Pizza mania in Lennoxville

Samy Cauvet, Economics & Business Editor » thecampus.businesseditor@gmail.com

A piece of advice I wish I had gotten before I graduated

Pizza mania in Lennoxville

As Academic Advisor and Career Counsellor, we often meet students who, at the end of their studies, wonder what to do after their undergraduate program. Most would ask us: “Should I do a master’s degree, a Certification, get an MBA, or start working right away?” The answer to that is simple: there are no right or wrong choices regarding your professional career. “We are not looking for perfection; we are looking for progression,” once said a yoga teacher named Chris Chavez. With the multitude of choices you’re presented with at the end of your studies, such as a job offer, a specialized master’s degree, a break, a backpacking trip with friends, or a startup idea, it is possible to feel a bit dizzy. Here are four simple steps to help you make up your mind about what you want your future to be like.

Know yourself. Now is the time to evaluate your needs, interests, values, and professional goals. Do you have an interest in research? Are you looking to acquire more knowledge on a specific topic of interest, or would you rather consolidate the knowledge you have already acquired and focus on gaining relevant work experience?

Have a good knowledge of the job market. Before even looking at the promotional brochures of master’s programs, it is important to know the current demand situation in the job market.

Define your career objectives. Looking at job postings, you will see what is required for the position you would like to do in the future. It will give you a good idea of the next step to take. After navigating the demands of the job market, with the help of networking platforms such as LinkedIn or Ten Thousand Coffees, you can follow professionals in your field of study and view their backgrounds. What positions have they held in the past? What diplomas or certifications have they completed? Did they complete these programs after graduation or part-time while working? Did their employers offer them specific training? This information will help you decide whether to continue your studies after your undergraduate degree or not.

Discover your academic options. Universities are constantly creating new graduate programs to adapt to students’ needs and to the ever-changing labour market. Therefore, we encourage you to take the time to explore the different graduate programs that exist in your field of interest. You will discover that some programs or universities are more research-oriented, while others focus more on experiential learning opportunities. You will also discover that there are many graduate certificates that can provide skills and knowledge you want to acquire in a shorter amount of time. For some professional

Marlene Canuel, c.o. Coop & Academic Advisor Nathaniele Pelletier, c.o. roles, it is more Career Counsellor advantageous to do a specific master’s degree. For example, a master’s degree, or a program leading to a title, such as CPA or CFA, could allow you to seek more advanced and specific knowledge which will be requested by employers.

Faced with the huge flow of information about possible programs, you may feel overwhelmed and confused. Therefore, if you start with a self-reflection and a good research of the market requirements, evaluating programs becomes easier and less stressful.

Bear in mind that there is no right or wrong decision, since this is a journey and you will learn from every experience whether you decide to pursue graduate studies, start your career right away, or open your own business. Furthermore, remember that nothing is set in stone. You can decide to work right away and then, once you have gained experience or know more specifically what career you want to pursue, come back to school to do a graduate degree.

Samy Cauvet Economics & Business Editor

At a time when restaurants such as Pizzaville are shutting down in response to the In the back store kitchen—“the production facility”—up to three hundred pizza dough pandemic restrictions driving restaurants’ profit margins down, a new business just mix packs are produced daily. Those freshly made goods are then ready for sale whether it opened up in Lennoxville at the end of March called “Brad’s Gourmet” (Gourmet de is in-store or online through their newly updated website (bradsgourmet.com). However, Brad). their product offering is not limited to the pizza dough mix. This business is a one-stop

This exciting new place to visit, located at 127 Queen Street in Lennoxville, was founded shop where you get to buy anything you need to make your own pizza such as toppings, by Jessica, a soon-to-be graduate from Bishop’s utensils, aprons, and so on. Brad’s Gourmet prides University, and her dad Brad. itself on getting its products from suppliers within

The whole business idea took shape after Brad’s the province of Quebec. previous position was terminated because of On top of being a B2C, selling its products directly COVID-19. In November 2020, they took advantage to customers, the business also follows a B2B of a new governmental program called STA (Soutien model by partnering with local businesses such as au Travail Autonome), which aims to provide select Lennoxville Provigo, CVA (Centre de Valorisation de Quebec entrepreneurs with advice and assistance l’Aliment), and the corner store in Sherbrooke called to facilitate the deployment of their business for “Coin d’Italie.” the first two years. On Dec. 1, they presented their The strength of his business strategy lies in the business idea in a Zoom meeting to Pro-Gestion following idea: “It takes three minutes to prepare Estrie committee members. On Feb. 9, 2021, their [the pizza dough] with two additional ingredients, business plan was accepted and, from there, they oil and water, and one hour to rise.” Someone who rushed to gather the funds from people that they would like to make their own pizza would usually had previously approached to support their start- go buy some frozen pizza dough at a convenience up such as family and friends—also known as “love store and let it thaw out which takes time. However, money.” “It all [moved] really fast,” Brad told The thanks to Brad’s pizza dough mix, the customer buys Record newspaper in a phone interview. freshly made ready-to-use pizza dough mix from

Brad’s Gourmet doesn’t fit into any business which you can smell the yeast when you cook it. category. It is a mix between an épicerie, an That sounds very attractive, doesn’t it? artisanal manufacture, and a hub for pizza lovers. At least, I was not the only curious one around “It’s not a [pizza] restaurant. [Brad’s Gourmet is] Lennoxville. Indeed, Brad’s Gourmet has had an not competing with Jerry’s [Pizzeria], which is right average of thirty customers coming to the store across the street,” Brad mentioned to The Record. on a daily after being open for only a week. Brad, a They are targeting a different market which consists graphic designer, conceptualized and produced his of people who are interested in making satisfying own packaging, business logo, and brochures, as homemade pizza. Indeed, the business model well as the interior decoration of the store for which revolves mainly around the sale of pizza dough he got extra help from his wife who studied interior mixes freshly made on-site in the back kitchen by decoration. Brad, who developed his own recipe over the years. In future, Brad’s Gourmet will be looking at Six different mixes are offered to respect everyone’s banking solutions to increase operating margins dietary restrictions (Original, Whole Wheat, and plans on hosting pizza workshops for kids and Traditional Italian, Organic, Rice Flour Blend, Keto families when COVID-19 regulations allow it. & Paleo). Photo courtesy of Samy Cauvet