News Reporter
Starting Dec. 14 The Point will close down for winter break. The student-run business’ current plan is to open a week before school starts in preparation for the spring semester.
“We tested with Thanksgiving break to show the people who wanted to stay open what really was going to happen,” Danny Nitti, the General Manager of The Point, said. “We want to stay in business as long as we can, but it’s just not very feasible.”
During Thanksgiving break, the majority of campus went home, which caused a major loss in customers for the business. Managers at The Point predict winter break will generate similar outcomes.
“I was against being closed at all because I think we are a functioning business. You don’t just shut down,” Georgann Jouflas, the faculty advisor for The Point, said. “On the other hand, trying to figure out the budget, we don’t have that much money. We really need to regroup and get this marketing thing going.”
The largest problem that The Point has right now is that they have only been in business for a month. The costs of starting a business and then building a solid customer following are high.
“We aren’t making enough money to overcome our payroll,” Jouflas said. “The food costs are fine, but our payroll is just expensive. That’s typical of a startup business.”
To solve this issue, The Point’s management team is working on a business model for next semester.
“We didn’t want to advertise really heavily for the community then be closed down for winter break – give them the cold shoulder,” Nitti said. “So what we chose to do was not advertise to the local business for the most part.”
Another proposed solution is to host a J-term class that would run the business and create a plan for the upcoming semester.
“Everybody started mid-semester, and everybody was so busy with classes that they didn’t have time for anything else,” Jouflas said. “[The class} would be developing and implementing, so when people are working there during the semester it’s easy for them to continue implementing it.”
Jouflas would like to get a variety of students into the class because they bring an alternative perspective to the business. To run, the class would need about eight to ten students.
“They can call me if they want to be a part of the class. I think it would be a fun thing for those people who don’t have enough time and that want to learn some business things,” Jouflas said.
For more information about the possible class, contact Jouflas at (970)260-9500.
jkirk@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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