This week we had the pleasure of speaking with the driving force behind McGill Campus Swaps, Sonnia Kuo. In her second year at McGill she has jumped feet first into the world of buisness and is running an amazing nonprofit social enterprise here at McGill. Keep reading to learn more about her work and a few tips she was generous enough to share with us.
Ana Zdravkovic for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): Tell us a little bit about your business?
Sonnia Kuo (SK): Campus Swaps was founded by students a few years ago and created as a nonprofit social enterprise. The idea behind it is that we take in the things that graduating or moving students are about to throw out, sort through them, and sell them back to returning or incoming students at the beginning of the year at next-to-nothing prices. This creates a cycle of sustainability, reducing the unnecessary waste and new spending that the student community goes through every year.
HC McGill: How did you come up with the idea for McGill Campus Swaps?
SK: It was actually two McGill students years ago who came up with the idea a few years ago– Shira Abramowitz and Christian D’Andrea!
HC McGill: How is your business different from others, such as the Facebook group Free & For Sale, or any donation companies?
SK: Whereas Free & For Sale is more for personal benefit from both the seller and buyer’s perspectives, Campus Swaps is geared towards helping the community as a whole. Nobody makes profit, but we strive to lessen the burden on everyone – by taking excess things off the hands of donators, providing them to incoming students so they don’t have to buy everything new, and decreasing the amount of perfectly usable items that go to the landfills. In this sense we are more similar to the Salvation Army and similar organizations, but we are localized to campus because there is a large need for this kind of service when students are constantly moving in and out of the area.
HC McGill: How do you balance your time between academics and running a successful business?
SK: It’s important to have regular meetings throughout the year to stay on top of things, especially since we are busiest from April finals to the beginning of the school year – both chaotic academic periods. By planning what you can before it gets too busy, you avoid wasting time and stress when the actual time comes to do work.
HC McGill: Do you have any advice for young women who are looking to pursue a more entrepreneurial career?
SK: Don’t be afraid to get involved because you have no experience or don’t know what you’re doing! Everyone starts somewhere, and the more you put yourself out there, the more experience you’ll get for the future. Entrepreneurism is the sort of career that you just have to get hands-on experience in to succeed, rather than studying from theory and books. So go for it!
HC McGill: What would you say is the hardest part about growing your business?
SK: The starting stages of a business are hardest because you are running off minimal resources and often need to ask for whatever help you can get. Nobody knows you, and sometimes that makes them unwilling to sponsor you, volunteer, or rent out a venue to you. Once you’ve established a name for yourself and a routine, things start to go much smoother.
HC McGill: Is there anything else you would like to add?
SK: University is an ideal time to realize your ideas and try to put them to practice – you have more freedom in terms of time and resources; there is a huge community at your fingertips.
To learn more about Campus Swaps, you can check out their Facebook page, and consider donating your items to this great organization!