INNOVATION. INVENTION. INTEGRATION. IMAGINATION.

These are the core concepts for projects completed at Robert Morris

University Illinois’ ICenter. This unique endeavor, which stands separately from

the University’s programs of study, expands beyond our student’s classroom

education by engaging them in real-world projects with actual clients.

CLIENT OVERVIEW:

Push Indoor CyclingEstablished in 2015

6315 South Central

Chicago, IL 60638

pushindoorcycling.com

PROJECT SCOPE

ACCOUNTING MARKETING PHOTO/VIDEO GRAPHIC DESIGN

ICenter Case Study

ICenter Case Study

THE PROPOSAL Raquel Prendkowski is a perfect example of a superwoman. As a mother of three, nurse by

day, and owner and instructor of Push Indoor Cycling near Midway Airport, she is doing the

ultimate in balancing acts. Raquel discovered cycling several years ago when a back injury

eliminated running from her personal fitness program. Given the limits Chicago’s weather puts

on people who share her love of the sport, she knew an indoor facility could fill a need for

snow-bound and traffic-plagued cyclists. There was definitely a market for her idea, and she

always wanted to be her own boss, so she jumped in with both feet. She found a storefront,

and with help from her husband, renovated the space, purchased equipment and set about

finding instructors.

Things started off a little shakily, but then plateaued. “I was doing this all by myself and I really

underestimated my startup costs. I had set an investment limit for what I could lose and still

be ok, but I honestly didn’t know if I was making a profit or not,” she admitted. She found that

her first need was to re-examine her business plan which was missing some key components.

“I thought I was doing a good job at marketing by putting together some packages but I was

maybe breaking even at best.”

A fresh look at the business with some innovative ideas could move things forward.

The RMU ICenter was the prescription this nurse-cyclist needed.

PROJECT TIMELINE:

ACCOUNTINGFall 2015

MARKETING Fall 2015

PHOTO & VIDEOFall 2015

ACCOUNTING 2Winter 2015

GRAPHIC DESIGN & WEBWinter 2015

ICenter Case Study

TEAM BUILDING A successful business plan has many facets and the programs of study at Robert Morris

University cover just about all of them. In the School of Business Administration,

accounting, management and marketing are among the areas of concentration for student

business majors. Those who study graphic design include print, photo, video and web design

in their program. Together, these areas complement the essential elements of a business

plan, creating a financial foundation with principles of management and effective marketing

techniques.

Deanna Ho, Dean of External Experiences at Robert Morris University, explained to Raquel

how students become involved in ICenter projects at Robert Morris. They talked about how

students from different majors come together and provide one another help to create a

cohesive plan for a new business, crossing over their areas of study to give a broader

approach with unique ideas.

Raquel was skeptical, at best. “I really thought the end result would be pretty amateurish

– after all these were college students. But, I enjoy working with students and since I didn’t

really know anything about the plan, I thought I would be helping them, instead of them

helping me.”

“The collaboration, critical

thinking, leadership and

communication skills acquired

during an ICenter project,

empowers students to take

ownership of their knowledge

and abilities, redefining them

and improving them with

each encounter.” - Deanna Ho

ICenter Case Study

THE PROCESS Over the course of four months, Raquel worked with a team of marketing, accounting,

management and design students from RMU’s Chicago and Orland Park campuses. They met

for information sessions, visited the facility and talked to clients. Initially, students spent a great

amount of time just collecting information and observing the process. They

assessed the business operation as outsiders and shared what they learned with faculty

members and others on the team.

The RMU students explained to Raquel that by doing a classic SWOT analysis (strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities and threats), they could build upon the strong components of

the business and resolve the weaknesses through the discovery of opportunities. They

proceeded to take her business plan apart, and put it back together again. They approached

each segment of the business, gave presentations on their findings and provided

suggestions. They examined her accounting practices, reassembled “frequent visit spinning

packages,” changed reservation policies, set up a marketing plan that included social media,

and redesigned the website with new photos and video.

