Babson Freshmen Student Businesses Earn $25,000+ for Charities

BABSON PARK, Mass., July 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Babson College student businesses have donated more than $25,000 to charitable organizations while the first-year student employees learned the fundamentals of business.

Teams of first-year students began developing business plans during the Fall semester as part of the school's required full-year course, Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship.

While learning the nuts and bolts of inventing, developing, launching, managing, and liquidating a business, students put the lessons into practice by launching 16 ventures during the Spring semester.

These businesses earned $25,888 in profits for charities. Students also donated time and resources to community service agencies.

FME student businesses have donated more than $375,000 to charity in the last 10 years.

2010 FME Businesses

*B-Ray Sunglasses sells quality imitation sunglasses at an affordable price that are stylish, durable, inexpensive, and provide eye protection.

*Babson Country Club is an entertainment business that provides on-site miniature golf opportunities with their portable mini golf course.

*Boost Bubble sells VE2 caffeinated gum to save customers time and money. The company is seeking area small businesses to buy their product.

*Budd-Eaze offers a comfortable, washable, affordable headband with headphones for listening to music on a favorite media player. Made with dry-fit material and micro-fleece linings, it caters to any type of activity while providing superior sound quality and comfort.

*Click, a wireless mouse with integrated 1 GB USB storage and customized logo. With a Click mouse, customers use their mouse while storing data on one USB drive.

*Diskover Shield is a retailer of protective, patented film that snaps on the bottom of any disk and stays on while playing, to end scratched disks.

*E-Z Wash is a product line of bags for laundry. The bags are distinguishable by size and can be placed into the washer and dryer without ever losing a sock.

*Freshions sells Boost, an ionizer that releases negative ions to cancel out positive ions making you feel refreshed and energetic. Boost reduces the risk of airborne illness, and works as an air cleaner to remove dust and eliminate odors.

*Germ Stoppers sells alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers and refill packages to small offices and restaurants to maintain a healthy workplace.

*Kudos Shirts sells t-shirts with designs chosen by the customers and the Babson community, available in bulk.

*Lokay sells a remote key finder which includes a remote control transmitter and an ornamental key ring that serves as a receiver.

*TH2O sells mug warmer sets that keep beverages hot and plug into any computer USB drive. Sets include mug warmer and 14-oz Java Desk Mug with logo.

*Threads and Ink is a custom embroidery and custom stamp service. They embroider text and logos on any piece of clothing, or create a stamp with any text or picture.

*Totes2Promote provides stores, restaurants and consumers with an eco-friendly alternative to disposable plastic bags, endorsing an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

*WriteOn provides customizable dry-erase sheets that can be stuck to most surfaces and then easily removed, combining the versatility of Post-It notes with the reusability of dry erase boards.

*Y.O.U. Calendars offers BabCal, a generic calendar with pictures of the Babson campus and important Babson dates, and YouCal, a customized personal calendar for company web sites.

Organizations Benefiting From FME Businesses

* Birthday Wishes/Rodman Ride

* Boston AIDS Africa

* Boys and Girls Club of Boston

* Charles River Center

* Community Servings

* Cradles to Crayons

* English as a Second Language Program

* Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore

* Habitat for Humanity

* National Multiple Sclerosis Society

* Nativity School of Worcester

* Needham/Wellesley Afterschool program

* Nyansa Project

* Special Olympics Massachusetts Staff

* Web of Benefit

FME has been recognized by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship as the number one "Innovative Entrepreneurship Education Course" in the country.

Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., is recognized internationally as a leader in entrepreneurial management education. Babson grants BS degrees through its innovative undergraduate program, and grants MBA and custom MS and MBA degrees through the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Babson Executive Education offers executive development programs to experienced managers worldwide. For information, visit www.babson.edu.

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SOURCE Babson College