Four Hillsdale students have started a shoe cleaning business as part of their Kehoe Fellowship project.
The Kehoe Fellowship gives students a practical, hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, according to Jen Lutz, the fellowship’s director. Freshman Russel Mangiapane and sophomores Ianna Chan, Ashley Luke, and Rylan Conley started the St. Nick’s Shoe Cleaning Service at the end of January. Customers can get their shoes cleaned for $5, and can get their leather shoes polished or waterproofed for an additional $3. Shoe drop-off locations are in Mauck, Simpson, Delp, the Splex, and by the mail lockers in the tunnel connecting Lane and Kendall Halls.
“Customers can just bring their shoes to the box,” Chan said. “We have bags for them to put the shoes in, and they simply fill out a form and submit their payment. And in filling out their form, they’re able to put their place of residence or their office. On Saturdays, we will — my team and I — clean shoes in Simpson, and we have a guarantee where we’ll deliver them in two days in a cute bag with gold coins.”
Lutz said she thought St. Nick’s was a very practical idea and a useful service to fill a need at Hillsdale.
“I also appreciate the creativity behind the name,” Lutz said. “It’s a nod to Saint Nicholas, who according to tradition tossed gold coins into homes, sometimes landing in shoes drying by the fireplace.”
The St. Nick’s business team identified a need on campus and created a business with relatively low startup costs and a simple, scalable model, according to Lutz.
“St. Nick’s started because shoe shining was something that Rylan and Russel had experience with, and Ianna and I were excited to learn something new,” Luke said. “We each have our own roles that play into our strengths, and it’s been fun to see how everyone has grown into their position. Russel and Rylan usually do most of the cleaning and finances, and Ianna and I do the delivering and marketing. But the boys taught Ianna and I how to clean as well, so now I know a fair amount about leather polishing.”
All the drop-off boxes contain cards that customers can fill out with their information and include if they’re paying with cash in the bag with their shoes, according to Mangiapane. Customers can choose what kind of shoe cleaning they would like to receive.
“With Rylan, Ianna, and Ashley, we were brainstorming what would work as a business,” Mangiapane said. “What does everybody need? What need could we meet around campus? And then also, what would be at a low enough price point so that it’s accessible for a lot of students around campus? And then that’s how we kind of got the idea for St. Nick’s shoe cleaning service.”
Although Kehoe fellows have their own businesses, they were divided into three groups of four, with each group tasked to start a business.
“We ended up coming up with the idea to clean shoes, because everyone here has dirty shoes, especially during the winter and the salt and stuff,” Chan said. “So cleaning shoes was something that we found would be a great way to improve campus and to turn into a business.”
Starting a business as a team of four busy college students can be challenging, according to Luke.
“I have really appreciated the time and effort that we have put into the business and how we have seen both it and ourselves grow,” Luke said. “The director, Jen Lutz, has encouraged us at every step of the way and helped us brainstorm through problems we have come across. Figuring out how to work with a team is something I have learned in a special way through Kehoe.”
Chan said her business team would appreciate the support of students and faculty.
“What’s so great about Kehoe is that you don’t have to have a substantial business making five figures a year, like you can even have a business plan, and they’ll just meet you where you’re at, and they’ll just help you grow in that manner,” Chan said. “They bring in such great mentors that really pour into you.”
