When I came into RBE this semester, I barely knew what I was getting into. coming into a new major this semester put me at a disadvantage from the start, but I absolutely knew I had made the right decision as I went forward with the semester and really grew and learned a lot, not only about business practices, but about myself as well. Little did I know that my idea to create a trail mix stand where anyone can create a custom snack on-the-go would actually become a reality and the basis of my entire Fall RBE experience.
This semester’s experience has been absolutely great for me. I, Kelsie Mitchell, filled the role of Chief Executive Officer. My position gave me a real look at running a coherent business. I was responsible for overseeing the preparations of my counterparts and compiling the final business plan. It was a somewhat stressful task, but rewarding nonetheless. It was a marathon of projects and very hard work, but I wouldn’t trade it, ever. The real-life experience that this program offers is invaluable, which is why I would talk it up to anyone. I am so lucky to be a part of a business program that offers its students such a fabulously real opportunity at a taste of professional business.
-Kelsie Mitchell
During this past semester I have learned some very valuable lessons on how to successfully run a business. One of my favorite aspects of the class was seeing our idea at the start of the class evolve into a functioning business that eventually was able to turn a profit. I acted as the Chief Financial Officer which means that I created all of the teams financial statements and sales forecasting. This was valuable real life experience on how to create financial documents. I also learned during our Proof of Concept selling period how to effectively market a brand. This class also reinforced communication and teamwork as factors that will always be a part of work in the business world. RBE is a phenomenal experience and I am glad that I was able to participate. This class was more than just a grade, it was a real shot at running a successful business.
-Libby Platau
At the beginning of the course I felt as if I had a little bit of background due to the fact that I had previously taken Freshman Business Experience last semester. I was mistaken; this merely meant that I had somewhat of an idea to expect in the beginning stages of a business, the preparation. In actuality, the running of a business rather than just preparing for one proved to be a great challenge. I say great challenge because this semester my team and I learned how to think on our feet, problem solve, and think creatively to reach a profit, a positive cash flow, a successful business. No one can predict what will happen when you try to run your business for the first time. Your team can prepare and try to predict to the best of their abilities, but when push comes to shove, unforeseen problems arise and there’s no definite way to predict how the target market will react to your business idea.
– Chelsea Kirkpatrick
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered RBE this past fall. Other business majors told me that RBE gave students the opportunity to create and run their own businesses with other COB majors, but since I was new to the College of Business I did not have a strong idea of what that meant—or of the people with whom I would partner. I could never have predicted that I would learn as much as I did. I feel like my understanding of the business world has increased astronomically since entering this class; words like revenue, profit margin, business plan, and investor pitch now bring to mind sharp memories of my experiences with The Snack Wagon. Moreover, I understand now how a business’s finances are connected to the marketing plan, the job of the CEO, and how important it is that all members of a team unite to accomplish a task. We came together to achieve a goal and thoroughly enjoyed the experience—business is fun when you do what you love! I’m so glad Butler had the foresight to include a program like this in the requirements for a major in Business.
I think the best part of this semester was learning how much fun it is to actually run a business. I was the Vice President of Marketing for The Snack Wagon. My responsibilities included conducting market research through assembling surveys and analyzing the results, and maintaining a running competitive analysis so we would understand our competition. I learned so much from these tasks. Running a business was definitely a great challenge, but one I believe we completely aced. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
–Marianne Richardson