to make a really good connection with the owner and she was receptive to our ideas. Hopefully, we can find out whether she was successful. What sets the Roche Collection and the tasting room apart is the warm atmosphere and welcoming environment. The new tasting room will have table-top seating and a warm, welcoming environment for all ages.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, the class helped Bacheller change her mind regarding a possible future in marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t a fan of marketing coming into the class, but this is something I learned to like,\u201d she said. \u201cI really enjoyed this project and it helped me see the value for what it is,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt even if just one singular sentence we said helped the business, it was worth it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Intentional Yoga<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the opportunity to nurture a small business in the Principles of Marketing class came along, Jake Nugent \u201922 was excited to recommend Intentional Yoga<\/a> of Kalamazoo to Professor MacMillan and his work group. He\u2019s a client there himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re very community oriented and it\u2019s a place where I thrive,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m all about bringing people together and they have aspects of what I really value in life. Yoga is very grounding to me. Whenever I\u2019m super stressed, it\u2019s where I go to be present in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The business specializes in hot yoga, which takes place in a 100-degree room that enhances sweating. Before the pandemic, Intentional Yoga conducted several 60- to 75-minute group sessions per week with a broad clientele, ranging from college students to seniors. It now conducts online sessions with in-person group exercise classes being suspended in Michigan.<\/p>\n

After meeting with a co-owner, Nugent and his group went to work on making recommendations for Intentional Yoga\u2019s email marketing and outreach to college students.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made a survey that we sent to current clientele,\u201d Nugent said. \u201cWe learned they needed to be more personable with their email, so we gave them the idea of including a 30-second video with a class instructor in each email. We also thought they could do a monthly destress week with an online class that college students could attend online for free.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a loyal customer base maintaining their memberships throughout the pandemic, the business is on solid footing, yet eager to implement the recommendations Nugent and his team made to emphasize that yoga is for everybody. Nugent found that news, and the class itself for that matter, to be rewarding.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go into marketing, this is something you would have to do,\u201d Nugent said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I really value in a class. I\u2019m good at reading books, but that doesn\u2019t really drive me. I would say this project took a lot of people out of their comfort zone and it drove me to find answers for this business. I looked at this not just as a project, but as something I could keep doing in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meaningful Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

As students worked with businesses virtually to develop their plans, the experience in many ways reflected the new reality many professionals are facing with increased telework and new ways of communicating across organizational and geographical boundaries. It also provided an opportunity to support small businesses in a meaningful way. \u201cWith virtual teaching, I wanted to create something that had real meaning for us, and also something that could help us feel good about what we\u2019re doing,\u201d MacMillan said.<\/p>\n

Helping students develop their skills and build confidence in their own abilities was another important outcome of the course.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like a coach, trying to bring out the best in people. You want students to bring their experiences to life, and you want them to believe in themselves and believe in their ability to present confidently, to tackle a problem strategically,\u201d MacMillan said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs locally and beyond. L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of Business Management Amy MacMillan challenged her Principles of Marketing class in the fall term to create real-life, actionable business plans that could assist business owners […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":14068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[127],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-14060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students","tag-business"],"yoast_head":"\r\nSmall Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News and Events\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KalamazooCollege\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-01-05T21:22:37+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-24T12:23:43+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andy Brown\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@kcollege\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@kcollege\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andy Brown\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\",\"name\":\"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-05T21:22:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-24T12:23:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166\"},\"description\":\"With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"Kalamazoo College students in the Principles of Marketing class this fall worked virtually with small businesses to boost their marketing plans during the pandemic.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"News and Events\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166\",\"name\":\"Andy Brown\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Andy Brown\"},\"description\":\"As the Director of News and Social Media, Andy shares the stories that distinguish Kalamazoo College through social media, the Web and the news media. Contact him at abrown@kzoo.edu.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/contact-us\/\"]}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded","description":"With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded","og_description":"With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/","og_site_name":"News and Events","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KalamazooCollege","article_published_time":"2021-01-05T21:22:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-04-24T12:23:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Andy Brown","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@kcollege","twitter_site":"@kcollege","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andy Brown","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/","url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/","name":"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg","datePublished":"2021-01-05T21:22:37+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-24T12:23:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166"},"description":"With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"Kalamazoo College students in the Principles of Marketing class this fall worked virtually with small businesses to boost their marketing plans during the pandemic."