With the seemingly endless amount of schoolwork, club involvement, late night meetings and study sessions, it is often hard to manage a social life, let alone run a small business. Our campus celebrities this week, however, do just that! Management major seniors, Michelle Carter and Amber York started a project in their Entrepreneurship class last semester that has now carried over into the New Year.
The idea: Wouldn’t it be convenient to not have to carry a clutch or a purse when gallivanting around Harrisonburg in the wee hours of the night? To never worry about misplacing it at a party or leaving it in a restroom would be nice, right? Or what about when you are trying to pay for your meal at Dukes and can’t find that pesky JAC card? Well that is where the Priceless Pocket comes in handy—you will never lose your cards again! Amber came up with the idea while getting ready to go out, wishing she could just compile all of her cards with her phone. Whether we are texting, tweeting, emailing or playing Words with Friends, let’s be honest—we always have our phone with us. This “aha” moment sparked the idea and thus, the design was born!
Designed to adhere to most smart phones, the Priceless Pocket comes in a wide variety of patterns and includes a small grip on the inside to ensure the security of up to three standard cards. Through trial and error, they found a functional design and the materials to compliment it. Michelle said, “An important lesson we learned was to always ‘fail forward,’ or learn from your failures, be persistent, and never lose your spirit.”
The project has carried over into their Venture Creation class, which will focus a lot more on the actual business plan, therefore continuing their success throughout the community. While there have been lots of stressful scheduling conflicts and class obligations, Michelle notes, “making pockets is something we enjoy, so it never seems like a burden. We work well as a team and have become very good at coordinating our busy schedules.”
Interested in buying a pocket for $5? I got mine in blue polka dots and it has been incredibly useful! Check out Pricelesspockets.com, their Twitter, or for more information, just contact Michelle!