The words “You’re Fired!” heard on the hit TV series “The Apprentice” were made famous by billionaire Donald Trump.
At FAMU, a similar theme will be taken by Friday Stroud, professor of business policy and strategic management, and his class in the School of Business and Industry.
These words are delivered during a project devised by Stroud, “The Perfect Apprentice.”
The game was created by Stroud to give her students hands on experience.
“The Perfect Apprentice” is emulated by merging the class into four teams with tasks for them to complete.
Students were “fired” based upon their performance in one of the four tasks they had to complete.
These tasks were centered on improving the marketing techniques for “The Perfect Gift Basket,” a local black business on Apalachee Parkway. The store is owned by Rashada Houston, a FAMU alumna.
The first task was to design a brochure promoting and detailing the company.
The second challenge was for students to produce a commercial and infomercial advertising the store.
The third assignment consisted of going into the community and finding all possible consumers, along with comprising a guest list to increase the market base.
Instead of students getting “fired” and having to go home, they were traded to another team.
Students being fired and traded broke all four teams down to two.
One of the teams, The Talented Ten, will complete the final task, which is to put on an event at the location of the store to showcase all the goods and services “The Perfect Gift Basket” has to offer Thursday from 3-7 p.m.
“There will be taste testing, alcohol-free margaritas, lotion, perfume and cologne samples for all to try.
“There will also be a gift for $50 worth of store merchandise that the winner can select for their own merchandise,” said Rochelle Rosemond, a MBA candidate from Fort Lauderdale.
Team members also gained a great deal from this project.
“This project proved to be a real life application instead of just education,” said Charles Fluellen, a senior SBI student from Cartersville, Ga.
“I am interested in starting my own business and this project taught me how to start up a business” said Naomi Granger, a MBA candidate from Las Vegas.
“Strategy is not effective until you utilize that information and with this project, we as SBI students get to actually put together, apply and practice all of what we have learned,” Rosemond said.
In addition to the students, Houston also learned from the project.
“This project has opened up the store’s market and I learned how to tap into the different market segments,” she said.
Team members have high hopes for the future of “The Perfect Gift Basket.”
“The Talented Ten” invites and urges people to visit the store online at www.theperfectgiftbasket.com for inventory and purchasing of items.
Contact Tenikca D. Morning at ladit821@aol.com