The Burlington Free Press, Business Monday - April 10, 1995
Students Of The World – Undergrads Run Their Own Ventures
By Kristelle Angelli
Free Press Correspondent
Some Vermont students aren’t waiting until they graduate to start their own businesses. University of Vermont junior Bill Hopper is preparing to manage a painting company this summer, a venture that will help him gain managerial experience and earn extra money.
St. Michael’s College senior Sean O’Brien and sophomore Josh Buley have started a business they plan to continue after they graduate. O’Brien, 21, and Buley, 20, design and sell skateboards through their company, Logic. They order the boards through a company in California that makes them to O’Brien and Buley’s specifications. The pair then work with a silk screener who puts the students’ logos on the boards.
Hooper’s operation is a bit different. He is one of 100 students across the country managing painting businesses through University Painters, a branch of JZA Development Corp. that hires college students to run summer painting franchises.
To prepare for production, set to begin the second week in May, Hopper has been hiring crews, working out a budget, advertising and attending training workshops.
Students hire and run three to six crews of three. Hopper said he’s looking for workers who are dependable and punctual. He doesn’t require painting experience and expects to hire mostly college students.
“They’re hardworking and trend to be short of money,” he said.
Hopper said he’ll pay his workers $6 an hour plus bonuses.
Chris Clary, assistant director of career development at St. Michael’s College, said running a business requires skills that can help students succeed in any job. Students need to be creative, know how to market a product and how to develop costs.
O’Brien and Buley started in June with an idea and a few hundred dollars. In addition to skateboards, Logic sells T-shirts and hats with their logos. They would like to expand to other products such as snowboards. They are selling their products by word of mouth but hope to branch into sales to shops. “It’s difficult at this level to go full-scale with it._ Buley said. “We're both so busy with other things.”
The pair said they were making enough to keep the company running but not enough to pay off student loans.
For Hopper the initial costs of his business are covered by JZA, but he will give a portion of his earnings back to the corporation. University Painters covers the costs of lawn signs and direct mailing. It also gives student managers a $2,999 credit line so they can buy materials, said John Seeley, regional manager for JZA.
University Painters selects students that are responsible, hard working, and posses leadership qualities to run franchises, Seeley said.
“We’re talking a business that brings in a lot of money, and obviously we can’t just hire anybody,” he said.
Clary said that by running a business, students use managerial skills such as hiring, effective training and delegating responsibilities. “They learn how to take responsibility for themselves and those they employ,” she said.
Hopper will work exclusively in Essex, his hometown. “We want students to be in an area they’re really comfortable with,” Seeley said.
During the summer, Hopper expects to work about 60 hours a week. He estimates he’ll paint about 60 houses in Essex, which would mean about $50,000 in revenue, about $8,000 to $10,000 of which will be profit.
“There’s a lot of money in it for those who are successful,” Seeley said.
“O’Brien and Buley are optimistic about expanding and hope to attract investors. “It’s a growing industry,” Buley said. “People are getting away from traditional sports; more people are climbing rocks than throwing baseballs around.”
They thing their age is an advantage in an industry that caters to youth. “We’re young enough to be able to relate to the market we’re in,” Buley said. “Because were in the scene, we know what people what.”
They say running a business can be a good deal for students. “I find it’s a nice supplement to the education here. You can take the experience of the business and apply it to what you hear in class.” O’Brien said.
“We can design our education around what we’re doing,” Buley added.
In addition to earning extra money, Clary said that running a business could help a student get a job. Employers are impressed when they see that a student has run a business, she said. “They’ll ask about it if it's on a resume.”
“I think we're a step ahead of everybody else,” O’Brien said. "We're in the real world.”
