Small Business Development Leads to Big Aspirations: Sofia Nardi on Why Business Matters

Sofia Nardi ’18 of Springfield, Massachusetts, is an honors program student majoring in small business development. She dreams of becoming involved in the restaurant and coffee industry, as well as owning multiple businesses of her own someday. Nardi works hard to stay involved in her field, interning with local restaurant owner and Bay Path alumna Maureen McGuinness G’13, while also serving as secretary for the Women in Business Club. Throughout her undergraduate career, she has worked as a resident assistant (RA), financial/managerial accounting tutor, social media manager and sales associate for the University bookstore, and fitness center desk attendant. Nardi has also served on the Student Events Committee on campus, as well as regularly volunteered for phonathon as a caller. In 2016, she was awarded the Spirit Award at the Grinspoon Entrepreneurial Initiative, which is given to those who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit through the creation of a unique business plan and presentation. 

Recently, Nardi completed her thesis presentation, “What is the cost of an ethical cup of coffee?”, which required her to develop an integrated business case analysis, including strategic marketing solutions. Her study focused on a small coffee business in Canada under the name of Just Us! Coffee Roasters. Nardi had the task of creating and implementing entrepreneurial techniques from her course learnings, as well as utilizing the proper tools and resources for a realistic business approach.

In this Q&A, Nardi discusses how her project topic impacts businesses and consumers on a daily basis, as well as why good business is important to her and all of our everyday lives: 

Tell us about your project. Why did you select coffee, and why Just Us!?

The main goal of my project was to find a case study that was most closely related to my desired industry, which is the coffee and restaurant industry. I had to perform an integrated business case analysis on the study, while also maintaining some creativity in providing strategic marketing solutions. 

I focused on Just Us! Coffee Roasters because I was interested in learning about the differences between a businesses in Canada and the United States. Coffee has always been a passion of mine, and I hope to incorporate it in whatever I do in the future.

What did you find beneficial about analyzing this business, and how does that knowledge impact consumers?

Prior to working on my thesis, I had little to no sense on what it takes to become fair trade and organic certified. Moreover, I learned a lot about how fair trade directly affects the producers in third world countries. This information is currently impacting the coffee industry, as well as all of the majorly traded commodities, in a big way.

Technology is making people smarter than ever. Consumers want to be able to shop their values, and have the means to support organizations that are socially conscious and responsible. With that in mind, businesses are taking on initiatives such as fair trade business practices, or implementing environmentally responsible programs to try to earn more consumer dollars. It’s important to understand this, because it will become more relevant in the future for businesses of any size. 

What was one significant challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?

I had to determine the main cause of the business’s stagnant growth. I was able to see what areas needed improvement, but it was difficult at first to pinpoint that it was the unstable leadership structure of the organization. It took me a month to figure it out!

What do you love most about the field of business/marketing?

My favorite thing about business development is that all businesses had to start small and eventually through their development and marketing efforts, grow and become successful. I chose to study business and marketing because everything is created and influenced by business-- the clothes you're wearing, the food you eat, the chair you're sitting on, are all businesses! It’s everywhere you look and in everything you do. 

What do you plan to do with your degree after graduation?

I finished my coursework for my degree in the fall, and have taken a position with CLICK Workspace in Northampton, Massachusetts, where I’m able to utilize my skills in marketing and business development to support CLICK’s growing member base. Ultimately, my dream job is to own my own business, or a variety of businesses. However, I’m very happy to be assisting with marketing efforts and outreach for a
successful organization.