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Small Businesses Needed Help, K Students Responded"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#website","url":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/","name":"News and Events","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8b54e37c984840c05e9ec797b6616166","name":"Andy Brown","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a85189587f7af74a5efd2cb4233df125?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Andy Brown"},"description":"As the Director of News and Social Media, Andy shares the stories that distinguish Kalamazoo College through social media, the Web and the news media. Contact him at abrown@kzoo.edu.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/contact-us\/"]}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"Andy Brown","author_link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/author\/abrown\/"},"guten_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses-150x84.jpeg",150,84,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses-300x169.jpeg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses-600x338.jpeg",600,338,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"ab-block-post-grid-landscape":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"ab-block-post-grid-square":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"pl-blogpost-landscape":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"pl-blogpost-square":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"guten_post_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"guten_post_layout_portrait_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"guten_post_layout_square_large":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",1200,675,false],"guten_post_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"guten_post_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"guten_post_layout_square":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false],"campus-posts-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",300,169,false],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",300,169,false],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",400,225,false],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses.jpeg",600,338,false]},"category_info":"<a aria-label=\"archive of category Students\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/students\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Students<\/a>","tags_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/business\/\" rel=\"tag\">business<\/a>","social_share_info":"<a data-share=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\" class=\"pl-facebook-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook-f\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\" class=\"pl-twiiter-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/small-businesses\/\" class=\"pl-linkedin-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin-in\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>","wordExcerpt_info":"<figure id=\"attachment_14068\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14068\" style=\"width: 491px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-14068\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2021\/01\/Helping-Small-Businesses-600x338.jpeg\" alt=\"Small Businesses\" width=\"491\" height=\"281\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14068\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kalamazoo College students in the Principles of Marketing class this fall worked virtually with small businesses to boost their marketing plans during the pandemic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With small businesses struggling in 2020, some Kalamazoo College business students accepted a call to build ideas that could help entrepreneurs locally and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/economics-business\/\">Business Management<\/a> Amy MacMillan challenged her Principles of Marketing class in the fall term to create real-life, actionable business plans that could assist business owners in persevering and even growing through the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was hoping to create a new experience that was right for this particular time, recognizing that the world is just not the same right now,\u201d MacMillan said. Teams of students were randomly assigned to small businesses, some with whom they had existing relationships, and others they were getting to know for the first time. Yet this is the first time one of MacMillan\u2019s classes worked virtually to help several businesses at once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes we\u2019ll pick one business and we\u2019ll have different teams competing against each other,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just felt like this moment was right for collaboration.\u201d To re-enforce this, she named the project \u201cPandemiK Partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, students\u2014sometimes meeting remotely across continents\u2014came up with recommendations that could help the businesses grow and presented those recommendations in a 25-minute Zoom meeting with the business leaders to conclude the course. Here are a few stories of their success.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Energetic Soul<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Vanessa Vigier \u201921, a business and international area studies major from West Bloomfield, Michigan, recommended that MacMillan approve her group\u2019s idea to work with Energetic Soul, a business near Detroit that\u2019s close to Vigier\u2019s heart and identity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnergetic Soul is a dance studio that focuses on Afro-Cuban dance, movement and fitness,\u201d she said, adding that she and her mom have participated in classes there before. \u201cI\u2019m actually of Afro-Cuban origin, so when I discovered this studio, I thought it was perfect. I was super excited when we were approved to work with them because I\u2019ve always wanted to see it expanded to people my age.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That idea to recruit younger clientele sparked Vigier and her group, gathering virtually from as far away as Vietnam, toward surveying young adults regarding what might prompt them to attend a dance class. They also outlined concepts for Instagram advertising and analyzed price models that could allow college students to attend.