Student-Run Business Provides Career Stepping Stones

Ty Deschamp and Kimberly Williams, students in the College of Business and Economics, are gaining hands-on management experience as managers of a student-run store.

Deschamp, an information systems major from Coeur d’Alene, and Williams, a sophomore in psychology and management and human resources from Beaverton, Ore., manage The Biz, the campus’s only student-operated store. Nestled in the basement of the J.A. Albertson’s building and owned by the University of Idaho Bookstore, The Biz provides a quick stop for last-minute supplies, such as calculators, pens, zip-drives, magazines, snacks and drinks.

Deschamp, who graduated last May, has worked at the store since 2005 and has been the store manager for the past two years. Williams is the manager-in-training, and will become the new manager this fall.

“It’s not often a student can say they are their own boss while working in college,” said Deschamp.

Managing a staff of seven part-time students, maintaining purchase orders and billing statements, and figuring out what products will sell can be a challenging task for Deschamp, who said the job includes a lot of marketing, attention to detail and organization.

“A lot of what I have learned has been through trial and error,” he said. “It is a challenge to find what products students will buy, and what items to carry with a limited amount of space.”

Deschamp said the store has yet to make a profit, mostly in part to its awkward basement location and lack of publicity. Because the store is not allowed to compete with other bookstores locations and Sodexho campus foods, Deschamp said the store mainly relies on word-of-mouth for awareness. Last year, he said the store increased sales by 70 percent, and for the first time, brought in enough revenue to cover the costs.

Deschamp said his management experience helped prepare him for his project management position at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which he began in June. He says his favorite experiences from working at The Biz are, “seeing sales increase last year, and growing with the store throughout the past three years.”

Deschamp said he believes Williams will make a good manager because of her enthusiasm and willingness to learn throughout the training. Williams said she is excited to see how the business will run under her management. “I want to create more awareness of our location, and help make the store’s first profit,” she said.

Williams worked for the main bookstore last summer, and decided to apply for the management position at The Biz in January. After changing her major from general studies to a double major in psychology and management and human resources, Williams said this position is a good stepping-stone to her future career goals.

“This experience will help me learn how to manage, and make decisions for myself,” she said. “There are so many different opportunities to take in college, and I wanted to give this one a shot.”

“I’m still young, but I am getting the hang of it,” said Williams. “I’m just taking the steps I need to become a good manager for this team.”