Abigail Dunagan, Campus Carrier asst. arts and living editor
Last Saturday, the annual Spring Market took place on campus. The market was held on Memorial Drive between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. A wide variety of student vendors attended the event, including Student Enterprises and individual student lead businesses.
The Spring Market is organized by the Department of Student Enterprises. The event is an opportunity for student entrepreneurs to show their businesses. In the business department, students taking the Intro to Entrepreneurship class are required to start a small business and sell at the Spring Market. The businesses at this year’s market range from homemade sugar scrubs, candles, jewelry and coasters.
The Intro to Entrepreneurship class is taught by Dr. Paula Englis, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at Berry. The items sold at the market are all made by students. According to Englis, students were able to visit the Hackberry lab and use the equipment to come up with ideas and craft the items that they will sell.
“We have a wonderful partnership with Hackberry, and anyone on campus can go there and use the equipment that they have,” Englis said. “The students use that to come up with their ideas.”
Englis said that market has grown a lot over the years. It initially started with just the student enterprises, and later the event opened to student, faculty, and outside vendors. With the growth of new vendors and businesses, the event stretches along the entire road at the Clara Bowl.
Along with small student businesses, the student enterprises have tents at the market. The Berry Beef, Jersey Milk, and Seasons Harvest were just a few of the enterprises present this year. These enterprises sell items such as beef, cheese, and plants that are grown on campus.
Freshman Jessica DiQuattro works at Seasons Harvest. Seasons Harvest grows and sells potted plants and vegetables that are sold in the Shipyard and at various markets in Rome and at Berry. DiQuattro said the preparation process for the market involves setting potting and preparing plants to be sold and setting up the tent two hours before the market opens.
“My favorite part of the market is getting to see plants that I have potted and grown get sold to customers,” DiQuattro said.
Student Mallory Smith has a pop-up coffee shop called Rendebrew coffee. The pop-up offers a variety of iced coffee beverages, as well as lemonades. Smith participated in the Fall Market of last semester, as well as this years Spring Market.
“I really enjoy getting to see everyone’s individual coffee orders,” Smith said. “People’s personality really comes through with what they order.”
According to Smith, preparation for the market lasted around a month. The night before the market, there was a lot of work to do with ensuring stock of items and checking inventory. There is a lot of research involved in creating iced coffee recipes, and social media marketing is an important step in the weeks leading up to the market.
“The most challenging part of the of working at the market is making sure have enough stock items for the day,” Smith said.
Students participating in the market gain valuable business experience. The experience allows students to gain knowledge in entrepreneurship, as well as keeping an inventory and marketing their product.
Englis said that she loves seeing the variety and creativity with the businesses that students come up with. Every year, students come up with new ideas to sell at the market.
“Whether it’s painting, photography, or handmade items, there are always so many things,” Englis said. “The market is a great place to stock up on gifts.”
According to Englis, its really exciting to see the students come up with ideas in the classroom and bring them to life at the market. Students put a lot of work into their business throughout the class, and at the market they are able to set up a table and display their work.
“It’s like entrepreneurship in action,” Englis said. “You get to see their plans, their dreams and their visions in action. I love seeing students selling things that they are really passionate about.”
The market is a great opportunity for students because it goes beyond the Berry Bubble. Students, family members, friends and people from Rome attend the market to shop and purchase gifts.