BusOne Market showcases first year BBA entrepreneurial talent

First year BBA students put their business knowledge into practice and raised funds for United Way at the fourth annual BusOne Market.

270 first year students from the Beedie School of Business’ BusOne program utilized their entrepreneurial skills and put business theories into practice to raise funds for local charity United Way at the fourth annual BusOne Market.

The BusOne Market was held on November 13, and raised a total of $5,686.50. For the first time this year, the market took place at the Burnaby Campus’ Convocation Mall, after previously been held at the Surrey Campus mezzanine.

Student team “Moustache Movement” won the prize for individual team fund raising by selling Movember-branded shirts, with each team member awarded with a customized Beedie jacket for their efforts.

With no access to electricity or water at their event tables, students were required to come up with creative solutions to work around the limitations. The students displayed a wide variety of products such as baked goods and sweets, personalized mugs, and mug cake mixes, as well as themed photo booths and games.

“The BusOne Market has become an annual tradition at the Beedie School of Business, and presents a wonderful opportunity for first year students to put their business knowledge to the test in a practical setting,” says Jaclyn De Jong, BusOne Program Facilitator. “The BusOne program has proven to be an invaluable tool in helping students transition from high school to university, and the products on display at the market this year showcased the exceptional entrepreneurial talent we are nurturing here.”

One of the teams, “Baking a Difference”, opted to sell mugs and mug cake mixes at their booth. In addition to securing a 50 percent discount from Ikea for their mugs, the team utilized the knowledge gained from their marketing classes to attract customers, designing and printing flyers and posters, and attaching cards to the mixes.

“We decided to go all out because it is for a good cause, and of course we are hoping to win and to get the prize,” said team member Annie Yang. “More importantly, this project is similar to a zero startup business. The skills I’ve gained from the whole business planning process such as predicting sales volume, working within a group, marketing tactics, and time arrangement can be applied to my future career.”

Now in its fourth year of operation, the BusOne program supports first year students as they transition from high school to university. The program provides a series of weekly workshops designed to develop skills that are invaluable to students’ success at the Beedie School of Business, as well as opportunities to be involved in experimental business opportunities.

For more information about the BusOne program, visit https://beedie.sfu.ca/busone/about/

Click here to view photos of the BusOne Market.