Her impression of the presentations given by the RMU students? “It was beyond belief,” she

says. “They were amazing. I thought, ‘what can they see that I don’t see already?’ But there

were things I totally missed. I think sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see some

of the things you can do to improve business. Sometimes it is a major overhaul, but often, it

is a very simple change.”

The internal changes, such as cancellation policies, made a difference right away. Externally,

the photos and videos gave a very professional look to the entire operation. The imprint made

by including social media marketing made visits to her website and Facebook page soar.

ICenter Case Study

• Conducted Break-Even Analysis• Conducted Operations Analysis• Reviewed Cash Inflows• Provided Recommendations for Growth

ACCOUNTING PROJECT

MARKETING PLAN• Conducted Situation Analysis• Conducted SWOT Analysis• Determined Target Markets• Proposed Marketing Mix• Proposed Schedule • Proposed Budget• Developed Marketing Metrics

OUTCOMES

ICenter Case Study

Original Marketing Materials

After

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PHOTO/VIDEO• Developed Brand Strategy• Conducted Photo & Video Shoot• Redesigned Website • Branded Print Materials

ICenter Case Study

OUTCOMES - Redesigned Marketing Materials

Raquel PrendkowskiOwner

6315 S. Central Chicago, IL

708.372.3531pushindoorcycling.com

pushindoorcycling@outlook.com

ICenter Case Study

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE Brad Kirouac, a business student with a background in photography and art, was part of the

Push Indoor Cycling project. He became involved early on, knowing that he could contribute

greatly from a creative standpoint. His contribution would be video and photography for use

on the website and in general marketing.

He started out talking to Raquel, the trainers and the customers. He asked questions and

collected as much feedback as he could. “Going through the research phase really helped

me piece together what I wanted to show in the video. I knew it needed to be solid in the

internal and external sides of the company in order to create an effective story,” he

explained. “I was able to find out what Raquel wanted, then organize and create a story.

We wanted to focus on who the people, instructors and customers, really were and what

the company was - that is their image.”

Students who worked on the financial, management and marketing aspects of the project

coordinated their efforts in much the same way. They worked independently and in groups,

sharing information that helped one another, even from one area of concentration to

another. Brad was able to blend his business and creative talents by taking the effectiveness

of the new website a step further. “I showed Raquel how I hooked up the site to Google

Analytics. It provides a lot of real-time information about how people were using the site and

how she could improve her business.”

In all, 31 students were involved in the Push Cycling project through the ICenter. As the

project took shape, some students – particularly those with more classroom and practical

experience – stood out as leaders. Others had less experience, but they quickly found they

could benefit greatly by learning from their groups and other individual students.

“I operated as a creative

director and it really helped me

learn how to work with other

creative members of the team.

You have to allow them to

be individuals with their own

creative ideas, too.” - Brad Kirouac

ICenter Case Study

BECOME A PART OF THE ICENTER Experiential learning is not a new concept to Robert Morris University. It has been its

approach to higher education for decades, based on a foundation of preparation for

real-world experiences that date back to 1913. Since that time, RMU has continuously instilled

the principles of solid business practices in their students. They are taught by experienced

professionals with the expectation that the sooner students can apply what they learn in the

classroom to actual work experience, the better they will understand and use

those concepts.

RMU’s ICenter was established as an outgrowth of this mission. Seeking out companies to

provide internships for RMU students is an excellent start, but including experiences in which

students take on the role of consultants with actual clients presents a new and rewarding

dimension to real-world practices.

To continue with such invaluable experiences for our students, Robert Morris is seeking

innovative projects from businesses or organizations that can use input from a fresh

perspective. Students bring a combination of relevant and current classroom information

with technological awareness and savvy capabilities that are prevalent in their generation.

The experienced faculty and seasoned ICenter management team provide the guidance and

organization needed to see each project through to its completion.

TO BECOME A PART OF THE ICENTER:

Email: ICenter@robertmorris.edu

Call: 312.935.4860 or

Visit: www.robertmorris.edu/icenter