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt seemed like most of the people we surveyed wanted to have a social experience that would allow them to have fun,\u201d Vigier said. \u201cWe used that to create a plan of conducting individual group bonding sessions for student organizations, sports teams, Greek-letter organizations and dance teams. We felt the more Energetic Soul did these group bonding sessions, the more people would get a good taste of it and continue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sure enough, even a few in Vigier\u2019s group admitted they weren\u2019t thrilled with the idea of attending dance classes themselves before developing their plan, but that soon changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy the end, they were interested in taking a class,\u201d Vigier said. \u201cFor me, it was exciting because I really want people to try it, and the more people can learn about the business in unexpected ways, the more we can grow Cuban dance and make it more popular.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Honore Salon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Joshua Pamintuan \u201922, a business major from California, said he was a little intimidated to hear of a project like this one during a term in virtual learning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was a little hesitant because I\u2019ve never done anything so real-life oriented, where I\u2019m actually working with someone or a company outside of school,\u201d he said. \u201cProjects have been theoretical, but nothing had been quite so hands-on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet his team of students found a valuable experience working with <a href=\"http:\/\/honoresalon.com\/\">Honore Salon<\/a>, a team of stylists offering haircuts, styling, hair coloring, wax treatments and extensions in downtown Kalamazoo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonore Salon has a great team of staff and stylists,\u201d Pamintuan said. \u201cIt seems customers are very loyal and they\u2019re family oriented. That makes them successful with the community and the customers they have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With weekly meetings, Pamintuan and his team developed a plan to highlight those characteristics through social media. Surveys revealed Honore Salon customers typically use Facebook and Instagram, which could be used to develop repeat business.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur big objective for them is to increase comfortability with customers returning to their salon and building their social media presence through Facebook and Instagram,\u201d he said. \u201cTo fulfill those objectives, we recommended creating a COVID-walkthrough video so clients could see Honore is taking the right steps to ensure that safety is a priority. We also recommended turning their social media profiles into business accounts so they can gain analytics about who their followers are and better tailor the content they post, making it more personal. We want to see content that helps customers get to know their stylists, and content that is very digestible about their products.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A final presentation to the business included a video with a short skit of a business walk-through, slides and templates making social media content easier to create, and advice regarding data analytics to measure their success.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe technical skills I gained from this experience\u2014like coming up with a business proposal, collecting and analyzing data, and learning how to give a professional presentation\u2014will help when I transition into the business world,\u201d Pamintuan said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jaded CBD<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alexis Petty \u201923, a business and psychology double major from Otsego, Michigan, made her project a family affair by working with her peers on her sister\u2019s business, <a href=\"https:\/\/jadedcbd.com\/\">Jaded CBD<\/a> in New York City.<\/p>\n<p>That, however, didn\u2019t mean that coming up with a marketing plan for the business was easy. CBD oil is a product of a cannabis plant. It\u2019s different than THC and creates no high, but the Food and Drug Administration regulates what businesses can say about such products.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to be careful and disciplined with what you say and the claims you make,\u201d Petty said. \u201cSo much of the advertising for CBD oil is through personal stories using social media channels and social media influencers. It\u2019s non-addictive and there\u2019s no high. You don\u2019t get overly drowsy, and it\u2019s an anti-inflammatory that can help relieve stress and provide a better night\u2019s sleep, although you can\u2019t necessarily make these claims on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Petty and her group limited their talking points to CBD oil being non-GMO, vegan, cruelty-free, lab tested and safe for a consumer\u2019s body, although a survey of Jaded CBD clients nurtured other ideas for the business including a subscription plan for clients and a new product.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, they only have a bigger bottle with 30 milliliters,\u201d she said. \u201cWe implemented what we found in the survey by recommending a bottle being available at a third of the size for a third of the price.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jaded CBD is in the process of implementing the smaller size, along with some advertising concepts recommended by Petty and her partners, and a chewable product of the business\u2019s own development. Despite some challenges, including one group member being in China this term and another consistently traveling between Chicago and Kalamazoo, Petty and her partners received positive feedback.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarketing is definitely an attractive field,\u201d Petty said. \u201cI was blessed with the group we had and I was happy to work with a small business to develop it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bilbo\u2019s Pizza<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mackenzie Maiorano \u201922, a business major from Commerce Township, Michigan, approached MacMillan about allowing her group to work with Maiorano\u2019s employer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bilbospizza.com\/\">Bilbo\u2019s Pizza<\/a>. The Kalamazoo restaurant is known for handmade pizzas and craft beer, and is named for the character in J.R.R. Tolkien books.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was nervous about working with the place where I\u2019m employed,\u201d Maiorano said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to overstep any boundaries. It was kind of intimidating at first. But when we started talking with the team, it was easier than I anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her group made three primary recommendations to her manager including revamping the business\u2019s social media presence toward more frequent and personal posts, re-centering its marketing messages toward college-age students, and conducting a College Night at the restaurant. Restaurant closures forced by the pandemic have paused efforts to implement those suggestions, although Maiorano is ready to recommend that she serve as a social media intern for Bilbo\u2019s when it reopens.