Getting students to brainstorm about your marketing or sales?

Are you an entrepreneur in a family business? And do you have a marketing or sales challenge? For the new subject Family Business Case Challenge, we are looking for family businesses that would welcome the fresh view of (international) business students on their (real-life) case.

What is the Family Business Case Challenge?
Windesheim's Family Business Case Challenge is based on the Harvard Case Teaching Method. It challenges business students to analyse a real-life case from the business world.

What does that mean in practice?
In the morning, you (alone or together with your employees) give a short introduction to your marketing or sales challenge. This could be, for example, a product introduction, online marketing strategy, web shop, distribution channel choice, social media marketing, export strategy or brand strategy. You give this introduction to a group of (inter)national business students. Because of the international setting, it's particularly interesting if your assignment also has an international component. For instance, German students will give you more insight into the German market, which you had not considered before!

The business students then systematically start working on your case in groups. In the afternoon, they will present a solution (or possible solutions). You are a member of the jury and together with Windesheim staff you will assess the solutions presented. Of course, your challenge will not be solved in just one afternoon. But a minimal investment of time on your part will yield several new insights and solutions for your marketing or sales challenge.

Why ask students for your case?
Experience from other family businesses shows that entrepreneurs find the fresh look of business students to be the greatest asset. Moreover, it's often the start of a different way of thinking. Young professionals will certainly remember this pressure cooker assignment as a special experience during their education.

By participating, you will get creative input for the challenge you are facing. And, of course, you contribute to innovative education on family businesses. And a final advantage: you may come into contact with students for a future internship or final project. All in all: who knows, your participation in the Family Business Case Challenge might just lead to a nice spin-off for your family business!

When: Date, subject and venue to be arranged together with you
Your investment: 1 day / 6 hours

Want to know more?

• Dr Judith van Helvert, Professor of Family Businesses (jmc.van.helvert@windesheim.nl(opens in new tab)).
• Sander Janssens, UAS Lecturer of Marketing  (aj.janssens@windesheim.nl(opens in new tab) / 06-34364830)