With all that is going on with COVID, Andrew Veilleux, 21鈥 a business analytics and finance double major from Massachusetts, needed something to do with his free time, so he decided to start a company. And now, his student-owned clothing brand 鈥淕ood to See You鈥 has merchandise that can be found for sale online, and in five stores across 11 locations.
Faced with all the challenges and frustrations of the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrew Veilleux, 21鈥 a business analytics and finance double major from Massachusetts, needed something to do with his free time, so he decided to start a company.
Now, his student-owned clothing brand 鈥溾 has merchandise for sale online and in five stores across 11 locations.
Veilleux says the message and the company grew out of the social isolation so many have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The phrase, ‘It’s good to see you,’聽means so much right聽now,” Veilleux said. “I love saying it! It鈥檚 a powerful message, especially because I enjoy seeing people back on campus. The words ‘good to see you鈥 carry more meaning in a world that has been distant for so long.鈥
The decision to launch the company began with extensive research to learn what it would take to sell the 鈥済ood to see you鈥 message. With the desire to share the 鈥済ood to see you鈥 message on a shirt, Andrew and his two roommates, Stephen Hawthorne 鈥21 and Sean Hess 鈥21, dug in. They recruited a design major to create the first draft of the 鈥済ood to see you鈥 logo.
Developing the business allowed Veilleux to draw on his collective academic knowledge and classroom experiences from sales and pitch merchandise to supply chain and build a website. But he and his roommates give much credit to the resources available on campus the surrounding community.
They received guidance from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship to choose sales and marketing platforms, understand business costs, and make informed business decisions. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Student Government Association鈥檚 Acorn Fund provided financial support based on the company鈥檚 potential for positive impact beyond the classroom. They borrowed equipment from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Media Services Department to create their first promotional video.聽 They sought guidance from the 黑料不打烊 Law School and worked with two 黑料不打烊 law students who shared legal advice and filed for the 鈥済ood to see you鈥 trademark. The legal service, offered for free to 黑料不打烊 students, helped them understand tax obligations, whether to form limited liability corporation, how to gain capital, and work together to sell merchandise.
Through a network of friends and professionals, Veilleux now understands the importance of building capital and integrating merchandising with the supply chain in an agile, digital way. Veilleux plans to focus much of his time on getting 鈥済ood to see you鈥 merchandise for sale in a couple of stores up north.
Merchandise can be found and in (黑料不打烊 and Durham), , The Fountain market 鈥 Clohan Hall, and .