Mints with Customized Package Business Raised $14,523 for Habitat for Humanity

Babson College freshmen earned over $36,000 for charitable organizations while learning the fundamentals of business.

As part of the school’s required full-year course entitled Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME), teams of first-year students began developing their business plans in September 2006. While they learned the nuts and bolts of inventing, developing, launching, managing, and liquidating a business, they were putting the lessons into real world practice.

In January the students launched 15 ventures which reaped $36,225 in profits for selected charities. In addition to running their businesses, the students donated their time and resources to local community service agencies of their choice.

• FreshMynts sold mints in packages with customizable message for business promotion and fundraising, donating this year’s top amount of $14,523 to Habitat for Humanity.
• Babottlessold plastic bottles with a compartment for holding keys, cards and phones, and the Babson logo. They donated $3730 to Special Olympics.
• Three One Promotions promoted club events for businesses, holding jewelry design parties. Lwala Clinic/Community Servings was the recipient of their $3395 profit.
• Skinsanity sold iPod ‘skins’ customized with a logo or emblem. They earned $2772 for The Valerie Fund.
• Buzz 2O, a healthy alternative to high caloric energy drinks and beverages for colleges and businesses in the Boston area, donated $2272 to Special Olympics.
• Univators sold aviator sunglasses with theme-based decals to individuals, organizations, and businesses. They donated $2210 to Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore.

The businesses below collectively earned $7318 that they donated to their charities:

• The Birds and the Tees sold custom t-shirts for fundraising, etc. at discount prices; for the Wellesley Council on Aging.
• College Saver sold advertising space to companies doing business with college students; for The Nativity School of Worcester.
• Mug Shotz specialized in plastic mugs with quick freezing liquid and Babson logos; for Cradles to Crayons.
• DecaWall provided self-adhesive wall decals; for Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.
• Poseidon Filters sold the H2GO water bottle with a built in filter for tap water; for Cradles to Crayons.
• Custom Cards printed postcards for marketing purposes; The Citizen Schools.
• Groceries2Go was a grocery delivery service on campus that offered snacks and beverages; Harvard Square Meals.
• Poster Ink made printed posters from collated photos, drawings, and/or poems and writings that customers upload to their website; The Charles River ARC.
• Easy Furnishings sold inflatable furniture for the on-campus college student; Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

Over the past nine years, Babson FME businesses have raised over $285,000 which has been donated to local, regional and national non-profit organizations.

FME has been recognized by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) as the number one “Innovative Entrepreneurship Education Course” in the country.