BYU-Idaho business classes take real world experience to the next level
For several years now, Brigham Young University-Idaho business students have had to start a business as part of their core curriculum. In past years, students started companies that mainly stayed on campus. This year, students and professors decided to take it to the next level by moving their ideas online into the real world, running a real business with legitimate producers, buyers and sellers.
It’s the first time in the country that a university course involves starting up and running a fully functional business while still in school.
The company that students started is called tinnly.com. It’s an online store that sells custom-made home decor items. Most items are on-demand creations meaning their makers don’t start working until an order is placed. Tinnly.com officially launched only a few days ago, but people are already placing orders.
“It’s really cool to get that combination of seeing how everything works, but also directing and leading the company towards that goal,” said senior Cameron Lloyd.
Although Lloyd is the current CEO, he’s not the only one running the business. Nearly a dozen other students are part of the company filling positions that range from accounting to marketing to web support. It’s a chance for students to take what they learn in class and apply it right then and there.
“We have a few assignments on the side to help us learn the basics,” said Madison Andrus, the chief marketing officer. “Then we apply that to real life which is more valuable personally to me, so I can have experience for the future.”
The students said when the semester ends, the company will still operate. They plan to hire several students part time to run the company until classes start up again.
