A Ball State entrepreneurship student trying to get a start in business is 0 for 2 when it comes to on-campus commerce and blames what he says are overly restrictive university regulations.
"All throughout life, I've done things from cutting grass to edging grass," Logan Day said. "I've worked with my dad at his construction company and I've done all kinds of things to make money."
Day could be spotted recently on campus, sporting a bright red bow tie and white shirt as part of his latest venture, Cool Jerk Ice Cream.
He uses a moped to tow an ice cream freezer on wheels - or "mobile ice cream stand," as Day puts it - to Westside Park, Tuhey Pool and even the Academy of Model Aeronautics on East Memorial Drive.
But the ice cream vendor got a chilly reception when he brought his goods to campus. University regulations forbid unauthorized promotion or sales on campus.
The activity is covered under Section IV, Part C of the "Regulations for Use of Property for Expressive Activity, Distribution, Demonstrations, Fund-Raising, Marches, Sales (and) Solicitation."
The rule, published in 2002, says sales or other commercial activity is limited to the three days before the Fall Semester and a similar period before the Summer Session. The activity has to be in a specially designated area and time, and companies must register with the school.
So Day said he was told the ice cream cart had to go. He earlier tried to promote his database of off-campus living alternatives, Campushc.com, but was told that wouldn't fly, either.
"I ended up getting in trouble because one of the first big marketing campaigns I did for that was chalking around campus last Fall Semester," Day said.
"We chalked campus pretty heavy on the sidewalks and I was unfamiliar with the fact that Ball State had a policy against that."
Another time, he was stopped while passing out cups that read "Are you tired of living on campus?" to promote Campushc.com.
"I went outside of the dorms and passed this stuff out and the cops got called on us three times," he said. "The third time the sergeant was called and they wanted him to make a decision."
Day has been trying to get a head start on his entrepreneurship since his freshman year which started with the cups.
Brian Geiselhart, adviser or the entrepreneurship program, said students aren't required to actually start a business while in school, though several have.
The program requires a capstone project in the spring of senior year. In Management 449, New Venture Creation, the students take what they've learned throughout the program and put together a business plan that they present to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, attorneys and bankers from outside the school.
"They actually decide whether or not the student has provided enough information about not only the product and service, but about the market operations and executions that the venture has as to how it will work and why it will work," Geiselhart said.
While Day was developing his website, he met fellow entrepreneurship student Daniel Ramos of Peru.
Ramos said he and Day were exchanging information about each other's businesses and became closer.
"I have a couple of business plans made, one of them is a tea shop here in Muncie, the other one is a Peruvian restaurant," he said. "I've been studying the businesses in Muncie that have closed within the first year, it's kind of difficult in this market so I'm very, very careful about that."
The university has stopped other vendors. In the spring, cardinal cupcakes and coney's were told they could not give out free samples at the Scramble Light.
"[The regulations were] established back in 2002 and its purpose is really to maintain order and the respect of others rights and to ensure the university can [take] care [of] its mission and conduct its activities on a large campus," Tony Proudfoot, associate vice president for Marketing And Communications said back in May. "As you can imagine, we have 20,000 people on and off campus everyday on 700 acres so there are a lot of people in a very small compact area and so the purpose of this again is to help maintain order and to protect the rights of others in that kind of situation."
Despite the hassles, Day said he's gained a lot from his business experience so far.
"It's awesome to be in my shoes and experience things not a lot of people ever get the opportunity to. There's of course a sacrifice on that," he said. "The emphasis for me is not so much on my school work as much as it is to balance the best I can between my school work and my endeavors."
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