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think this project was intended to benefit the community by helping college students and helping Bilbo\u2019s get more business,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I talked to people about my project, they said, \u2018we love Bilbo\u2019s and we\u2019d love to see them get more business.\u2019 We\u2019re hoping after they reopen and we do the College Night, we\u2019ll have a spike in the sales from having more college students go. The manager loved our ideas and I think we impressed him. He wanted me to present it to everyone who works there. I told him that\u2019s kind of scary, but I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Roche Collection Winery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Baylee Bacheller \u201922, a business and history major from Constantine, Michigan, overcame some early hesitation with her group to create a plan for Roche Collection Winery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely thought this class would be more about reading text books and lectures,\u201d Bacheller said. When Professor MacMillan told us we\u2019d be in groups, it was kind of scary, but it quickly turned into something really cool. It was exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The winery is in the process of opening a tasting room in downtown Kalamazoo. The business\u2019s website says it develops contemporary, delicious and luxury Michigan wine collections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur objective was to try to bring exposure to the tasting room and making it an environment where customers feel welcome,\u201d Bacheller said. \u201cWe have recommended they do Facebook advertising so she could hone in on target audiences with different demographics, a billboard in Kalamazoo, and specialty nights that target women age 30 to 50. The one we were really suggesting was Ladies\u2019 Nights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The business was receptive to the survey students conducted through people in the Kalamazoo area, who could be prospective clients. The winery could have some stiff competition, although the students were able to help develop a plan for it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll see how the tasting room opening goes,\u201d she said. \u201cWe were able to make a really good connection with the owner and she was receptive to our ideas. Hopefully, we can find out whether she was successful. What sets the Roche Collection and the tasting room apart is the warm atmosphere and welcoming environment. The new tasting room will have table-top seating and a warm, welcoming environment for all ages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the end, the class helped Bacheller change her mind regarding a possible future in marketing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wasn\u2019t a fan of marketing coming into the class, but this is something I learned to like,\u201d she said. \u201cI really enjoyed this project and it helped me see the value for what it is,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt even if just one singular sentence we said helped the business, it was worth it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Intentional Yoga<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the opportunity to nurture a small business in the Principles of Marketing class came along, Jake Nugent \u201922 was excited to recommend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intentionalyoga.com\/\">Intentional Yoga<\/a> of Kalamazoo to Professor MacMillan and his work group. He\u2019s a client there himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re very community oriented and it\u2019s a place where I thrive,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m all about bringing people together and they have aspects of what I really value in life. Yoga is very grounding to me. Whenever I\u2019m super stressed, it\u2019s where I go to be present in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The business specializes in hot yoga, which takes place in a 100-degree room that enhances sweating. Before the pandemic, Intentional Yoga conducted several 60- to 75-minute group sessions per week with a broad clientele, ranging from college students to seniors. It now conducts online sessions with in-person group exercise classes being suspended in Michigan.<\/p>\n<p>After meeting with a co-owner, Nugent and his group went to work on making recommendations for Intentional Yoga\u2019s email marketing and outreach to college students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe made a survey that we sent to current clientele,\u201d Nugent said. \u201cWe learned they needed to be more personable with their email, so we gave them the idea of including a 30-second video with a class instructor in each email. We also thought they could do a monthly destress week with an online class that college students could attend online for free.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a loyal customer base maintaining their memberships throughout the pandemic, the business is on solid footing, yet eager to implement the recommendations Nugent and his team made to emphasize that yoga is for everybody. Nugent found that news, and the class itself for that matter, to be rewarding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you go into marketing, this is something you would have to do,\u201d Nugent said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I really value in a class. I\u2019m good at reading books, but that doesn\u2019t really drive me. I would say this project took a lot of people out of their comfort zone and it drove me to find answers for this business. I looked at this not just as a project, but as something I could keep doing in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meaningful Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As students worked with businesses virtually to develop their plans, the experience in many ways reflected the new reality many professionals are facing with increased telework and new ways of communicating across organizational and geographical boundaries. It also provided an opportunity to support small businesses in a meaningful way. \u201cWith virtual teaching, I wanted to create something that had real meaning for us, and also something that could help us feel good about what we\u2019re doing,\u201d MacMillan said.<\/p>\n<p>Helping students develop their skills and build confidence in their own abilities was another important outcome of the course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like a coach, trying to bring out the best in people. You want students to bring their experiences to life, and you want them to believe in themselves and believe in their ability to present confidently, to tackle a problem strategically,\u201d MacMillan said.<\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14060"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19675,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14060\/revisions\/19675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14060"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=14060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}