Harvard Distribution Services is the only university-authorized direct-to-student advertising medium on campus. The clientele ranges from recruiters like Goldman Sachs to pizza shops distributing coupons to students. The manager serves as a medium between the clients and the workers, who distribute to resident houses or poster around campus. Aside from gaining extensive experience in customer service skills, the managers gain valuable organizational skills and direct over 20 employees.
Harvard Student Resources is a temporary job agency that provides a variety of services to the community, both Harvard and beyond. With over 500 student employees, HSR is the largest employer at HSA. Also under the auspices of HSR is the famous Harvard Bartending Course, which awards about 50 Masters of Mixology degrees per month. Enrollment fees for HBC alone generate over $80,000 of revenue per year. Interaction with countless customers and employees on a daily basis builds valuable skills in customer service, employee relations, and contract negotiations.
HSA Cleaners is one of the founding businesses at HSA and is consistently one of its most profitable. Business is concentrated on three key product areas: laundry and linen plans, dry cleaning and shirt services, and bulk linen rentals and sales. Offering its managers the opportunity to direct a staff of workers at the main office and off-site locations, HSA Cleaners operates four separate offices. Due to the high profile of the agency, many people learn about HSA for the first time through the Cleaners.
HSA Publications publishes The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard and The Harvard Guide to Summer Opportunities. They are currently working to re-launch The Unofficial Guide Online Edition. The manager of Publications has the unique opportunity to direct an advertising sales staff while also taking several books through the entire editorial and production process.
HSA Rentals, another founding agency of HSA, provides the student body with an array of rental equipment including microfridges (our most popular item), refrigerators, TVs, VCRs, fans, and water coolers. The manager gains a great deal of logistical and operational experience through planning and implementing the delivery and pick-up of rental equipment to undergraduate and graduate students. Also, coordinating registration weekends for Summer School and Freshman Move-In gives the manager and assistant manager the chance to interact with temporary staff members and hundreds of customers.
Let's Go Ad Sales generates the highest revenues of any agency at Harvard Student Agencies. Responsible for over $1,000,000 in gross sales per year, the manager and ad associates develop relationships with clients ranging from international corporations like MCI and Council Travel to family-owned businesses. Designing and implementing creative negotiation and persuasion strategies offer a challenging, rewarding experience.
Let's Go Publications, HSA's largest division, started in 1960 when the introduction of affordable flights to Europe prompted a group of enterprising students to put together a 210-page pamphlet of travel tips for a new breed of traveler - the student on a budget. This best-selling budget travel guide series hires over 150 students each year to completely revise and update all 48 titles. Hiring for editors, associate editors, and researcher/writers occurs at the beginning of the second academic semester.
Cronin Center for Enterprise was founded to support and foster the creative business initiatives of undergraduates at Harvard. The Center's resources are directed towards planning and funding cutting-edge educational forums and career development programs that will spur undergraduate interest in business. Alumni, faculty, and corporate sponsors all play an integral part in helping fulfill our mission to bridge the gap between education and professional careers.
The Harvard Shop is the only retail outlet that specializes solely in Harvard apparel and paraphernalia. Inventory ranges from t-shirts to glassware. Managing this established Harvard Square landmark is an opportunity to develop sales and marketing skills through designing and purchasing new products, planning new store layouts, and negotiating with vendors.
