You have probably seen the fliers around campus: \Before you go to the bars, go to MadBars.com,"" or ""Looking for a Sublet, Need to Sublet: BadgerSublets.com."" In the last two years, there has been a proliferation of student-run Web businesses here on campus. Offering everything from rides home to the Twin Cities to an online resource for those attempting to sublet or find a sublet, numerous online businesses have become popular in no time.
While establishing a traditional business in Madison takes an enormous amount of start-up capital, online businesses carry few similar costs. With some technical know-how, a good idea and a small amount of start-up cash, owning a Web-based business can be a reality.
Some of the problems that must be dealt with in the early stages of planning a Web business include finding a way to accept payment, designing the Web site and effectively advertising.
""With such a big campus, it is difficult to advertise your business in a cheap and effective manner. While we have occasionally taken out ads in the student newspapers, the majority of our advertising is done by putting fliers around campus,"" explained UW-Madison sophomore Michael Zusel, co-founder of BadgerSublets.com.
""It all started with an idea,"" explained Zusel. ""We saw just how ineffective the traditional subletting process was at UW and decided that Madison needed a cheap, effective, online resource to erase the hassles of the subletting process.""
His sentiment was echoed by the founders of several other local Web businesses.
""It really is about identifying a niche, something that is only a possibility if you are a student here on campus. You really have to know the area to be able to provide for it,"" explained UW-Madison junior Josh Saunders, co-founder of MadBars.com. ""There are so many bars here in Madison, each offering a unique atmosphere and yet, before MadBars.com there was no way to find out any information about them quickly.""
While there are many national Web businesses targeting college students across the country, they are not as effective with the Madison community because, as UW-Madison junior Dan Egan explained, ""The national Web businesses like Greek101.com and Greekyearbook.com don't really resonate with the majority of Madison students. However, a national business that has been customized to the Madison area such as Umenu.com is extremely helpful.""
The local Web businesses offer students an amazing array of different opportunities. While BadgerSublets.com aims to streamline the subletting process, MadBars.com wants to provide ""an interactive community for UW- Madison students looking for information on area bars. It is also intended to provide a forum for students to voice their opinions,"" explained co-founder and UW-Madison junior Alex Jovanovich.
UW-Madison sophomore Jeremy Schwach, founder of MadMovers.com explained that shipping to the Twin Cities is traditionally an extremely expensive process and MadMovers.com, new to Madison this spring, offers students a much less expensive method of shipping anything and everything home to the Twin Cities.
Additionally, Schwach pointed out that MadMovers.com will ship things that traditional shipping companies will not. In an effort to help students through the enormous task of moving in and out, MadMovers.com has pledged to pick up and deliver at residences. MadMovers.com is Schwach's second Web business; he previously started http://www.Mad-Bus.com, which provides transportation for students to the Twin Cities during breaks. ""Mad-Bus.com offers a less expensive option for students traveling home to the Twin Cities with many added benefits that you won't find with a traditional bus service, such as on-board movies and free soda,"" Schwach said.
Knowing that college students are traditionally on a strict budget, all of the local Web businesses are attempting to provide a service at a greatly reduced cost. MadMovers.com provides shipping at a fraction of the conventional shipping cost, Mad-Bus.com provides a much cheaper bus ride and BadgerSublets.com charges a nominal fee to post a sublet listing.
However, as Zusel explained, ""A small fee to erase the hassle of running around campus to post signs, hoping that someone will find it, seems to be an extremely worthwhile investment. ... More so, the community that we have created is an extremely valuable resource for students attempting to find a sublet, and this service is completely free. BadgerSublets.com has received over a thousand unique visitors since we began just a couple of months ago, and has helped sublet countless apartments.""
There will undoubtedly be more student-run Web businesses in the Madison area in the next couple of years. Hopefully, like their predecessors they will provide a valuable service to the campus community at a reasonable cost.
