CLAREMONT — Production was in full swing at The Cardinal Corner inside the Sugar River Valley Technical Center on a Friday morning in October.
Some students are setting up the ink press machine to imprint a black-and-white version of the Cardinal logo on athletic shirts. Nearby, sophomore Harmony Pierson threaded a computerized embroidery machine that stitches the red, black, white and yellow Cardinal logo on beanies and in another area of the store, Max Acero stamped the same logo on caps.
In about a week, the nine students in Zack Thomas’ Entrepreneurship I class plan to open their store, which sells Stevens High School and tech center themed apparel. Through the store, students will learn the basics of starting and running a business. Grants were used to purchase equipment and inventory to start The Cardinal Corner. The course, which is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors, goes beyond lectures and textbook discussions to a practical application where students get hands-on experience with a business startup.
During the one-year course, students will buy inventory, add Stevens logos on clothing, track expenses, revenues and inventory, determine pricing, maintain financial records and learn other tasks associated with running their newly formed business.
“The store is the center of everything,” Thomas, who graduated from Stevens in 2008, said before the start of class.
The students conduct price comparisons to decide what to purchase and put together order sheets. They also keep track of inventory lists and go over how to keep business records.
“We talk about margins. We talk about budgeting,” Thomas said. “They do all the designs so everything from start to finish is them.”
“Against All Odds” and “We Play On” are emblazoned on clothing hanging on racks that were welded together by Brady Little, who also is in a building trades class at the tech center. The pithy statements are in response to cuts in August by the School Board and SAU administration of funding for all extracurricular activities because of a deficit and cash flow crunch. The students and community have been left to raise money on their own.
“At the start of the school year we were not sure if we would have a season,” said junior John Frisbee, a member of the football team, who took the course to see if pursuing business is something wants to consider. “So we are fundraising against all odds.”
“They wanted in on the fight and this is what they came up with,” Thomas said.
Prices range from $10 to $25, depending on the item. Students have already sold items at Stevens sporting events this fall. There are plans to sell their wares at basketball games and other Stevens events, including concerts and theater productions.
“Going to the high school games, they get a feel for the market, and what people are willing to pay, or not pay,” Thomas said, before the brief daily “team meeting” where everyone decides what they will be doing during the 90-minute class. “We have had some success with some items and others we have had to adjust our prices.”
Senior Elli Girard, 17, spent a part of the class creating a price sheet as she reviewed the cost of each item in the inventory. Students have to also include the cost of ink and other expenses before deciding on a price. The Entrepreneurship course is giving her valuable insights into owning a business, perhaps in interior design, after graduation, Girard said.
“I thought this was a good start to figure out what it is all about and give me the basics on starting a business,” she said.
Majeer Ahmed, 16, a sophomore, was in charge of quality control. He operated the drying machine with a wide, slow moving belt. Once the shirts come off the ink press, they are laid on the belt and the ink dries as the shirts move through the machine individually. When they come out the other side, Ahmed checked each one for imperfections. Items that pass inspection go in one box, those that don’t go in a separate box to be sold at a lower price.
“I think relationship management is what I am learning most about,” Ahmed said. “I need to know what others are doing so I can do my job better.”
While technology has led to a lot of changes, especially in advertising and selling, that can help budding entrepreneurs start a small business, one constant remains: keeping track of expenses and revenues is vital to long term success.
Thomas said he tries not to micromanage the students, but does watch the finances closely and emphasizes the importance to his class of always being aware of where the business stands financially.
“If they take nothing else from this class, I want them to know that if you have a budget, you have to stick to your budget,” Thomas said. “If you don’t track your money and think you have money you don’t have it is going to tenfold on you before you know it and you are in a world of trouble.”
It is a lesson the students are learning firsthand as the Claremont School District struggles with cash flow and a $5 million deficit after years of fiscal mismanagement that went unnoticed.
Sales at fall sporting events resulted in a few hundred dollars profit and the money is being plowed back into the business to buy more inventory, Thomas said. A rug kit that will have the Cardinal logo stitched on it was expected in October and Thomas said they will consider branching out into jackets and socks, along with bringing in items that represent the middle and elementary schools.
The Cardinal Corner cannot borrow money, but Thomas hopes to give students some insight into business loans, interest rates and equity as collateral on a field trip to Claremont Savings Bank.
The tech center also offers an Entrepreneurship II elective and students who successfully complete both courses earn nine credits in business administration that are transferable to state schools including the University of New Hampshire, Keene State College, Plymouth State University and River Valley Community College.
Thomas said with the current tough times for the school district he hopes the store sends a broader message beyond selling clothing.
“Looking from the outside, the news does not look good,” Thomas said. “We want to bring life back into the school system. We are all proud to be from here.”
Items can also be purchased at The Cardinal Corner during popup hours, which are posted to the technical center’s Facebook page: “Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center- Claremont NH- New.” Students are also exploring starting an online store.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
