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Kami Pace, Travis Bland and Angel Simpson plan an advertising strategy with SIFE member James Greer.
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A good idea, lots of ambition and the desire to succeed are attributes that many people have; however, when a person uses them to create a new business, then an entrepreneurial spirit is born. To encourage and help students in their business pursuits, BYU-Idaho’s chapter of the Students In Free Enterprise program is available.
According to the SIFE Web site, SIFE.org, SIFE allows “students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise, thereby improving the standard of living for millions in the process.”
SIFE is partly a class and partly a society. Members are divided into teams that work on different projects throughout the semester. SIFE’s president, Celeste Burndorfer, a senior from Calgary, Alberta, has been involved in the society for three years. One of her favorite projects has been working with the junior business club at Madison Elementary School. The SIFE teams developed a program that helped kids start their own businesses.
The society loaned the children money, taught them principles of business, then let them make their own businesses and eventually pay back the loans. “One of the kid’s companies is still running. It’s called Sweettooth; the kids make sweets, like rice crispy treats, and sell them,” Burndorfer said.
“SIFE is really a great opportunity for students to get involved and develop leadership skills. You can take what you’re learning in the classroom and apply it to real world settings. It also allows you to set yourself apart from the competition because of your experience,” Burndorfer said.
Teams in SIFE also compete in competitions. The group plans on competing in regionals this year and hope to make it to nationals. The regional competition is April 6-9 and the national competition is May 22-24.
Members of SIFE are involved in teaching people better business sense, while building upon what they already know. Branden Brown, a freshman from Seattle, Wash., joined SIFE this semester. He has already gone to a retreat to meet with the leaders of SIFE. The best thing about participating in SIFE is “being able to learn things that are going to be a benefit to your career.”
“SIFE helps me apply what I learn in class to the real world. It will help me get comfortable with the transition of school to work,” Katie MacCabe, a junior from Richmond, Va., said.
According to Marcus Meeter, a sophomore from Dublin, Ohio, and future president of the BYU-Idaho division of SIFE, it is not too late to join the society this semester. Things are beginning to wind down as the group prepares for competition, however, now is an opportune time for those who really want a flavor of what the club is like to join. He stressed that it’s never to late to join.
SIFE meets every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the Joseph Fielding Smith Building room 220.
