NEC STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE A FLAIR FOR THE ENTREPRENEURIAL

There’s nothing like putting your education into action. After all, that is what the New England College experience is all about. This winter, students from Professor Cindi Nadelman’s Internet Marketing class decided to put their education to the test. Turning to their professors and friends, the students collected used textbooks, novels, VHS tapes and CDs, built their own website, and started selling. Voila! The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.

The students had a number of objectives in mind when they started the company. With the high cost of textbooks, and a stressed out economy, students were looking for ways to save some money. According to Professor Nadelman, the company doesn’t compete with the NEC bookstore which also sells used books. “The bookstore can only sell the most recent editions of textbooks,” she said. “We will carry earlier editions where there are subtle changes in copy and a few updated pictures, but all the content is still there, and we can sell the book at a huge savings.”

The list of inventory on the Pilgrim Used Books website is extensive, numbering well over 400 items. The most popular textbook subjects are business and economics and computers and the internet. But if you are a fiction lover, into humor and games, or looking for religion or spirituality, they’ve got you covered.

Students were also interested in recycling books that might otherwise find their way into landfills. “This was a great opportunity for faculty members to clean out their offices, do some recycling, and donate to a great cause,” she said.

All profits from the startup company were donated to student scholarship programs at the College. Once again, benefitting students by reducing their costs, this time the target was tuition. Their initial goal was to make $1,000 over the spring semester. They made their goal and then some, with the first profits going to the New England College Alumni Fund.

Professor Nadelman sees the company as a viable business with potential to grow. “We are looking to keep the business going with student interns from the business division,” she explained. “Our initial success is a good indication of the need for this service.”

Pilgrim Used Books is accepting donations of used textbooks in good condition. For information, contact Professor Cindi Nadelman at cnadelman@nec.edu or visit their website at www.pilgrimusedbooks.com.