The College's relatively small size and remote location may be contributing to the recent upsurge in student-run businesses, economics professor Christopher Snyder said. Dartmouth's environment and culture allow students who may one day work in the corporate world to gain practical hands-on experience in entrpreneurship, according to several students business owners interviewed by The Dartmouth.
Students on the campus listserv have likely noticed an upsurge in student-started and operated businesses, which range in services from bed rentals to noodle deliveries.
"Every campus has its own idiosyncrasies," Snyder said. "Who better to understand them than the students?"
Mike Chu '14, who founded the safe box rental company, Dartmouth Guard, with Charlie Sadaka '14, said Hanover's isolated location and absence of local competition make it feasible for students to start small businesses.
"If we were in a city, there would be a lot more small businesses for college students," Chu said. "Here we only have a small number of stores."
The smaller market, however, means that business owners are required to pay more attention to the specific needs of their customers, Chu said.
The College's small size has several benefits and drawbacks, according to Kevin Cox '13, co-founder of Rockefeller Beds which rents full-size beds and assembles the frames for consumers in their dorm rooms. While the size of the Dartmouth community and the campus' general accessibility make it easier for student business owners to manage their inventories, these factors conversely limit opportunities for expansion, Cox said.
Cox co-owns Rockefeller Beds with Chris De Souza '13, Christian Fisch '13, Ian Martin-Katz '13, Alex Murphy '13, Shea Smith '13, R.C. Willenbrock '13 and Chris Zhao '13.
Dartmouth's small size also allows businesses to gain control over niche markets and prevents competing businesses from flooding the market, according to Snyder.
"One difficulty with this kind of business is that if it's wildly successful, it can be easily imitated," he said, adding that it would be more likely for competitors to steal business ideas in larger cities like Boston.
The collaborative nature of Dartmouth's market economy reflects the College's "friendly" nature, Rob King '14, a co-owner of Evolving Vox, said. Evolving Vox founded by Jack Groetzinger '07 and Russell D'Souza '07 and currently owned by King, Aaron Absatz '13, Frazier Cavness '13, Ross Collins '14 and Dan Lentz '13 rents futons, beds and other dormitory items such as refrigerators.
"We're competitive from a business standpoint but we know all the other companies," King said. "If we sell out of something, we'll recommend them."
Dartmouth's quarter system may also contribute to the feasibility of managing small rental companies that might not be able to survive at other colleges, Snyder said.
"We have a different term structure," he said. "If the typical national chain is geared towards semesters, it's hard to service Dartmouth."
Because students are not necessarily on campus for consecutive terms, nationwide companies might not be able to accommodate students who only require rental products for a single term at a time and do not wish to pay full price for an item they will not use consistently, Snyder said.
The D-Plan is a "major" reason why Evolving Vox and other similar companies are able to exist and prosper on campus, King said.
"Instead of a whole year, there's a lot of turnover," he said. "Kids will be on one term and be off the next, so renting makes a lot of sense."
Chu emphasized that the experience of owning and operating one's own business is extremely valuable.
"The reason why people want to start businesses is not because they have a passion for the product but because they want the experience," Chu said. "[Sadaka and I] are interested in finance and particularly in investment we're ready to get our hands dirty."
Lentz is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
