The RBE experience was very refreshing, and helped further improved my business acumen. I learned many new things over this semester. Learning the importance of market strategy, promotion, how to use financial data and apply them to real business experiences.
Our team worked very well together. We came up with a good idea, which we felt would work in the Butler university environment. We need regularly each week, and often worked several hours on assignments and presentations together. We worked particularly well on our business plan which we scored 49.5 out of 50, which was a big highlight of the semester for me. Our team worked professionally but we also had a lot of fun, and enjoyed each others company.
From a professional/career perspective, this class was fantastic for me. It gave me an insight into all aspects of real life business. Taking this class has given me the tools I need to further my business acumen, and hopefully this leads to business success for me.
All in all, my experience with V-Club Vending Hot Beverage was pleasing.
Ross Clarke
Olivia Lahr
Going into RBE, I did not know what to expect. At first, I had heard it was very hard and was expecting to struggle through the class. However, I grew as a person while learning course content at the same time. I also strengthened my professional and career development throughout the semester.
First, I increased self development by embracing change. Most people have the perception that change is a bad thing, and I used to have the same belief. The fear of the unknown holds people back from using change to make positive transformations in their lives. The business world is constantly changing, and this is something I must accept now. I also increased self development by improving my communication skills throughout the semester. We were required to give many presentations and in order to effectively get our point across, this required good communication skills. There was a clear improvement in each of the groups throughout the semester. Learning to have fun with my group was also an improvement to my self development. We had to spend a lot of time together as a group throughout the semester and it was a much more enjoyable experience getting to know my group members and having fun together.
Second, I strengthened my professional and career development by learning how to get an investor interested in my business. It is important to appeal to his or her emotions in order to get them as excited to invest in your company as you are about running it. I also strengthened my professional development by making meaning. I made meaning this semester by going forward with a business I was excited about and I thought would do well. In the end, it was rewarding to be approved for our requested amount and made it feel like all the hard work was worth it.
Overall, RBE was a very good experience and helped me grow as a person in a positive way. The key takeaways I got to experience firsthand prepared me for the business world and gave me an insight of what to expect in the future
Jonathan VanderVeen
I had also heard that RBE was not a very difficult course before going into it. However, it became very clear that the course was difficult in that it goes beyond conceptually planning a business and requires skills that will be extremely useful in the real world. It is one thing to come up with a business plan on paper but an entirely different thing when you are seeking funds to launch it. Proving that the business would be successful demands a higher level of commitment and personal performance.
Presenting to the funding board was an aspect of the course that was extremely realistic to the real world and ultimately gave me some real life experience within business. Personally, I felt the business was a great idea and had maximum potential for success. The ability to show that to a funding board in the short time provided was a real challenge. Just because the numbers may look great, doesn’t mean the board will feel confident overall about the business. It was essential to be confident in the presentation and convey that you knew the business completely. Presentation and enthusiasm is so essential to convincing other people about the opportunity your business is bringing to the table. Those are skills that will be valuable throughout a business career.
The course gave me an opportunity to gain the some of the skills required in a real business setting. As of now, I can confidently say it has been the most useful course I have taken so far at Butler.