In a tough economy, small businesses and organizations may have a difficult time creating exposure for their brands in order to increase sales, while many adults choose to go back to school and pursue additional degrees to increase their knowledge base.
These two sectors were combined at DeVry University, as senior students were tasked with solving a real-life issue faced by a small business or nonprofit, in terms of rebranding the company, creating more exposure and/or enhancing advertising efforts.
The students, from the North Brunswick and Paramus campuses of DeVry, presented their findings during the Senior Project Showcase in North Brunswick on Oct. 18.
“This is a wonderful day,” said Chris Grevesen, DeVry University’s New Jersey Metro President. “All colleges market ... what I call ‘talking the talk.’ … This is ‘walking the walk.’ These are demonstrable outcomes. You have produced deliverable results.”
Showing their green thumbs, Elizabeth Wagner, Mark Skop, Sabrina Beckham, Steven Kortbawi and Mohamed El-Hakeem advised the owners of J.P. Services, Inc. in Milltown on how to increase their customer base.
Though the company has been in business for years, they reached a “stumbling block” when it came to their marketing plan, Wagner said.
“They didn’t advertise properly. They used door hangers and signs on the truck,” she said.
So, the team created brochures, postcards, flyers and a website to enhance J.P.’s exposure. Over a 24-week period, from May to October, the students also provided a software program that handles financial information and can create three-dimensional representations of landscaping design plans.
“We’re expecting them, in the next five years, to come out of the Milltown area and cover the entire Brunswick area,” Wagner said.
There were some challenges along the way, such as dealing with competitors in the market, and training the owners of J.P. on how to use the software, Wagner said, but overall, the education provided at DeVry helped the seniors to overcome these challenges.
“Our professors are great here,” Wagner said.
Several other groups assisted business owners from around the area.
Allison Cramer, Asif Sattar, Chris Sanchez, David Sweatte and Shalonda Mosely created a website, a social media marketing plan, and an accounting plan software package solution for Sherry Rubel Photography in South Brunswick. The Fair Haven Garden civic organization received a newly designed website to allow the gardens to share information and strengthen community interaction through news updates, a forum, a photo gallery and a garden map, all designed by Chris Raevis, Meagen Fitzpatrick, Paolo Poblador, Daniel Kornegay and Clinton Dodge.
Vincenzo’s Home Technologies in Monroe sought the assistance of Joe Sciscione, Thomas Pielli, John Covello, Svitlana Samsonova and Michelle Hall to create marketing, operations and financial plans, a website, and accounting solutions to provide quality home technology solutions in the home environment for its customers.
Carol Sosa, Deesha Kumar, Faziea Hakk, Kyle Kirschner and Bright Asamoah worked for Cosmic Blends, a juice bar in Edison. They created a detailed business plan and future financial forecast for the next three years to assist in finding a potential investor and help the company eventually franchise.
Daisy Figueroa, Bruce Casazza, Alisha Wilks, Yasmin Watson and Benjamin Mushailov developed a market plan for On the Square Woodworking in Howell, a parttime business that focuses on handmade carpentry. The goal was to enhance the exposure in the community so the sole proprietor could make this his full-time business.
Cantrece Beauty Shop in North Brunswick utilized the experience of Ramon Melo, Zohaib Shah, Savio Fernandes, Hector Rodriguez and John Matias to create a marketing plan, strategy to edge the competition, website and software to help improve sales and customer traffic.
Kristen Aikens, Jill Pierson, Kelli Collazo, Marie Tarleki and Ruben Figueroa teamed up with Apna Punjab Cultural Society of New Jersey in Cranbury to devise a marketing plan, integrated brand promotion, fundraising plan, and website to help attract new members.
David Herrera, Rupal Jadeja, Gilma Marquez, Olivia Rahim and Wanda Suarez provided a financial plan for cash flow analysis for Social Magazine, a new New Jersey based publication that focuses on the lifestyles of New Jersey residents age 20 to 45.
Stephen Piccirillo, Jared Zaraza, Ryan Treanor, Kyle Peskosky, Molley Kasso, Randy Havens and Richard Snell revamped Lisa E. Halpern’s law office in Toms River by installing higher quality networking devices to improve communications.
The Pam Lewis Salon in Manville benefited from the knowledge of Megan Crandle, Samantha Veira, Serena Lee, Jacklyn DeLeon and Christina Cuffaro, who developed a marketing plan, matrix for expansion, accounting information system, and web design for the salon.
“It’s interesting working in a team atmosphere, working to get one goal done,” Mark Skop said.
To prove to the students how their education will prove fruitful in the future, alumnus Dan Becker gave the keynote address.
An employee of GE Healthcare and the vice president of the DeVry Alumni Association, Becker chronicled his time from being a student to becoming responsible for medical equipment that is worth around $500,000.
“My journey started that day,” he said of graduating from the Atlanta campus of DeVry in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology.
However, while he was waiting during the ceremony to receive his diploma, Becker said it dawned on him that there would be no more homework, no more tests, no more quizzes — but also, no job lined up.
He said within two months of returning home to New Jersey, he got a job with an industrial control company in Eatontown as a sales engineer. However, inspired by a visit to his father in a hospital when he was a young boy, he knew the medical field was more desirable to him.
“I needed the education. I needed to learn how to work on equipment,” he said. “DeVry taught me the survival skills.”
Becker said DeVry provided him with an entire book filled with companies located in New Jersey, so he perused through the medical section. In March of 1985, he began calling GE Healthcare’s secretary constantly. He was finally told in September that there would be open interviews held the next week.
From 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the interview day, Becker said he waited without being granted an interview. As the management team was leaving, a representative asked him why he was still there. Becker was granted a last-minute interview, but had to wait to hear if he was the chosen candidate.
To read the full article written by Jennifer Amato, please visit The North Brunswick Sentinel's website.
