EDGE

Economic Development Gained through Empowerment
Empowering start-ups and small businesses to develop into financially sustainable entities in a dynamic business environment based on a needs assessment.

Seeing Opportunity

We have a passion for helping business owners discover solutions to their needs while teaching them the essential tools required to maintain progress.It is a win-win situation for the clients and students! EDGE represents community engagement for educational purposes and community gain. Through entrepreneurial action the students are obtaining real-life experience from implementation of the knowledge learned from courses.

Taking Action: Current Projects

Siri Thai Cuisine Food Truck

Roots

Growth

Our team developed a business plan for Bo in the Spring of 2017. Bo is a native of Thailand and grew up working in her family's restaurant. She wanted to bring this passion to her new life in the states. When we came back together as a team after summer, her truck was purchased and she was ready to go.

After surveying the campus and community we selected the name "Siri Thai Cuisine." Our team found locations for her to serve at, created social media accounts, developed marketing strategies, and her truck was designed and wrapped. As the workload got larger, Bo decided she needed an employee to help out. Our team developed job descriptions, hiring processes and job postings using traditional and non-traditional means to eventually hire an employee!

Impact

Bo has been regularly serving at 8 locations, despite the cold weather. As the seasons change we hope to establish more locations and help her to become even more profitable.

El Molcajete

Roots

Alma has an established take out restaurant in Dunkirk, NY. She has a talent for producing great tasting food, and makes customers feel at home in her warm and welcoming restaurant atmosphere. Though, she lacked business experience, which led her to be taken advantage of by untrustworthy consultants.

Impact

We developed a website, social media strategy, and promotional efforts to begin getting more customers through the doors. We developed events such as brunches on Saturdays and got the word out through a flyer and distribution system, social media push, and extensive word-of-mouth marketing. We also developed Molcajete Mondays, which offers a discount to students on Mondays when they show their student IDs.

Growth

Saturday revenue increased by 86%, and we saw an 85% increase in covers. Her 739 instagram engagements contributed to getting more customers through the door.

Our work with Alma is not done yet. She continues to face hurdles, such as the loss of her liquor license, and having to close her doors and lose customers. We plan to continue to work with her to make her business eventually sustainable.

Rusterior Design

Our client Carrie, a former Fredonia graduate, launched Rusterior Design. This startup screen printing business makes products such as shirts, hoodies, hats, baby onesies, coasters and more. Her products were designed beautifully, but they weren't getting the attention they deserved. When Carrie and EDGE met at the Fredonia Mini Maker's fare, we learned we could be more successful by working together. EDGE was able to create a set business plan for Carrie. We amplified social media sites to draw more awareness to Rusterior's brand. Information was taken from a purchase analysis survey we conducted to help meet additional customer wants. In the future we plan to shoot a video to market Carries upcoming airstream. Today, Carrie currently sells through Etsy and at display shows.

This year, we transitioned Carrie from Etsy to her own website, saving $700 in Etsy fees (per year). Today, Carrie now runs a profitable business. Her state is now considered sustainable, and she will be operating independently of EDGE, which is our end goal with all of our clients.

Buffalo Boss Babes

Buffalo Boss Babes, founded by Carrie, is a close-knit group of women that support each other in business and entrepreneurial endeavors. Our Enactus team shot a promotional video for them and also provided unique music.