Stereotypes of people interested in business may conjure up images of sharp suits and briefcases, but the Montana Tech Business Guild has a more cheerful take on the subject.
“We're having fun. It's not all work and no play,” said Quinn Cassidy, former vice president of the Business Guild. Cassidy graduated in December and currently holds an advisory position at Montana Tech University where he serves as Residence Life Coordinator. He was replaced as vice president by Carly Speer.
In Fall 2023, the Business Guild went on a field trip to the Montana Ambassador Event. There, managers marketed their companies to obtain funds from investors.
“It was a business presentation and we got to see how these businesses present,” Cassidy said. “If we are going to start a business, we have to do the same thing. It is student-led, so we decide what we do, and we give more people business ideas and experience. It's important to us that you know.”
The Business Guild meets in the SAP Lab in Engineering 102 on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. All members are interested in business, but not all are business majors.
“We worked with the Baja Club last year to help them develop a business plan for the competition,” Cassidy said. “They finished in the top 20 in scoring among over 200 teams. In past years, they weren't even close to that.”
Connor Hegem is the president of the Business Guild. He is majoring in business and information technology at Butte College and is pursuing his two options in accounting and management.
“We try to recruit people from other majors because there are a lot of majors on campus that want and need business experience,” Connor said.
His twin brother, Clatyon Heggem, is also majoring in business and information technology and pursuing two options in accounting and management. Clayton is the club's treasurer.
“We really want to help students with business-related needs,” Clayton said. “We provide people who can consult with students who are interested in starting their own business and provide additional resources.”
Club members also participate in the SAP ERPsim competition. ERPsim is a business simulation game. The team uses his SAP software to manage a virtual enterprise in a fast-paced, competitive market where business decisions are made based on data analysis. This simulates the competitive market students will face once they begin their careers after graduating from Montana Tech. Montana Tech University and his 16,000 universities around the world are part of the SAP University Alliance. SAP is the world's largest ERP system provider. SAP customers generate 87% of global commerce ($46 trillion). Montana Tech is one of only 13 universities in the United States with an SAP Next-Gen Lab. This allows students to use several systems of proprietary software programs for data processing (SAP) to perform data analysis and export graphics that provide easy-to-understand information for business professionals to facilitate decision-making. Gain access to applications and products. Last year, he placed third in the North American qualifying round and qualified for the international tournament. The team plans to play again this spring.
The spring semester is usually filled with speaking events, while the fall is packed with activities such as bed races and homecoming mural activities. Students can only participate by attending some meetings. Some members only participate in specific project collaborations and events related to their interests and needs.
The club's success over the past few years has club officials looking to the future even as they prepare to move on from graduation this year.
“Our goal is to engage students and expose them to everything that makes them stand out,” Cassidy said.
